She drove away, left her car parked for several hours, and still didn’t detect any signs of a cat. But then she started it up again.
“Within 10 seconds of driving away, I heard meowing,” Forrest told The Dodo. “And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, there really is a cat in my car.’”
Forrest figured that the cat had just been trying to find a warm place to rest. The previous night had been the coldest of the year, with temperatures dropping to 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
She pulled into the nearest neighborhood and tried to figure out how she was going to free the trapped kitty. She knew it wasn’t going to be easy — she was driving a rental car and had no tools or equipment at her disposal.
To her surprise, a resident of the neighborhood who saw her struggling came over to help. Pretty soon, more and more people started showing up, bearing cat treats and car tools. One helpful stranger was able to remove a part of the car and pry the cat out through a tiny opening.
Forrest was finally able to get a good look at the cat. She realized she was a tiny kitten, not more than 2 months old.
“[S]he was just so scared,” Forrest said. “She … would keep her head down in [my] arm or on the bed.”
Forrest rushed her home and got her comfortable. She gave her a bath to clean off her fleas and set up a cozy area for her in Forrest’s daughter’s room.
The first night she stayed with Forrest’s family, she went missing for a few hours, and Forrest’s entire family was terrified they’d lost her. They ended up finding her curled up in a dresser drawer — she was finally relaxed.
Since Forrest’s family has several other cats, she was initially hesitant to keep the kitten.
“When I first brought her home, I was like, ‘We already have three cats. We’re not keeping another cat,’” Forrest said. “And then I realized she literally picked us. She knew we would take care of her. The universe put her right here.”
It was decided: The kitten was officially a new member of the family. They named her Mitsubishi Mirage, after the car she was rescued from and after her ephemeral nature.
She already fits right in with Forrest’s other cats, Salem, Star and Teeny. Thanks to Forrest and the kind strangers who helped out, Mitsubishi Mirage will never again have to worry about finding a warm place to sleep.
