Cat’s 11-Day Ordeal in Moving Van : Checkerboard Makes a Cross-Country Move

Checkerboard, a vegetarian cat with a bad case of curiosity, got an 11-day cross-country trip for its trouble when it decided to investigate the moving van parked near its Massachusetts home.

The 9-month-old calico slipped onto the van last month while it was being loaded in Brookline. When the van drove off, Checkerboard was inside.

Checkerboard turned up in the city’s Haight-Ashbury District and was found by Nancy Preisendanz, who called the number imprinted on the cat’s collar tag.

“I’ve got Checkerboard,” she told Laurie Mittel.

“Thank God!” was Mittel’s reply.

Mittel called a cousin, Karen Solomon, who drove over from her home in Marin County and picked up the cat.

Checkerboard was a little skinny, but has fattened up on home cooking provided by Solomon, who runs a day-care center.

“She’s basically a vegetarian,” Mittel said. “She eats pasta and yogurt, and loves macaroni and cheese. I’ll have some watermelon for her.”

Checkerboard will be flying home in style today, and when the plane arrives, Mittel said, “I’ll be waiting.”