Stowaway kitten rescued twice in one day after being plucked from motorway

Maioro, the ginger kitten who held up the Southwestern motorway before disappearing inside a patrol car's dashboard. photo / Facebook

A tiny ginger and white striped kitten has been rescued twice - first from a busy Auckland motorway and again after she stowed away in a police officer's dashboard.

The Southwestern Motorway was blocked for a short time while officers tried to catch the kitten.

Police found Maioro, named for the closest motorway offramp to her rescue, huddled against a concrete barrier after a concerned member of the public reported "a small orange and white ball of fluff trying its hardest to cause several accidents" on the road, an Auckland City Police District officer wrote on Facebook today.

Police hope the kitten will find a new home soon. Photo/ Facebook

"Unfortunately she was spooked by the approaching officer and quickly bolted across three lanes of live traffic narrowly avoiding the worst.

"Now trapped on a small central strip she required the motorway to be temporarily blocked and after a short game of cat and mouse was safely inside the officer's patrol vehicle."

But Maioro's adventure didn't stop there.

After taking a photo and making a phone call, the officer realised his fluffy passenger was nowhere to be seen.

it wasn't until he returned to the station he heard the "faintest meow" coming from the car's dashboard.

Maioro had managed to climb inside the dash, and a trip to the mechanic involving the removal of the entire dashboard revealed the kitten curled around a heating fan.

A quick trip the the mechanics to find the naughty stowaway. Photo / Facebook

"She is recovering well from her adventures and we are hopeful that she will be homed shortly," the post finished.

After dismantling the car's dash, Maioro was found nestled around a heating fan. Photo / Facebook