April 20, 2022—The Putnam County Sheriff's Office in Palatka, Florida recently jumped into action to save a cat that had gotten stuck inside the wheel of a vehicle.
According to the Miami Herald, the cat was found after a driver heard a strange noise coming from inside their vehicle.
“When they looked under the car they found a small scaredy cat that was too petrified to come out,” said the sheriff’s office in a statement, according to the article. “Our fleet manager came to the rescue and at a speed that could rival a NASCAR pit crew got the tire off safely and pulled the calico out.”
Although no one knows why the animal initially took shelter in the tire, the sheriff's office did say that vehicle had been in motion before they got the kitten, who is most likely a female cat, out.
They nicknamed the cat "Trooper", and she has been handed off to the local animal control department.