Some people leave New Jersey because they’re tired of the traffic.

Some leave because they can’t take the property taxes anymore.

Some leave because everything is just suffocating them financially.

And then there’s Jersey the kitten.

Jersey apparently wanted out so badly that he hid inside the felt undercarriage of a college student’s car behind the bumper and rode roughly 800 miles from New Jersey to Georgia.

That’s commitment.

a car is driving down the road near a traffic light
Photo by Saurabh Surana on Unsplash

The University of Georgia student had no idea she had picked up a tiny, furry passenger back here in Jersey.

She drove more than 11 hours before arriving in Athens.

Then she noticed a leg dangling out from underneath her car.

That’s generally not something you want to discover after an 800-mile road trip. So Jadyn Sawyer called her mom back here in New Jersey who told her to call the University of Georgia police. They in turn called the Cat Zip Alliance. That's a cat welfare group on campus.

Rescuers showed up. They tried to get the kitten out. Eventually the car had to go to an auto repair shop, where mechanics actually took parts of the vehicle apart to free him.

And according to nj.com, they did it for free.

Mikola249
Mikola249

The kitten survived the whole ordeal and was given the name Jersey, which seems appropriate.

Although I think we’re underselling this cat’s accomplishments.

He didn’t just leave New Jersey.

He escaped New Jersey without paying a toll. He crossed state lines without going through the Turnpike toll plaza of being stopped by state police.

He traveled nearly 800 miles without stopping at a QuickChek, a Wawa, or once out of state, not even a Buc-cee's.

Pink and orange sunset over a commercial building
Photo by Osmany M Leyva Aldana on Unsplash

Frankly, Jersey may be the most efficient New Jersey resident in history.

And now for the happy ending: after becoming something of a celebrity, Jersey was adopted by a family there in Georgia.

Hopefully his new family gives him a nice, quiet home.

Because after surviving New Jersey, an 800-mile trip and being dismantled out of a car, the poor cat has earned some peace and quiet.

And maybe a little tuna.

The 10 most searched pets in the US

The website allaboutcats.com took a look at internet search trends to see what the most in-demand pets are in the US. The results may surprise you.

Gallery Credit: Bob Giaquinto

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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