Report Kitten Clings to Life: Survives 240-Kilometre Ride on Car’s Drive Shaft

[webfact]

Picture courtesy of Thai Rath

 

A daring black kitten miraculously survived a 240-kilometre journey clinging to a car's drive shaft, finally finding a loving home in Udon Thani.

 

Wipachet Soikliao, a 58-year-old railway officer, called upon the Songserm Dham Udon Thani Foundation after his colleagues heard meows during their drive from Udon Thani to Khon Kaen.

 

Despite several stops, they failed to locate the source of the cries until their return, when Wipachet’s dogs, Mee and Black, alerted them beneath the vehicle.

 

Picture courtesy of Thai Rath

 

With help from rescuers, a female kitten, about four months old, was discovered clinging tightly to the drive shaft. Exhausted and very thin, she was gently removed and placed in a box. Wipachet, who already cares for multiple pets, named her Black and added her to his growing family.

 

Believing in the luck animals bring, Wipachet intends to buy lottery tickets using his vehicle's registration numbers, hopeful for a win. Black's incredible journey touched hearts, echoing another recent rescue in Bangkok where a K9 dog found a kitten among rubble.

 

The heartwarming tale of survival and new beginnings highlights the compassion and care given to these resilient animals, turning their perilous predicaments into stories of hope.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-06-26

 

 

[JimHuaHin]

What is this love affair between Thai kittens and cars, especially car engines?

 

Almost every time a neighbourhood cat has a litter of kittens, they seem to find my car, and get under the hood, thus requiring close engine area inspection before driving.

[hotchilli]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

was discovered clinging tightly to the drive shaft.

Does that not revolve when in motion??

[richard_smith237]

2 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Does that not revolve when in motion??

 

Think about it.. just a little...      

 

You reckon the drive shaft had a housing or Super-strength kitty was spinning at 2800pm ?

[Tedly]

26 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Does that not revolve when in motion??

  Yes, I think there is a mistake there. maybe it was on the frame rail. If it was a front wheel drive it doesn't even really have a drive shaft just axle shafts that spin. Either way, lucky kitten to have survived.

[digger70]

Kitten Clings to Life: Survives 240-Kilometre Ride on Car’s Drive Shaft. 

 

Nah , impossible a cat clinging on a driveshaft spinning around at even a slow speed say 1000 RPM.  Something gone wrong in the translation .

[Ralf001]

19 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Think about it.. just a little...      

 

You reckon the drive shaft had a housing or Super-strength kitty was spinning at 2800pm ?

Its a pickup.

there is no housing around the tail shaft.

no chance that vermin was holding on to the spinning shaft.

[PETERTHEEATER]

52 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

Does that not revolve when in motion??

Yes. Hence the state of the recovered cat, now nicknamed Dizzy.😀

[Aussie999]

Article suggest a miracle... clinging to the driveshaft, 555...too hard to believe.

[FlorC]

And during 240 km , the car never stopped , the cat did not run away ?

[richard_smith237]

21 minutes ago, FlorC said:

And during 240 km , the car never stopped , the cat did not run away ?

 

Why would they  ???   We drive to Hua Hin (From BKK) its 200kms...  no need to stop... 

 

Koh chang Pier is 320 kms....   we've done that without a stop plenty of times.

 

 

 

[chickenslegs]

28 minutes ago, FlorC said:

And during 240 km , the car never stopped , the cat did not run away ?

 

14 hours ago, webfact said:

Wipachet Soikliao, a 58-year-old railway officer, called upon the Songserm Dham Udon Thani Foundation after his colleagues heard meows during their drive from Udon Thani to Khon Kaen.

 

Despite several stops, they failed to locate the source of the cries until their return, when Wipachet’s dogs, Mee and Black, alerted them beneath the vehicle.

 

[Quentin Zen]

This is my life.  11 hours is my current record.   Pet cat, 89 days.  

[FlorC]

3 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

 

 

Yes I've read that , but why didn't the cat run away when the car stopped ?

[FlorC]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Why would they  ???   We drive to Hua Hin (From BKK) its 200kms...  no need to stop... 

 

Koh chang Pier is 320 kms....   we've done that without a stop plenty of times.

 

 

 

Not one red light ?

Even the big highways have some red lights .

[Bruce Aussie]

7 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Think about it.. just a little...      

 

You reckon the drive shaft had a housing or Super-strength kitty was spinning at 2800pm ?

She be dizzy. She would have been on a bracket somewhere. 240kms amazing that it could stay under car with all noise and road bumps ect 

[richard_smith237]

21 minutes ago, Bruce Aussie said:

She be dizzy. She would have been on a bracket somewhere. 240kms amazing that it could stay under car with all noise and road bumps ect 

 

Indeed - quite the story of survival...