A stowaway kitty clogged up the early morning commute in Oakland on Monday when it curled up inside the hubcap of a commuter's car -- and a stranger ended up adopting the surprise feline visitor on the spot.

California Highway Patrol Officer Sean Wilkenfeld said the tiny cat was on the center divide at High Street and Interstate Highway 580 in Oakland when it leaped into the hubcap of Erika Nowland's black Saab about 8:45 a.m.

En route to the Bay Bridge, Nowland had been stopped in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Wilkenfeld said. At some point, the cat jumped into the hubcap of Nowland's car. When Nowland tried to coax the cat out, the kitty wouldn't budge.

Just then, Wilkenfeld said, two tow truck drivers from the Freeway Service Patrol were nearby and ended up helping get the cat out. The small animal wore no collar or tags.

Another motorist who was in the area witnessed the rescue and ended up taking the cat home, Wilkenfeld said.

The adoption of the homeless cat comes one week after the CHP rescued a tiny Chihuahua from Interstate 680 in Walnut Creek. The dog, who has since been reunited with its owners, was stranded on a roadway median during rush hour.

Erika Nowland points to the spot where the tiny cat tried to hide, Monday, May 19, 2014.

But it's cats that have been the news heroes more recently. A family cat made the "Today Show" last week when "Tara" ended up attacking a dog who had sneaked up behind a 4-year-old boy and began biting his leg in Bakersfield.

The cat-bites-dog video went viral and has landed the cat several kudos, including appearances on talk shows and an invitation to throw out the first pitch at the Bakersfield Blaze minor league home game.