By: Angela Marshall
It had been a typical work day for Rich Abbinanti, director of security for the New York City campus of Pace University. When he left work on Thursday afternoon, Aug. 5, AbbinantiÕs big plans involved mowing his Morris Avenue lawn in Rockville Centre. That is, until he heard the meow.
Climbing into his Acura SUV, Abbinanti began the 32-mile trek to his home, never realizing he had a passenger.
When he arrived, he found one of his childrenÕs cars blocking the garage, so Abbinanti parked in the driveway. ThatÕs when he heard it Ñ a faint meow. At first he thought the sound might have come from the bushes. He took a quick look and went off to mow the lawn. Later, when he returned to move the SUV so his daughter, Amanda, could pull her car out, they both heard it.
ÒYou bought Mom a cat?Ó Amanda asked.
Abbinanti gave his daughter an incredulous look. ÒAmanda, I donÕt even like the dog,Ó he said.
Amanda drove off to work at the village Rec Center, and Abbinanti began to search for the source of the meowing. ÒI looked in, over and underÓ the car, he said. He opened the hood, and then the trunk. Nothing.
His wife, Nancy, arriving at home, asked him what he was doing in the SUV with a flashlight and a stick. ÒThereÕs a cat in my car, and I canÕt find it,Ó he said.
Meow.
Abbinanti decided to search in the fenders.
ThatÕs when Marty, the painter from across the street, ambled over. He was followed by neighbors Stephen Cannone and Linda Morrissey. Now everybody was looking; Marty crawled under the vehicle. Abbinanti said he was almost ready to take off the bumpers. Several minutes passed Ñ nothing. Then all of the sudden, Marty cried, ÒHere it is!Ó
Everyone scrambled to the front of the car. ÒIn the damnedest spot, you see this little kittenÕs head,Ó Abbinanti said.
The cause of all the fuss was stuck in between the front brake caliper and shocks, about half an inch from the driverÕs-side wheel, which had been spinning 55 miles an hour during most of AbbinantiÕs drive home.
So the pushing and pulling began. MorrisseyÕs husband, Jerry, showed up and soon took control of the situation. As a New York City firefighter, he had the most experience rescuing cats. But none of those had ever been stuck in the mechanical workings of an SUV; trees and walls, yes, but never an SUV wheel assembly.
Then, just as quickly as it began, the adventure was over. With one final push on the kittenÕs tush, it was free. And nobody knew what to do. Somebody brought out a Tupperware bowl and cover, but when it was decided that the animal probably needed to breath, it was quickly put aside. Instead, Jerry Morrissey hugged the squirming, sooty gray kitten to his chest and used soothing words to calm it down.
Abbinanti, however, was still a bit on edge. He kept thinking, ÒWhat am I going to do with this cat? I donÕt want a cat, but I canÕt throw it away.Ó
Just when it seemed the kitten might face extradition from the neighborhood, his adventure all for naught, Linda Morrissey spoke up. ÒI want the kitten,Ó she said.
Disbelieving, Abbinanti turned to her with a why-the-hell-would-you-want-a-cat look and said, ÒYou donÕt want the cat.Ó
But Jerry Morrissey agreed with his wife. ÒYouÕre not going to believe it, but thatÕs all sheÕs been talking about,Ó he said. Linda had been saying the couple should get a cat for the past few weeks.
ÒOK, you can have my kitten,Ó Abbinanti said resolutely, doing a little happy dance in his mind.
Now the kitten is living large in the MorrisseysÕ newly remodeled house. A bath revealed pristine white paws and a calico body. In just a few days, the kitten was a litter-trained member of the family, ready to greet the MorrisseysÕ youngest child, Kyle, when he came home from camp. Told only that there was a surprise waiting for him, Kyle found the kitten under the couch and said, ÒIs that a cat? Is that a real cat?Ó
Yes, Kyle, it is, although no one can quite believe it.
