Jesse Dorsett was a bit confused when a Sandy police officer called him Thursday morning asking about one of his cats.

He has three: Pixie, Dixie and Jinx -- named after the Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters.

Apparently someone had reported seeing Pixie, a 4-year-old domestic shorthair, perched on the hood of Dorsett's Volvo as it was driving slowly in the parking lot of a Taco Bell. The witness took video of it, called police and talked to TV stations.

Pixie was indeed on the hood of the SUV, Dorsett admitted.

The officer wanted to know if the cat was injured, Dorsett said. So Dorsett woke up Pixie at his Rockwood home, put her on his bed and took cellphone video as she sleepily looked around and sent the clip to the officer. Pixie then hopped down and went back to sleep.

No harm, no charges, said Officer Sam Craven, a Sandy police spokesman.

There's no evidence the pet was hurt or distressed and there's no Oregon law prohibiting a cat from riding on top of a moving vehicle, though there is one for dogs, Craven said.

Still, he cautioned: "I don't think it's a good idea to be doing that and it's certainly something we can't recommend."

So at this point, you may be wondering: Why Pixie was on the hood?

Dorsett, 48, said he runs an emergency roadside assistance business and often takes the cats along with him on calls. At times, they've helped calm people involved in accidents, he said. He also has cats in his business logo.

The cats started out riding in the front and back seats of the Volvo, but eventually their curiosity led them outside onto the hood. Pixie and Dixie in particular like to hunt, he said, so they have a higher vantage point on the hood to see what's on the ground.

The routine now: Dorsett regularly drives about 5 mph along the edge of parking lots as one of the cats scans grassy areas for rodents and other prey. The cats are always on a leash, kept as close to the windshield as possible. If they jump off the Volvo, he stops. He or his wife get out of the SUV and walk them on the leash, then give a gentle tug when it's time to go. The cat goes home inside the Volvo.

He said he tried to explain that to a woman on Monday night who took photos of him and started asking questions.

Pixie had been waiting on the hood of Dorsett's car after he finished changing a customer's tire near a Taco Bell along U.S. 26 in Sandy, he said. At the time, Dorsett said, his wife was holding onto Pixie's leash from inside the SUV.

"It's hard for me to see how anyone can construe hurting a cat in this scenario, particularly when the cat is on a leash and clearly enjoying the ride," Dorsett said.

He estimates he's done the same thing hundreds of times without incident in the nearly five years he's had the cats.

"I'm very protective of them. I know that seems wild to say when you have cats on the hood of a car, but they are safe."

And to him, it's not as crazy as what's on the Internet.

"I've seen videos online of people who have their cats riding on skateboards, riding on motorcycles, surfing and other things," Dorsett said. "In the grand scheme of things, I don't think this is as bad."