For Melina Marama Waite and her family, the morning was frantic and routine. Around 7:30 a.m., she left the house, dropped two of her children off at daycare, and was on route to pick up her 9-year-old daughter from school when she suddenly discovered they had been driving around with a stowaway.
Waite told The Dodo, “We were parked behind several cars at a crossroads when all of a sudden a tiny cat got on the dashboard. “I was very shocked, and I had no idea what to do.”
Waite was completely perplexed to see a cat sitting just in front of her on the dashboard, and it goes without saying that the cat was as confused.
When the traffic shifted, I began to move, and the cat slid, became frightened, and attempted to grab the rearview mirror, which caused my daughter to worry, according to Waite. I attempted to capture the cat, but it slipped from my grasp and fled to the back of the vehicle.
Waite thought the cat had gotten inside the car amid the commotion of packing in all the kids once the shock of it all subsided. Waite had actually seen this cat walking around outside her house previously. The fearful cat inside the car was later found cowering beneath the backseat as she and her daughter searched for him as they drove home. But as Waite tried to grab him, he sprang from the car and took off running.
Waite continued about her day, wondering if she’d see the little guy again and wishing she could have done more. But apparently, she and her family made quite the impression, because the very next day the cat made another appearance — this time, just a tad less dramatic.
“He came back for breakfast the next day and every day after that,” Waite said. “He let me get closer [to him] each day.”
The small cat appeared to be sick of being on the streets but didn’t know how to express it, so Waite borrowed a humane trap from a nearby cat shelter. It didn’t take long for the cat, now known as Dash, to be safe and sound inside her home.
Now that Dash has been neutered, Waite is taking him to the vet to be examined for any health concerns. The vet can also scan Dash for a microchip during this time in case he has a family who is missing him. No matter what happens, Dash chose the appropriate automobile to get into that day.
After that, he will either stay with Waite’s family or move on to another forever home.
