Indiana State Police (ISP) troopers in Sellersburg showcased their compassion and quick thinking when they rescued a kitten trapped under the hood of a police cruiser in early September.

The heartwarming rescue operation, which lasted about 30 seconds, was captured on video and shared on the department’s Facebook page by Sergeant Carey Huls.

“We avoided a real CATastrophe today,” Huls wrote in the humorous post.

ISP troopers said they first noticed an unusual sound coming from under the hood of a parked patrol vehicle.

The troopers then approached Huls, who was responsible for the cruiser in question, and playfully inquired as to why his car seemed to be “meowing.”

Taking the sound seriously, the troopers, with the assistance of the district’s mechanic, Danny, decided to investigate further.

With the mechanic’s expertise, they raised the patrol vehicle to inspect the source of the mysterious meowing.

To their surprise, nestled near the cruiser’s engine compartment was a tiny kitten.

Without hesitation, Huls reached under the hood and skillfully retrieved the adorable young feline, making sure to handle it gently.

Huls remarked that the kitten, which he nicknamed “Dodge,” must have had quite the adventure, as it embarked on a one-hour journey under the hood of the cruiser.

Fortunately, the story had a heartwarming ending, as Dodge was reunited with its mother after the rescue.

The troopers’ compassion in this case proved that heroes don’t always wear capes; sometimes, they wear police uniforms and go above and beyond to help those in need, even if they happen to have whiskers and tails.

Such an episode involving a kitten hiding in a police car is surprisingly not the first to take place this year. In March, a kitten was rescued from a police car’s wheel well in Florida.