SHAWNEE, Kan. — When we say that the engine purrs, that’s no joke for one family. A kitten survived an 80-mile trip in the engine of the family’s car.

Kelly Hawthorne said she was driving from Clinton, Mo. back to Shawnee, Kan. on Sunday when she heard the noises of a kitten and found the little critter in her car’s engine.

The kitten ran off when she popped the hood. They later went out to eat, but on the way back, they realized something had returned.

“On the way back, we heard, “Meow!” and my son and I looked at one another and said, ‘No way. There’s no way this cat came back.'”

Sure enough, the kitten had crawled back into the engine and survived a second trip through Shawnee.

The family believes the cat is a stray. They’re taking care of it now. Other than a few typical stray cat issues, the kitten seems pretty healthy.