Traffic Stop Leads to Rescue of Kitten After 300 Mile Ride

vfkhkhkhk — *EB. Photo via Kane County Animal Control at Facebook*

E B is something of a celebrity at the shelter thanks to her rescue after a long ride as a stowaway in a semi truck engine last week. The driver had no idea he was carrying a little passenger along with him from his starting point of Tomah, Wisconsin, until he was pulled over 284 miles later, in Sugar Grove, Illinois.

The police officer heard meowing from the distressed kitten, who was found clinging to her foothold in the engine. The kitten is in the care of Kane County Animal Control, where she has been put up for adoption.

The transcript of a radio broadcast with WBBM newsradio’s Steve Miller tells the story:

A kitten is safe in Kane County – after hitching a ride in the engine of a semi truck for almost 300 miles.

If a truck driver hadn’t been talking on his cell phone in a construction zone, things might have turned out differently.

But Sugar Grove Police Sergeant Tom Barna says an officer did stop the driver.

“As he had the man pulled over, he said he heard what sounded like a kitten and he asked the driver if he had a cat on board. The driver said he didn’t.”

But he did have a kitten on board – unbeknownst to the truck driver. A kitten clinging desperately to the truck’s air cleaner in the engine.

“The truck driver said he started in Tomah, Wisconsin, which is about 284 miles from Sugar Grove. So this guy had been holding on for three or four hours.”

This guy turned out to be a girl. And Carole Varetoni of Kane County Animal Control named her E B.

“Engine Block is what we were calling her when I picked her up. And I changed it to E B. It sounded better.”

She says E B is doing fine and will be put up for adoption.

You can see EB’s listing at Petfinder.

Kane County Animal Control says:

“E.B. came to KCAC as a stray. She was found in an engine of a semi truck when the driver was pulled over for speeding! The cop could hear her meowing over the idling engine! She is a spunky little thing who loves attention! She has a lot of energy and is very playful! She has also been around small dogs!”