Lauren Kasdan got the shock of a lifetime when she got back into her car at 11 p.m. while delivering food. She thought she was hallucinating the cat sitting in the passenger’s seat.
She had just walked back to the car from dropping off an Uber Eats customer’s meal on their porch. Kasdan couldn’t have been gone for longer than two or three minutes.
However, she had a new friend waiting for her when she returned. It took her a few moments to comprehend that there was a cat in her car.
Hitchhiking kitty
Kasdan had left her front window slightly open, and the kitty thought it was the perfect opportunity to jump in and get warm.
The black and white cat actually wasn’t even surprised by Kasdan’s presence. In fact, the cat looked like she was waiting for Kasdan.
Kasdan said that her new friend acted like “she was supposed to be there.” And Kasdan didn’t really argue.
“She was sniffing around the seat and my middle console like she belonged there. When I came back, she was just like, ‘Oh, hey! Is this your car? It’s nice and warm.’ She didn’t spook or try to run. She actually climbed onto my lap and started purring and making biscuits on my legs,” Kasdan told The Dodo.
Kasdan decided to name her furry hitchhiker Athena. Poor Athena was filthy and covered in fleas and dirt.
Meeting mom
Kasdan couldn’t leave this cat, who had obviously been on her own for quite a while. So, she ran to the store to pick up some food and cat litter.
She knew that her mother would welcome the kitty in. Athena was very affectionate and grateful to both Kasan and her mom for taking care of her. She even let them give her a bath!
“I ran the bath, put her in gently, and she settled almost immediately,” Kasdan said. “She was meowing pretty loudly at first, but when I started scrubbing her with the flea and tick shampoo, she settled in and started purring … When I got her out, I wrapped her up in a towel, and she fell asleep like that in my arms.”
Kasadan took Athena to see if she was microchipped, which she was not. She also put out some posts on lost and found pet pages.
Still, Kasdan was doubtful that Athena had an owner. Even though Kasdan’s family always had dogs, her mom warmed right up to Athena and decided to give her a forever home.
Athena took a chance that night, jumping into Kasdan’s car, but it was definitely a bet that paid off.