An Unbelievable Tale
By Marilyn Ash
From Pet Tidings, Vol. 26 Issue 1, Fall/Winter 2026, pp. 6–7
There are stories that are so bizarre and so horrific that they are hard to believe. This is one of those stories.
It began early in July. An individual was driving on Highway 101 between Gardiner and Diamond Point Roads and saw someone throw a cat from a moving vehicle. The driver, who volunteers for a local animal rescue organization, immediately turned around, parked beside the highway and began looking for the cat. When the cat was nowhere to be found, the driver contacted someone involved in local trap-neuter-return (TNR). But despite numerous efforts to find him, the cat was gone.
In mid-July, a possible sighting along the Olympic Discovery Trail was posted online. Dr. Rachel Wiesen, a local veterinarian, saw the post, and set a live trap near the trail. She and her husband began checking the trap regularly. A couple of days passed with no sign of the cat, but that evening, their flashlight caught someone looking back at them. The cat who Dr. Wiesen had now named Roadster turned and ran away.
They moved the trap and kept changing the food, hoping they would find something Roadster would consider tasty enough to venture inside the trap. And on the sixth day, they tried beef pâté.
When they checked the trap the next day, it was still empty, but the food was gone! Finally, they had found something that Roadster liked.
They rebaited the trap, and it took another three days, but it finally worked. After over two weeks fending for himself, Roadster was waiting inside. He was terrified at being in the trap, throwing himself against the sides when they picked it up, but calmed down when Dr. Wiesen covered the trap with a towel.
She took Roadster to Port Hadlock Veterinary Clinic to determine the extent of the injuries. There was a good deal of swelling on his head, and all of his nails had been ripped off from trying to regain his balance when he hit the asphalt. He had some back pain as well, but considering everything he had gone through, he was in remarkably good condition.
After Roadster was stable, Dr. Wiesen called PFOA and asked if we could make room for him. We first set him up in one of the large isolation cages, and after a couple of weeks, he moved to one of the adult rooms designed with cat comfort in mind — a cat tree, some toys, and other cats nearby. He never showed any signs of aggression toward the other cats, and began to demonstrate that he could trust people again.
The online posting of Roadster’s story drew a great deal of interest from the communities on the Peninsula. A Good Samaritan donated funds to help pay for Roadster’s initial medical expenses. And four individuals, who were among the many who followed Roadster’s progress via the online posts, offered to donate funds to cover his ongoing medical treatment.
Roadster is home!
One month after his rescue, Dr. Wiesen came to PFOA to give Roadster his rabies vaccination, the final requirement before PFOA could post Roadster available for adoption. And this young tabby, estimated at between three and five years old, was more than ready for a home of his own.
Just over two weeks later, on September 15, Roadster got his wish. His new home is in a small rural community in Jefferson County. There are several places where he can relax and enjoy the view, and there’s lots of space for him to roam indoors.
His new dad writes:
“You will be pleased to know that ROADSTER is fitting in just fine in our home. He now follows my wife Paula around almost everywhere in our home. He enjoys his new cat tree, particularly the upper level where he can see us and also look outside. He sleeps some of the night next to us and occasionally will jump on the bed but only remains there for a short period of time.
“The longer he is with us, the more confidence he has in us. He has several places he can look outside, and the home has lots of space for him to roam. He is settling in very well, and there have been no problems whatsoever. When he jumps up on a shelf or whatever, he is extremely careful not to knock anything over.
“He shows no sign of any physical impairment from being thrown out the window of the moving vehicle. He can easily jump four feet or more from a standing position, and he can navigate around small obstacles with extreme care. Thus far he has not knocked anything over.
“We are very pleased and delighted you selected us to adopt ROADSTER.”
Originally published in Pet Tidings, Volume 26 Issue 1, Fall/Winter 2026 (pp. 6-7). Read the print PDF.