Stowaway kitten survives trip from Shanghai to Los Angeles in shipping container

(AP) CARSON, Calif. - A 3-month-old kitten survived a journey across the Pacific, traveling from Shanghai to Los Angeles without food or water while locked in a freight container on a ship.

The orange-and-white short-haired kitten traveled 6,500 miles before arriving Wednesday.

It was unclear how many days the kitten was in the container. The trip can take as long as 21 days, according to freighter-travel.com.

The stowaway was retrieved from the container at a Compton-area business where it was delivered.

Los Angeles County animal control officers are cautiously watching his health.

The kitten is quarantined, which is standard procedure after entering the U.S. from another country.

The kitten ate and slept well at the Carson Animal Care Center, said animal control director Marcia Mayeda. He was alert and responsive Thursday.

Mayeda says workers named him Ni Hao (NEE'-How), which means "hello" in Mandarin Chinese.

When Ni Hao recovers, gets his shots and is neutered, the shelter will look for foster and permanent homes.