A family from Pennsylvania experienced the shock of their lives during a routine road trip when they discovered their adventurous feline had been an uninvited passenger for over 100 miles.
The Horror Discovery at the Services
Margaret Denardo, 43, was travelling with her husband Tony, 49, their daughter Sophia, and three friends on 26 September. The group was driving from Pennsylvania to New Hampshire to participate in a marathon. Believing their eight-year-old cat, Ray Ray, was safely at home, they set off on their journey.
After two hours of driving, the family decided to take a break at a service station. It was there that Margaret made a heart-stopping discovery. Peering up at their van, she saw Ray Ray calmly perched on the vehicle's luggage carrier, having clung on for the entire high-speed motorway journey.
A Daring Feline with a Taste for Adventure
Margaret, a writer from Kittanning, Pennsylvania, described her immediate reaction. "I was beyond shocked and terrified for him that he had been up there for so long," she said. "I just wanted to get him down so he didn't run away where we were. I kept thinking of all the terrible things that could have happened but he was so unfazed!"
This daring nature is apparently typical for Ray Ray. The family first found him as a tiny kitten eight years ago, hiding under their van. He has lived as an indoor-outdoor cat ever since, accustomed to independence. Margaret believes this bold personality is what led him to scramble onto the roof of the vehicle before it departed.
The Unplanned Holiday Companion
Recovering from the initial shock, the Denardo family made a quick decision. Instead of turning back, they decided to bring Ray Ray along for the rest of their holiday. After the stop, they continued to Keene, New Hampshire, for the marathon.
They even made a special detour to a pet shop to buy essential supplies for their unexpected travel buddy. Following the marathon, the adventurous cat joined the family on the next leg of their trip to New York City for a holiday, completing an extraordinary journey that began clinging to a roof rack.
Margaret reflected on the incredible coincidence of Ray Ray's life bookended by vehicles, noting they first found him under a van and now he had travelled on top of one. The family is simply grateful their resilient pet survived his incredible and unplanned motorway adventure unharmed.
