Kitten Rides On Van Engine From Marin to Santa Cruz

Its wild-ride over, a kitten now searches for its owners.

An eight-month-old tabby kitten climbed into the engine compartment of a van in Mill Valley, and was discovered -- shaken, but unharmed -- when the van's owner completed an 85-mile drive to Santa Cruz and "heard mewling" coming from his vehicle's engine on Wednesday at a gas station, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The incident is remarkable not just for the well-traveled cat's scenic route over the Golden Gate Bridge to the popular surf town, but that the kitten survived the common cat mistake of climbing under a hood and onto an engine block to stay warm.

"Many cats die or get severely burned" when they act thus, one county animal shelter official said.

The female kitten was wearing a studded leather collar and a blue bell with no identifying information, according to the newspaper.

Anyone who recognizes the kitten should call the animal control officers at (831) 454-7200.