Scaredy cat rescued on Route 36 in Middletown

A panic-stricken cat keeps all nine lives intact after being rescued from the divider on Route 36 in Middletown.

Police say they were alerted Saturday by a concenred driver about the gray, tiger-striped feline perched atop the concrete wall as cars and trucks whizzed past on either side near Thompson Avenue, in Leonardo.

Retrieval, however, turned out to be more complicated than it might have first appeared.

While fellow officers stopped traffic, Officer Nicholas Fenezia approached the critter...which vaulted toward the shoulder and scooted under his patrol car. And, not simply under the car, but up and into the undercarriage, as officers learned after scanning beneath the vehicle.

At this point, they cut the engine and called a towing service and animal rescue experts, keeping several lanes closed for about an hour.

The combined efforts allowed them to retrieve the cat unscathed. Police say it had no microchip, identifying collar or tags. The feline is being tended by the Humane Society. The owner can claim it by calling Middletown Health Department, 732-615-2095.

Police offered special credit to Officers Nicholas Fenezia and Christoopher Menendez, Sergeant Gerald Weimer, Animal Control Officer Kerry Gowan and mechanic tom Meagher of AM/PM Towing, in addition to the unidentified driver whose sharp eyes and big heart started the escapade in motion.

Middletown police framed their dramatic and intricate rescue with a quote from Mohandas Gandhi: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."