What Seemed Like Tiny Speck On Arizona Highway Turned Out To Be Fragile Soul In Need Of help

A driver in Phoenix, Arizona, noticed a small white shape teetering on the edge of a freeway ramp. As they approached, panic set in.

It was a tiny kitten, all alone, dangerously perched above a bustling highway.

Fearing the worst, that the kitten could be injured or worse, the driver immediately contacted the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) for help.

Two members of their incident response team, Travis Benthin and Derik Woitaszewski, were sent to assess the situation.

When they arrived, they were relieved to see that the kitten was moving, alive, and alert.

But she had climbed up onto the ledge of the ramp, nearly 100 feet above the speeding traffic below.

It was clear this rescue would need patience, a steady hand, and a lot of calm.

Travis approached slowly, trying not to scare the kitten further. At one point, he realized that his bright, shiny safety jacket might be intimidating.

In a quick-thinking move, he turned it inside out to appear less threatening. Julian Lopez, a public information officer at ADOT, shared in an interview:

“The kitten was fearful and hissed at Travis as he moved closer, so he turned his raincoat inside out so the kitten would not be scared by the bright and shiny colors of the high-visibility safety jacket.”

Even with the jacket switch, the kitten was clearly shaken. As Travis reached out, she wobbled dangerously on the ledge, almost losing her footing.

In a tense moment, he wrapped one arm around her, steadying her as she tried to jump.

ADOT shared what Travis said in a Facebook post:

“It hissed at me and I reached out with my left hand and put my right arm around it. It started to jump off (the ledge) and I was able to grab it.”

With the kitten finally secured in the carrier, Travis and Derik could take a proper, uninterrupted look at her.

The tiny fluffball, still trembling slightly from the ordeal, peeked out with wide, curious eyes. Travis and Derik couldn’t help but fall in love. Travis said:

“It was a gorgeous cat.”

The tiny hero was taken to Heidi’s Village, a local animal rescue, where she could finally rest, receive medical care, and start to feel safe.

The team at the shelter quickly grew attached, sharing on their Facebook page:

“We are so grateful to the ADOT hero’s for getting her to safety with us. In honor of her rescue story we have named her ADOT!”

Now that she’s settled, ADOT has been blossoming into a sweet, playful kitten. She’s letting the shelter staff see her true personality, part curious, part cuddly.

At just nine weeks old, ADOT is already stealing hearts, and soon she’ll be ready for adoption.

Before long, the memory of that terrifying ledge will be far behind her, replaced by cuddles, toys, and a forever home full of love.

Her brave little spirit has already shown she’s ready for that.