Published Dec 2, 2025
rayraytails / Instagram.com
Two felines – one a beloved pet adult cat, and the other a tiny stray kitten – jumped on top of a vehicle and crawled underneath one, respectively. They both made headlines after somehow surviving a treacherous ride unbeknownst to the drivers! How did they pull it off?
In the Pittsburgh region, members of the Denardo family taking a road trip certainly did not plan on bringing their cat – but a jaw-dropping surprise during a pit stop forced them to change their plans. After all, what else can you do when you discover that your cat hitched a ride on the roof of your van – and was still up there after driving 100 miles?
“We had driven for two hours and needed to stop for gas,” Mara Denardo told KDKA, the Pittsburgh-area CBS News affiliate. “My husband gets out of the car to pump the gas and is like, ‘The cat is on the roof!’”
The family’s tabby cat, Ray Ray, somehow had snuck onto the roof of the Denardo’s family van, which was packed with family members and supplies for a road trip to New Hampshire for a marathon – then, on to New York City. The Denardos had driven over hills and cruised down Interstate 80 for about two hours at 70 miles per hour with the cat sitting on the roof!
Mara told The Washington Post that, since she strapped some luggage onto the roof of the car, Ray Ray must have lodged himself next to it somehow for cushioning. Regardless, a cat surviving a rooftop high-speed drive like that is truly an astounding feat. How did Ray Ray do it?
rayraytails / Instagram.com
The Denardos felt shock and disbelief, which then turned to laughter after they discovered their hitchhiking feline, who had refused to be left behind. They took the hint.
“We’re like, what do we do? We’re already so far into the trip, and we have a long way to go to get to New Hampshire,” Mara told reporters.
Her husband, Tony, said: “He’s just going to have to come with us!”
The family went to a pet store to stock up on supplies for Ray Ray, and then embraced him as part of their vacation as an unexpected twist. One of the things they bought was a cat backpack, which they put Ray Ray in so he could safely join them as they walked around New York City. And Ray Ray’s human dad ran the Clarence DeMar Marathon with the cat, whom Tony held in his arms while crossing the finish line.
The Denardos started posting about Ray Ray’s feat on social media, and the news media picked up on the viral story. Ray Ray now has his own Instagram page at @rayraytails.
Mara Denardo is turning Ray Ray’s adventure into a series of children’s books, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit animal shelters. The series is called Ray Ray’s Cattastic Adventure Tails, and the first book is called The Cat Who Wouldn’t Stray. That first book focuses on Ray Ray’s journey from the roof of a van to the top of the Empire State Building. According to this Instagram post with a sneak preview of the book: “Ray Ray never stays behind … he’s always chasing the next great find!”
This month, Ray Ray will be honored at a special event in Kittanning, the community where the Denardo family lives in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. A county humane officer is giving Ray Ray the Courageous Cat Award, and the cat will do a meet and greet with local fans. Ray Ray merchandise will be sold, and a raffle will raise money for a local animal shelter, Orphans of the Storm.
The Kitten Stuck under a Car
abc7ny.com
Ray Ray’s story is extraordinary. And believe it or not, he is not the only feline that made headlines in October for travelling miles as a hitchhiker. On Long Island, New York, a 7-week-old female kitten climbed into the underbelly of a car that was parked in a lot at a storage unit in Islip. The black and white tuxedo kitten somehow snuck somewhere into the undercarriage undetected, until the people inside the car heard squeaky meowing nearly three miles later!
The driver pulled over to try and locate the hidden kitten, and a neighbor called cat rescuer John DeBacker. This prolific Long Island rescuer has helped so many felines in a jam like this, including this kitten named Stella, whom he rescued from the engine bay of a USPS truck.
DeBacker rushed out and went under the car to pry out the crying kitten. You can watch the video and read the story at this link from WABC TV.
The kitten, who somehow survived nearly three miles trapped under the car intact, was named Sunflower and taken to Last Hope Animal Rescue in Wantagh, N.Y. She is no longer listed on the rescue’s website, so someone who saw this little fighter in the news must have snapped her up quickly. We wish Sunflower a long and happy life.
And we wish all cats who may find themselves stuck on a moving vehicle the same resilience and happy ending!
