THESE CATS WON’T be parting with one of their lives that easily.
When the engine of Mark and Cynthia Schneider’s tuna boat exploded last week, the pair had no choice but to jump ship, leaving their two cats behind them.
When they later got to safety on a nearby boat, they were stunned to see one of the cats, Jasper the Tabby, on the bow of their sinking boat. The other cat, a calico named Topaz, was already in the ocean and eventually swam to safety on the rescue boat.
AP Photo/Mark Schneider
Jasper remained stranded on the bow for some time, but as soon as it sunk deeper he was forced to jump and swim to his owners about 100 yards away.
The Schneider’s boat sank 80 miles off the coast of Oregon, with the couple–who have been finishing together for 27 years–loosing their boat, $40,000 worth of tuna and most of their possessions. Mark says they’re just thankful that they haven’t lost their cats.
I kept calling for the kitties and calling for the kitties, but I’m sure they were traumatized by the blast and didn’t know what the heck was going on. Cynthia finally snapped me out of that and said: ‘We gotta get off the boat. We gotta get off the boat. Get in your survival suit.’
Mark went on to say that the bow of the boat was a natural place for Jasper to take refuge, as it was
kind of a secret hiding place for him, and I’m sure that’s where he went when he didn’t feel safe.
