Fearless feline: Ray Ray the cat rides 100 miles on roof of family’s van
By Shelley Bortz
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KITTANNING, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — A curious cat from Kittanning, Pennsylvania, turned what could have been a travel disaster into a purr-fect adventure.
The Denardo family was all ready for their big trip to New Hampshire for a marathon, then on to New York City — luggage packed, snacks loaded, kids buckled in. They said their goodbyes to their pets and locked up the house.
Little did they know one family member had a secret plan. Their cat Ray Ray had no intention of being left behind.
As the van rolled out of Kittanning, climbed hills and sped down I-80 at 70 mph, Ray Ray was right there with them – on the roof.
“My husband gets out of the car, obviously to pump the gas, and is like, ‘the cat is on the roof,'” said Mara Denardo.
In that moment, panic turned to pure disbelief and then laughter. Against all odds, Ray Ray had survived 100 miles of wind, bumps and highway traffic. He wasn’t phased and clearly ready for an adventure.
“We’re like, what do we do? We’re already so far into the trip and we have a long way to go to get to New Hampshire, so my husband said, ‘he’s just going to have to go with us,'” Denardo said.
After a quick pit-stop at the pet store, Ray Ray was now officially part of the trip. From running across the finish line with dad at a New Hampshire marathon to sightseeing in NYC from the comfort of his cat backpack, Ray Ray stole the show everywhere he went.
“He had such a good time and a great adventure,” Denardo said.
“I actually did videos and pictures everywhere we went of him and it was like his whole adventure,” she said.
She posted photos and videos of his wild trip online, and now people all over the country are falling in love with the fearless feline.
Ray Ray’s story has inspired his mom to write a children’s book series. The first book, “The Cat Who Wouldn’t Stray,” celebrates his brave spirit and the family who followed his lead on the trip of a lifetime from a 100-mile rooftop ride to the top of the Empire State Building.
“It’s called ‘Ray Ray’s Cattastic Adventure Tails,’ and then each series can be a different place that he went,” she said.
From stowaway to storybook star, Ray Ray’s unexpected journey reminds us that some of the best adventures in life are the ones we didn’t plan for.
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