'Miracle' cat survives high-speed, 70-mile ride

Male kitty was stuck in the underbelly of a sport utility vehicle

Douglas M. Bovitt / Courier - Post

Veterinary technician Samantha Bosse holds Miracle, a male cat who is up for adoption at the Animal Welfare Association in Voorhees, N.J.

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updated 1:22 p.m. ET Jan. 4, 2006

VORHEES, N.J. - Curiosity didn’t kill one cat on a wild ride on the New Jersey Turnpike.

The feline, now known as Miracle, hitchhiked a ride on the underbelly of a sport utility vehicle just before Christmas. The gray and white cat traveled some 70 miles on the turnpike Dec. 23.

“I’m just amazed that the cat didn’t fall off or get blown off,” said Karen Dixon-Aquino, director of the Animal Welfare Association in Voorhees. The association is caring for Miracle and plans to put him up for adoption.

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The SUV’s driver didn’t know about the stowaway until another motorist saw the cat through a wheel well and flagged down the driver.

Dixon-Aquino said Miracle probably climbed under the SUV and was asleep when the journey began. Somehow, the cat avoided being mangled by fan blades and other moving parts as he clung to the car.

“He was pretty freaked out,” Dixon-Aquino said. “His paws were burnt, one claw was missing and his fur was singed.”