Glendale freeway kitten rescued by CHP officer gets a new home and enjoys car rides

A little gray kitten went through quite a precarious adventure earlier this month before winning over his new owner, and it started with a California Highway Patrol freeway rescue.

CHP Officer S. Mkrtchyan spotted the kitten on the center median wall while working the 2 Freeway in Glendale and halted traffic to rescue the feline. When officers tried to get the kitten to safety, it climbed into the undercarriage of a parked patrol car.

A tow truck driver responded and removed the car's rear tire, leading to the kitten's rescue; the kitten was taken to the Pasadena Humane shelter. Fittingly, he was named Chip. 

Maricella at Pasadena Humane works alongside a local police department and regularly encounters stray, abandoned, or neglected animals out on calls, the shelter said.

"Every time I watch one leave, I find myself hoping they'll end up in a home where they'll be loved," Maricella said in a Pasadena Humane social media post.

This time, Chip really pulled on her heartstrings, and she said stepping in to adopt Chip felt meaningful "because it reflected the work I often witness our officers do," she said in a post.

She renamed the kitten Shadow and said he's sweet, cuddly, and playful.

"He loves curling up for snuggles, carrying around his plush sushi toys, and getting the occasional pup cup from Dunkin. He's also becoming more comfortable wearing his harness and is getting more confident on car rides every day," Maricella wrote.