Kittanning cat rides 100 miles on roof of family’s vehicle
RAYBURN TWP, Armstrong County — It was an foggy morning in September at a gas station off Interstate 80 when Kittanning resident Margaret Denardo and her family realized their cat, Ray Ray, had stowed away on their vacation.
But instead of hiding in a suitcase, the 8-year old feline decided to hitch a ride on the roof of his owners’ car — traveling over 100 miles before he was spotted in Snow Shoe, Pa.
“It was about 105 miles from here, about two hours into our trip. We stopped to go to the bathroom and get some gas. My husband gets out first and just starts laughing,” Denardo said.
She said she talked with her husband and children about whether to take Ray Ray home, but decided he should come along. After purchasing everything they needed for Ray Ray during the trip, the family set out for their first stop in New Hampshire.
“He got to do everything with us, and everywhere we went, he just came along in his little backpack. He had his harness and leash on, and we’d take him out. He went hiking at some state parks,” Denardo said.
Despite Ray Ray enduring two hours of traveling on the roof, mostly at 70 mph, she said her biggest surprise was how calm the feline was.
“I go over, and there he is, just walking around and scratching his head against the luggage and stretching like he just got up from a nap ... and he was completely unfazed. I was not unfazed. I was extremely distressed about the whole situation. My husband was still laughing,” she said.
After making sure Ray Ray was OK, Denardo said she realized the silliness of the situation and decided to document it on her social media, where it went viral.
“He ran across the finish line of the marathon with my husband. He did everything with us when we were in New York City,” she said.
While the New Hampshire leg of the Denardos’ trip centered on hiking, the New York City portion saw them bring Ray Ray to all of the city’s landmarks, from Grand Central Station to the Empire State Building.
Denardo said she loved getting some one-on-one time with Ray Ray.
“A lot of the time, Ray Ray is with my daughter, like over on her side of the house near her bedroom ... and the dogs are usually with me,” she said. “I thought it was fun that we had so much time with Ray Ray. It’s something that hasn’t really occurred before.”
Ironically, the way the Denardo family adopted Ray Ray was very similar to how he ended up on vacation.
Denardo said she used to take in stray animals, especially when people left them on her porch. While she is unsure whether Ray Ray was dropped off, he was a stray when she found him.
“We went to church one evening, which was only five minutes down the road. We pull in and someone says ‘did you guys bring your cat?’ We thought why would we bring a cat? And here, there was a kitten underneath our van,” she said.
Denardo said she had just taken in a different kitten prior to this, so she believes he may have ridden underneath the car back then.
She said she plans to see about bringing Ray Ray along for more trips.
The adventure with Ray Ray also inspired Denardo to begin writing a children’s book series to recount his adventures and share his next ones.
“The first book is called ‘The Cat Who Wouldn’t Stray,’ so it’s about him and his family leaving for vacation and he wants to go, and how he’s on the roof and we didn’t know,” Denardo said. “It’s about bravery and courage and working through things that are tough.”
She said she plans for the first book to focus on the New Hampshire leg of the trip, while the second book will focus on the New York City section. The first one is currently being illustrated and is expected to be released in the coming months.
She plans to use a portion of the book proceeds, as well as Ray Ray’s publicity, to raise money for Orphans of the Storm, a no-kill shelter in Kittanning.
The first event, which will see Ray Ray receive an award for his courage and give attendees an opportunity to meet and pet him, will be held at 150 S. McKean St. in Kittanning from 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
