Editor’s note: This article is reprinted by permission from The Paper of Wabash County (Indiana).

Jeanine Wine, Wabash County resident, was leaving the Francis Shoppe in Downtown Wabash when she heard a familiar noise coming from her car. 

“After a rainy afternoon, I left my job at the Francis Shoppe on Market Street and started my car,” Wine told The Paper of Wabash County. “About one block away, I began to hear mewing sounds. ‘What now?’ I thought. The vehicle is due for an oil change. Then, ‘Maybe, I passed a passionate cat?’ But the mewing continued as I drove on. The cat sounded frightened, and distressed, and it seemed to be coming from under the hood of my car.”

Wine pulled over and popped her hood to see if she could find the culprit. She took a look and found a small black kitten who had taken refuge in her car. 

She called for assistance and some Wabash Police Department officers showed up to help rescue the kitten. Although different from their regular duties, they didn’t hesitate to get on their hands and knees to get the job done. 

Responding to the scene were Wabash Police officers Kody Case, Colin Gouveia, John Hays and Adam Kneubuhler.

“I had heard about cats crawling into cars, so I pulled into a parking lot and popped the hood, and there it was,” said Wine. “A small, black, kitten looking up at me. It was scared, and pulled away, hiding deeper into the engine. I could not reach it. I tried reaching from under the car as well. No success. After calling a friend who was unable to respond, I called the police, who ingeniously found that cat was traveling back and forth, from the front of my car to the back.”

With great effort and patience, the little stowaway walked away with all nine lives intact. 

“This is just one example of our officers doing whatever needs to be done to help the public,” WPD Capt. Matt Benson, the department’s Public Information Officer, told The Paper. “The City of Wabash is very lucky to have officers who keep the best interest of the public in mind.”