9 lives per gallon? Cat stuck in SUV engine is OK

[October 21, 2009]  NEW YORK (AP) -- A cat who rode two miles through New York City while stuck in the engine compartment of an SUV has lived to meow about it.

Wilfred Rodriguez heard rattling while he was driving Monday in the Bronx. After he parked, he spotted a bushy tail and a paw sticking out of the SUV's front end.

His initial reaction: "Oh my God! I killed a cat." He was relieved when the paw moved.

Detectives with the New York Police Department's Emergency Service Unit freed the grease-covered kitty by removing the SUV's battery and other vehicle parts.

Richard Gentles of New York City Animal Care & Control says the tan-and-white stray appears to be in good physical shape.

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Information from: Daily News, http://www.nydailynews.com/

[Associated Press]

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