An Idaho state trooper took a “leap of faith” to grab hold of a feline on the run during a recent highway traffic stop.

The trooper made the stop on the Interstate 90 in North Idaho after witnessing several items falling out of a van that had its side door open.

The Idaho State Police (ISP) posted about the encounter on Facebook.

“When the trooper stopped the van, he found two people, two dogs, and a cat all inside. Turns out, both people were in possession of multiple controlled substances and eventually were booked into jail on drug charges,” ISP said in its post.

Police then called local animal shelters to take custody of the pets, but while waiting for shelter representatives to arrive, the cat decided to make a run for it.

Dashcam footage shows Trooper Llerenas inspecting the trunk when the cat runs off into the forest. Llerenas can then be seen leaping into the snow to grab the cat by the tail and haul him back.

The ISP said on Facebook: “When Mr. Kitty made a run for it, Trooper Llerenas also acted fast and caught the fleeing feline before the little critter could get lost or harmed. Trooper Llerenas said he literally took a ‘leap of faith’ to catch the cat, and it worked. If you listen closely, however, after he catches Mr. Kitty and brings him safely back to the vehicle, Trooper Llerenas tells the feline that they were friends, but after the leap into the snow, maybe not so much.”

The two individuals in the van were eventually arrested on drug charges.