Rescue on the Highway

Driving down a six line highway with bumper to bumper traffic is not a place to break down. Hubby and I were behind a vehicle towing a jet ski when we were approaching a traffic signal and he noticed something dart across the six lane highway into the far right lane we were in. The vehicle in front of us stopped and the driver jumped out and started looking underneath his vehicle. We thought he broke down so hubby put his four way signal on to alert drivers behind us to slow down. I jumped out, not knowing what the problem was and by now the owner was looking around the driver side rear wheel.

It just so happened the the “something” we saw was a kitten and he jumped into the front wheel of the vehicle and managed to make his was to the back axle. The driver, who was an off duty beach patrolman, couldn’t move his vehicle because the cat was now holding on tight to the axle. I was able to see him from the rear passenger side wheel but the cat was so scared he kept going deeper above the axle. Not knowing if the cat would bite or scratch because of being scared, I ran back to our truck and got hubby’s leather gloves that he always carries with him. It wasn’t long when another car pulled off in the median and the owner and her daughter arrived to help.

Wendy, her daughter Kennedy and I were laying on the highway under the vehicle with the owner on the other side trying to coax the scared little cat to come out of hiding. Finally Kennedy spotted him, meowing and so scared. I gave her the gloves for her tiny hands in case the cat would agree to jump into her hands.

This went on for over an hour in the hot sun with steady, loud traffic whizzing by when a city policeman pulled up and suggested to move the vehicle off the main highway. Ah, sorry but the cat is somewhere above the axle and the results of moving the vehicle might end up in an unhappy situation. The off duty beach patrolman was so patient, hoping the cat would realize we were just trying to get him out safe.

Kennedy was awesome, talking quietly to the cat that she could only hear meowing. Then she excitedly whispered that she could see him! It was just a tiny kitten and so very scared. She kept talking quietly and she finally saw him over the axle. She took one hand with the glove and was able to reach his tail and then his back. Very slowly she reached up between the axle and a lift kit and put both hands around him. She continued talking to the cat, trying to make sure she had his trust and a good hold on him. Within a few minutes she had the scared little kitten in her arms.

Kennedy who had been laying on the pavement for well over an hour carefully scooted out from under the back of the vehicle not about to let go of the scared, tiny `kitten. Needless to say, it was quite emotional for Wendy, Kennedy, the owner of the vehicle and myself when we knew kitty was safe.

The first thing Kennedy asked the patrolman was could she keep the kitten. All agreed she was definitely the one to give this sweet kitty a forever home. She named the kitty Rue for rescue!

When Wendy and her daughter took Rue to the vet, he was estimated to be between one or two months old. This picture is day 34 after the rescue and he looks so loved and healthy!

From all the pictures I’ve seen with Rue and Kennedy, I think Rue knows he was rescued by a loving young lady and now the two are inseparable.