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A cat was reunited with its owner Friday after a harrowing 8-mile journey in which the feline was trapped in a vehicle’s bumper, traveling just inches from the roadway in San Diego County.

The 5-year-old lynx point Siamese cat had crawled inside the front end of a vehicle before an unsuspecting person went for a drive on Wednesday, according to the County of San Diego Department of Animal Services.

The driver traveled about 8 miles, from the Santee to Grantville areas, before a bystander noticed the cat hanging headfirst out of the bumper, just inches from the ground.

The bystander then flagged down the driver and used a crowbar to free the cat.

County Animal Services officials then took in the cat, and although it remained a bit jumpy the day after the incident, they said “amazingly” it was fine.

And “thanks to a microchip,” the cat was reunited with its owner — who lived near the parked vehicle — on Friday, County Animal Services officials said.

The incident served as a good reminder to drivers that animals can become trapped inside vehicles parked outside, officials added.

“If you park your car outside, tap the hood of the car or tap your horn lightly to alert any animals that might be looking for warmth from your car’s engine,” said County Animal Services Deputy Director Daniel DeSousa. “Tapping will scare them and they’ll run off.”



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