Scared Cat Shuts Down Route 36 in Middletown

A panic-stricken cat let to the closure of Route 36 in Middletown, Monmouth County, for about an hour Saturday, according to the Township Police Department's Facebook page.

Authorities responded to a call about the stranded cat, stuck on the divider of the highway. Officer Nicholas Fenezia arrived on the scene and with the help of other officers stopped traffic on Route 36 in the area of Thompson Avenue in the Leonardo section and attempted to retrieve the frightened gray tiger striped cat.

It leaped from the barrier and hid under the undercarriage of a patrol car. Rather than risk injuring the cat, the officers turned the police car off and called a tow truck and animal control to the scene.

Several lanes of the highway remained closed while police and an animal control officer attempted to recover the cat. With the assistance of the tow truck, the rescuers were eventually able to free the cat, which fortunately was completely unharmed during this whole event.

Police credited the efforts of Officer Fenezia, Officer Christopher Menendez, Sergeant Gerald Weimer, Animal Control Officer Kerry Gowan and Tow Truck Mechanic Tom Meagher of AM/PM Towing, as well as the concerned citizen who reported this incident and congratulated them all on a job well done.

The cat did not have a pet micro-chip and was not wearing any identifying collar or tags at the time. Authorities have been unable to locate an owner, and placed the cat with the Humane Society.

The cat is described as being a gray tiger striped cat between approximately 9 and 12 months old.

The owner can retrieve the lost cat by contacting the Middletown Health department at 732-615-2095.