A cat that jumped onto a CN train somewhere in the prairies, on a very cold day, has found a new home to curl up in in Edmonton.
On Sunday, December 11, a CN train left Winnipeg early in the morning; it made a stop in Saskatoon on the way to Alberta. Somewhere along the way, the train gained a four-legged feline passenger.
The cat made its way under the engine deck.
The train made a stop in Wainwright, and conductor Brad Slater had stepped off for a routine safety check when he found the cat, covered in snow and frostbitten.
“Then I heard a cry, and it was him,” Slater said.
It’s believed the cat was tucked under the engine deck for up to 12 hours, in weather that dropped to about -40 degrees Celsius.
Slater said he fed the cat water and some beef jerky until the train reached Edmonton, where his wife helped bring the cat to their home.
“I just knew that he would get the best love, care and affection from here,” Slater said.
The cat had no collar or chip, so Slater has named him ‘Q-199’, the identification code for the train he was found on.
“He just looks like a Q, Q for short, but Q-199,” Slater said.
In the hours since they took Q-199 in, Slater has taken him to the vet for a checkup, and bought him special food.
“He’s got a few cuts on his paws and frostbite on his ear,” Slater said. Otherwise, Slater said, Q is just fine.
In the days ahead, Q will need more care – meanwhile, Slater is trying to find out where he came from. He’s convinced his new feline friend is a house cat and his family lives somewhere near the train line, possibly in the Winnipeg area, the only place the train stopped near homes.
“He’s either a Saskatchewan Roughrider fan, which I hope not, or a Winnipeg Jets fan, which I hope not,” Slater joked. “He told me this morning that his favourite player is Connor McDavid.”
Slater plans on keeping Q at his home until they find his original owner.
With files from Shanelle Kaul
