Gil Smith, a program contractor, said he first drove one mile to his office then made a 70-mile trek to Globe, Ariz., before he heard the distressed sounds of his cat, Bella, coming from atop a spare tire underneath the truck, the East Valley Tribune of Scottsdale, Ariz., reported Wednesday.

"She loves to get up on that spare tire to hang out, it's kind of a safe place for her, particularly after it rains," he said.

Smith said Bella must have stubbornly remained with the vehicle after he started it in the morning and he did not hear her desperate mewling until he arrived in Globe.

Smith said he canceled his appointments for the day to take the distressed feline back home to his wife, Kris, who considers the cat one of her favorites among the many the couple have adopted.

"I knew I had two choices: bring the cat home or get a divorce," Smith said.

He said Bella was shaky after the long ride, but was unharmed.

"Things like this remind you that we all get caught up in our work and business, but those things are not as important as other things, in this case a little cat," Smith said.