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...   

[Somjot]

15 hours ago, JimHuaHin said:

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.

 

They feel safe there, as it is difficult to access for bigger probably hostile animals like dogs or horny male cats, who would kill them so their mother would let him mount her, which she would not alsong as she is taking care of her kittens. Mama cat puts them in a safe place before she goes for hunting to feed them.

 

[Somjot]

3 hours ago, FlorC said:

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

 

Probably scared and calling for Mama to come get her. An adult cat would run.

[hotchilli]

15 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 ?

Just asking for clarity.. they did state "shaft"

[Tarteso]

This one was flying 😂

..And landing

[Ralf001]

14 hours ago, FlorC said:

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

 

thats only a 1.5hr drive..... why would they need to stop ?

[FlorC]

1 hour ago, Ralf001 said:

 

thats only a 1.5hr drive..... why would they need to stop ?

You drive fast !

160 km/h ?????

 

It's Thailand , not Germany's autobahn.

 

 

[Ralf001]

54 minutes ago, FlorC said:

You drive fast !

160 km/h ?????

 

It's Thailand , not Germany's autobahn.

 

 

 

Yeah slow to 160 when i have to.

[LennyW]

The spare wheel under a pick-up bed is a favourite for cats, I have "transported" at least 3 this way, it would be quite a safe spot other than a bit of wind, I suspect that is probably the case here, it certainly was not hanging on to the driveshaft, possibly walking on the driveshaft when they found it after they stopped.

[Somjot]

13 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Yeah slow to 160 when i have to.

 

Good one.

 

Can`t remember how many speeding tickets I have paid in the last years.

 

Best way to contribute to Thai economy.

 

In the past I did it by donations for the poor people of Isaan payable in the charity offices in Soi 6.

 

But, hell, we all get older, don`t we.

 

[Ralf001]

5 hours ago, Somjot said:

 

Good one.

 

Can`t remember how many speeding tickets I have paid in the last years.

 

Best way to contribute to Thai economy.

 

 

 

I dont pay them.

[richard_smith237]

On 6/26/2025 at 9:16 PM, FlorC said:

Not one red light ?

Even the big highways have some red lights .

 

Good point - but actually no..  Just the junction at the end of my Soi, then its directly onto an expressway... no stops until reaching HH... 

[richard_smith237]

On 6/27/2025 at 5:38 AM, hotchilli said:

Just asking for clarity.. they did state "shaft"

 

I think we can take that as the usual 'artistic licence' with reporting and just figure that the little kitty clung to some part of the underside of the car...  thats about it..