A cat from Utah has been found in a Californian Amazon warehouse after being accidentally shipped in a return box by her owners.

Galena vanished on 10 April – leaving her owners perplexed as to her whereabouts after family and friends helped them search their home and neighbourhood without success.

Owner Carrie Clark told KSL TV – an affiliate of Sky’s US partner NBC News – that she received a text message on 17 April informing her Galena’s microchip had been scanned.

Immediately afterwards she got a call from a vet in California.

“I didn’t believe her at first and thought it was a prank,” she told KSL.

“I ran to tell my husband that Galena was found and we broke down upon realising that she must have jumped into an oversized box that we shipped out the previous Wednesday.

“The box was a ‘try before your buy’ and filled with steel-toed work boots.”

Galena had been trapped inside for six days without food or water.

Ms Clark told KSL she was able to speak with the Amazon warehouse worker, Brandy, who found Galena. The Amazon employee told Clark over the phone that she took care of Galena before taking her to the vet the next day.

Upon getting the call, the couple booked a flight for the next day and were reunited with the family pet.

“Despite being skinnier and some mild dehydration, her bloodwork was completely normal and she was completely unharmed,” Ms Clark said.

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The couple updated a Facebook post on a Utah county lost and found pets group page and hailed Galena’s “survival story”.

They wrote: “We’re in awe of all the tender mercies that have taken place. It’s a total miracle!!”

Ms Clark told KSL she wants to encourage all pet owners to microchip their animals, and added: “Triple check your Amazon boxes.”