Offers of a home have come flooding in for a cat which used one of his nine lives as a stowaway on board a ship bound for Felixstowe.

FELIXSTOWE: Offers of a home have come flooding in for a cat which used one of his nine lives as a stowaway on board a ship bound for Felixstowe.

It may be lucky for crew to have a cat on board a vessel - but it almost wasn't for the moggie, which was weak and scrawny when he was found when the container was opened.

Called Pharaoh because he had arrived from Egypt, the animal is currently in quarantine near Colchester.

Ipswich Cats Protection League has agreed to sponsor him during the six-month quarantine period and find him a home afterwards.

His story though has touched hearts everywhere - and offers of help have been received from all over the country.

Stacey Mizen, publicity officer for the league, said: “Offers of a home have come flooding in - we went down to see Pharaoh at the quarantine kennels and there was a huge pile of e-mails from people wanting to have him.

“As yet we have not decided on anyone. Our homing officer Sophie Brouillet will look through all the e-mails and then we will try and find from them a suitable person.

“Ideally, it would be someone who lived near the quarantine centre so they could go and visit him over the next few months and get to know him.”

Pharaoh arrived in Suffolk after a long sea voyage from Port Said in a container on the MV Maersk Batam.

The box of wire coils was taken to GMA Freight at Ipswich and when it was opened out walked the unexpected arrival.

“He was very scrawny and we gave him a bowl of water and one of my colleagues gave him his sandwich - he ate the meat very quickly,” said John Biscoe, from the company.