An unusual incident occurred on the morning of August 6 near Owen Beach in Tacoma, Washington. Witnesses noticed a drifting vessel with no visible people on board and reported it to the authorities, as reported by [Entrevue](https://entrevue.fr/ru/insolite/insolite-un-bateau-derive-sans-equipage-au-large-de-tacoma-la-police-decouvre-30-chats-a-bord/). A marine patrol from the police headed to the boat. Upon boarding, the officers confirmed that there were indeed no people present. However, cats and kittens were practically everywhere — about 30 animals roamed freely across the deck and interior of the vessel. Tacoma police representative John Correa compared the scene to a moment from a Ghibli film. According to him, it seemed as if the boat belonged to the cats themselves: the animals walked calmly around the vessel, going about their business. ### Some cats were found to be emaciated However, the situation only appeared amusing at first glance. The police noticed that some of the animals were in poor condition. Some cats looked emaciated and were very frightened, and the conditions in which they were kept raised concerns. The authorities decided to evacuate the animals, but it turned out to be impossible to do so immediately. The vessel was privately owned, so the services needed to obtain the appropriate court order. After obtaining the warrant, rescuers returned to the boat the next morning. The operation involved the marine unit of the police, animal protection specialists, and forensic experts. All the cats and kittens were successfully removed from the vessel. After that, the animals were taken to a shelter where specialists were to examine them and provide assistance if necessary. ### Where did the boat owner disappear? The police managed to identify the legal owner of the vessel, but initially, they were unable to contact him. Now investigators need to clarify several circumstances: why about 30 cats were on the boat without a person, how long the animals had been alone there, and why the vessel was drifting uncontrollably near the shore. Currently, there are no reports of arrests, and the investigation is ongoing. The story of the mysterious boat ended well for its unusual 'crew': all the animals were successfully evacuated. Now the main mystery for the police is where the owner of the vessel disappeared to and how three dozen cats ended up alone in the middle of the water.
