Cat takes a wild risk to join her family on road trip — 100 miles later, their hearts stopped when they discovered where she was

A pet cat made sure he was not left behind when his family left for a trip. Margaret Denardo and her family had planned a fun trip to New Hampshire and New York, while their cat, Ray Ray, was expected to stay home. But he was probably waiting to be asked. When no one did, the cat set out on an adventure of his own. The Denardos had traveled 100 miles away from home when Ray Ray’s whereabouts shocked them. Halfway into their journey, the family could not believe what they saw at a pit stop. 

Denardo shared the story in an Instagram post (@margaret_denardo) that entailed the antics of her pet cat. “We leave this morning for New Hampshire, we’ve got a van full of kids and stuff, we’re running a marathon on Sunday,” she said. The cat mom explained that they had driven 100 miles on a major highway, speeding at about 70 miles per hour, which also involved hill roads and steep turns in the fog. Eventually, the family stopped for gas and to go to the bathroom when her husband discovered something downright impossible. Their cat, Ray Ray, was sitting on the hood of the van. “Hiding behind the cargo top, he’s on the roof of our van for 100 miles!” Denardo exclaimed. 

The family was left in disbelief, thinking about how their cat had survived such extreme circumstances. Her husband decided it was best to take him along for the trip. "We're like, 'What do we do?' We're already so far into the trip and we have a long way to go to get to New Hampshire, so my husband said, 'He's just going to have to go with us,'" Denardo told CBS News. The cat owner filmed the brave feline perched on his dad’s lap while driving. “Were you desperate to go with us?” she teased. She highlighted that Ray Ray was completely unfazed by the risk he’d taken to accompany his family. 

They made a brisk stop at a pet store to get everything Ray Ray would need for the trip and continued on their road trip. He did not leave his owner’s side even during the marathon and toured New York City in a cat backpack. Denardo made sure the cat’s impromptu adventure was treasured, capturing amusing clips and pictures of him enjoying his trip. "He had such a good time and a great adventure," she added. The brave feat was enough for people to believe only a few things in the world scare a cat—riding on a car roof is not one of them. 

The Denardo family had adopted Ray Ray after they found him hiding beneath their car at church. He was a kitten back then. Her husband took him in and has stayed with them for the past eight years. Ray Ray’s adventures inspired a children’s book series, "Ray Ray’s Cattastic Adventure Tails," written by his owner. The first book, "The Cat Who Wouldn’t Stray," is based on this particular adventure of hitching a rooftop ride for 100 miles. 

You can follow @margaret_denardo on Instagram for more cat adventures.