Imagine embarking on a seemingly ordinary road trip only to discover a stowaway with nerves of steel. Margaret Denardo, a 43-year-old resident of Kittanning, Pennsylvania, shared this astounding tale of her cat, Ray Ray, who embarked on an unexpected journey atop her car.
In September, Denardo, along with her family, set off on a planned excursion to Keene, New Hampshire, with New York City as their next stop. Unbeknownst to them, Ray Ray had decided he wasn’t going to miss out on the adventure.
As the family traveled, Ray Ray clung to the roof of their van, covering an astonishing distance of over 100 miles. It wasn’t until they halted for a gas stop that the family realized their feline companion had been along for the ride the entire time.
The Denardos had been cruising down major highways, reaching speeds of around 70 miles per hour, completely unaware of their cat’s precarious perch. The revelation at the gas station left them in shock, yet Ray Ray appeared remarkably unperturbed by his high-speed escapade.
“One hundred and five miles into our trip, we stopped off of Interstate 80 to get gas and use the restroom,” Denardo recounted during an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, underscoring the sheer surprise of finding Ray Ray calmly sitting atop the vehicle.
‘One hundred and five miles into our trip we stopped off of interstate 80 to get gas and use the restroom,’ Denardo explained during an exclusive chat with the Daily Mail.
That’s when her husband alerted her: ‘The cat is on the roof.’
‘I was terrified and shocked. I immediately thought of all the horrible things that could have happened to him,’ continued Denardo.
A woman whose cat traveled over 100 miles at highway speeds on the roof of her car has recalled the ‘terrifying’ moment that she discovered the ‘unfazed’ feline
Margaret Denardo, 43, from Kittanning, Pennsylvania, set out on a road trip with her family back in September – but little did they know they had an unexpected stowaway
‘I certainly didn’t want him running off where we were so I just grabbed him off the roof and hugged him.’
As for how he managed to not fall off, she theorized, ‘There was a fabric luggage carrier on the roof that was strapped down. He had to be hiding with it somehow.’
While she was understandably shaken up, she said the feline was ‘completely unfazed.’
Since driving all the way back home to drop him off would throw off their plans – given that they were running a marathon in New Hampshire and had tickets to Hamilton on Broadway – they decided to take Ray Ray with them.
The stopped at a nearby Petco to get some supplies before they continued on with their trip.
Photos show the cat checking out the sites of New Hampshire and at various spots around New York City on a leash or from a cat backpack.
One image showed him in Grand Central, while another featured the kitty in Time Square.
And now that they’re back home, Denardo is ecstatic that the little guy got to go on the adventure with them.
They had driven on major highways at speeds of at least 70 miles per hour, so naturally, they were completely stunned to find him on top of the vehicle when they stopped for gas
Since driving all the way back home to drop him off would throw off their plans, they decided to take Ray Ray with them. He’s seen with Denardo during the trip
Photos show the cat checking out the sites of New Hampshire and at various spots around New York City on a leash or from a cat backpack
‘He is so chill and friendly. He’s curious and laid back, always wanting people’s attention,’ she said of his demeanor.
She recently shared the story on TikTok and Instagram, where it went viral.
‘I thought it would get some good views on TikTok… but I didn’t know it would be everywhere,’ Denardo said of the massive attention it has revealed.
She has now written a children’s book about it, called The Cat Who Wouldn’t Stray.
She plans to turn it into a whole series about Ray Ray, as she previously explained to CBS News, ‘Each [book] can be a different place that he went.’
