We’ve established before that I’m a cat person (and a dog person, too). Like most people with pets, Sir Sir, our twenty pound behemoth of a cat, is the center of our lives. He gets fed on schedule, gets treats and toys from the store, and gets all the belly rubs he can handle. It’s a pretty cushy life.
Photos by truck driver Paul Robertson
Honestly, I don’t know how Sir Sir, would handle it if I told him to get a job. Not like this hardworking trucking cat, Percy.
Percy is the traveling companion of Paul Robertson, a truck driver who wanted a buddy for all those long hours on the road. Paul’s truck is specifically outfitted for Percy with a platform for riding shotgun as he looks out the window. Thanks to Paul, this notable trucking cat has gathered quite the internet following.
One night, when Robertson was dealing with a bout of food poisoning, he pulled into a truck stop and cuddled up with his best friend to sleep it off. But when he woke up, the passenger window was rolled down and Percy was missing! According to Robertson, Percy had figured out how to roll the window down by stepping on the controls – especially when a tempting bird or squirrel sat outside. Robertson looked for Percy, but the cat was nowhere to be found.
In an interview with MPRNews.com, Roberston said: “I’m a commercial truck driver, and I have a truck full of stuff that’s worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and I’ve signed on a dotted line saying I will have it delivered by such and such a time, I don’t have the choice to stay if I want to.” So he drove on, telling his internet following about Percy’s disappearance. People called the animal shelters in the area, with one local Percy fan even going to the truck stop to look. But Robertson had to keep driving.
Two nights later, after driving through rain and snow and making two deliveries, Robertson stopped in a factory yard to do some paperwork. As he worked, he saw a cat slink out from under the truck.
Percy hard at work on the road
At first, he thought it was a stray, but when he took a second look, Robertson realized it was Percy – 400 miles from the place where he’d last seen him! Robertson’s best guess is that Percy had ridden under the cab of his truck (probably on top of the transmission or by the fuel tanks) for those two legs of the trip.
Robertson called off the search for Percy, thanking everyone who helped him look for his best friend. I was touched by the story, but Sir Sir was less than impressed. Like many cats, Sir Sir is sticking to his argument that there’s no reason to get a job or go on big adventures when he can get all of the food and belly rubs he needs right here at home!
That said, we were both glad to hear that Percy’s still got several lives left in him.
Happy Monday,
~Mary
