When Sara Forrest spotted a note on her windshield warning her of a cat hiding under her car, she didn’t think much of it. She checked around the car and peeked under the hood but found nothing unusual. Confident the note must’ve been a mistake, she drove off, leaving her car parked for several hours without a second thought. But when she turned the ignition again, something unexpected happened.
“Within 10 seconds of driving away, I heard meowing,” Forrest told The Dodo. “And I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, there really is a cat in my car.’”
Forrest quickly pulled over, realizing the cat had likely taken shelter in her car’s engine on the coldest night of the year, when temperatures had dropped to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. She found herself in a dilemma, driving a rental car with no tools to help free the tiny stowaway. But just then, a resident who’d seen her struggle walked over, ready to lend a hand.
One by one, more neighbors arrived, bringing cat treats and car tools. One particularly handy stranger managed to remove a car part, giving them enough access to coax the kitten through a tiny opening. Finally, Forrest caught her first proper glimpse of the cat—a tiny, frightened kitten no more than two months old.
“She was just so scared,” Forrest said. “She kept pressing her head down into my arm or onto the bed, trying to hide.”
Forrest brought the little kitten home, where she quickly bathed her to get rid of fleas and set up a cozy nest in her daughter’s room. That first night, the kitten gave them a scare by disappearing for hours. After a frantic search, they found her peacefully curled up in a dresser drawer, finally comfortable and relaxed.
With three cats already, Forrest hesitated to keep another one. “At first, I thought, ‘We already have three cats; we can’t keep another,’” she recalled. “But then I realized, she chose us. She knew we’d take care of her. The universe put her here for a reason.”
In the end, it was settled: the kitten was here to stay. They named her Mitsubishi Mirage, honoring both the car she’d been rescued from and her mysterious, fleeting nature.
Now, Mitsubishi Mirage is part of the family, fitting right in with Forrest’s other cats, Salem, Star, and Teeny. Thanks to Forrest and the kind strangers who pitched in, this little kitten will never again have to search for a warm place to sleep.
