Tiny kitten rescued from the undercarriage of a police SUV

HAWTHORNE, N.J. (FOX 5 NY/AP) - An injured stray kitten that got stuck in the undercarriage of a police SUV should make a full recovery.

A man who had found the kitten in the road in Hawthorne flagged down a cop, North Haledon police said. Patrolman Nicholas Florio stopped to help but the frightened kitten escaped the man's hands and darted under Florio's SUV.

The officer was near the town's Public Works Department, so he slowly drove there to get help.

The SUV was lifted at the DPW garage, and staffers and officers soon saw the kitten's black and white paw protruding from the undercarriage.

"Billy Graham, Superintendent of the DPW, was able to pull the kitten out of the engine and to safety," the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge said in a Facebook post. "The police department fondly named this little survivor 'Cuffs.'"

Police brought the Cuffs to the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge, which said that the kitten appears to have a fractured pelvis, swelling, and possible nerve damage.

"With time, close care and hospitalization, doctors are confident that Cuffs will fully recover. Cuffs is too scared to eat and is being syringe fed at the hospital," Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge said. "Her prognosis is good, but she has a long recovery ahead."

The story of Cuffs' ordeal and rescue has prompted locals and others to donate money to help pay for her medical treatment.

"Thank you to our community for coming together to rescue Cuffs," Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge said. "And, thank you for your support and enabling us to say yes to this desperate little girl." 

With The Associated Press