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An adorable kitten made a harrowing 250-mile journey from Boston to New Jersey while trapped in the undercarriage of a BMW — and now she needs a fur-ever home, her rescuers said Friday.

The six-week-old kitty, who has since been aptly named Beemer, was rescued from the pricey electric vehicle after the car’s owner heard an odd sound coming from its wheel well at his South Orange home Monday.


  A six-week-old kitty named Beemer, was rescued from a pricey BMW electric vehicle after the car’s new owner heard an odd sound coming from its wheel well. Courtesy of Whitney Malin A six-week-old kitty named Beemer, was rescued from a pricey BMW electric vehicle after the car’s new owner heard an odd sound coming from its wheel well. Courtesy of Whitney Malin

“I plugged the car in to charge it and heard a ‘meow,” said Jeff Rothstein. “I was like, Oh my God, what just happened?”

Rothstein, who had just driven the gleaming 2025 ride back from Beantown with his wife, Lauri, said he had no clue there was a furry stowaway on board.


  “It was three hours of me lying under the car and the fire department trying,” Whitney Malin, a local animal rescuer, said. Courtesy of Whitney Malin “It was three hours of me lying under the car and the fire department trying,” Whitney Malin, a local animal rescuer, said. Courtesy of Whitney Malin

“I can’t imagine what that little cat was going through,” he said. “She’s one tough cat.”

“We would have jumped out if we had heard anything,” Lauri added.

The sweet-faced, black-and-white kitten, who had likely slipped into the vehicle’s body to stay warm, refused to come out despite hours of effort from firefighters,” said Whitney Malin, a local animal rescuer who helped the Rothsteins save the feline. “The cat was petrified.”

“I had tuna and bacon and was playing YouTube videos of kittens crying, which usually works,” Malin said.“It was three hours of me lying under the car and the fire department trying — and it didn’t work.”

The Rothsteins were good sports about letting firefighters “jack up” their luxury vehicle, Malin said.

Dr. Morkos at Valley Vet in Maplewood with Beemer. Courtesy of Whitney Malin
Malin returned with “a ton of pre-cooked bacon” to lure the kitten into a humane animal trap. Courtesy of Whitney Malin

 “I can’t even believe [they] allowed the fire department to rip apart their $80,000 car,” she said.

Malin returned the next day — this time armed with “a ton of pre-cooked bacon” — to lure the feisty feline into a humane animal trap.


  Beemer is still in South Orange and is now searching for a home. Courtesy of Whitney Malin Beemer is still in South Orange and is now searching for a home. Courtesy of Whitney Malin

“I was able to get her into the trap and then in a carrier with a fuzzy blanket,” Malin said. “I fed her and she was all hissy — but turns out she is super sweet.”

The kitten, who has since gotten a clean bill of health, is still in South Orange and is now searching for a home.

She has a meeting with someone who potentially wants to adopt her Friday, Malin said. 

Rescuers worked hard to save Beamer. Courtesy of Lauri Blinder Rothstein
Beamer is still available for adoption. Courtesy of Lauri Blinder Rothstein

It’s good luck that the kitty lived to tell the tail, er, tale, she said.

“She would have lived her life in a BMW dealership parking lot,” Malin said. “It’s a happy ending.”

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