Police: Cat unlikely to have been tossed out of moving vehicle on Hawke's Bay state highway

Taylah Mcewen was driving along the Takapau plains where she claims she saw a cat being tossed from a car window. Photo / Supplied.

A woman who claimed she saw a cat being tossed out of a car's window on a state highway "most likely" saw it being hit by a car instead, police say.

Taylah Mcewen said she first thought it was a black piece of clothing being thrown from the black Mercedez Benz driving in front of her on State Highway 2 on Wednesday evening.

But then Mcewen and her partner and young son watched as the cat hit "the back end of a passing vehicle on the opposite side" before hitting the ground.

"We saw it jumping all over the road by its back legs moving only, so that's why I thought it had broken it's back or neck," Mcewen said.

"We watched the car speed off and there was no safe place to pull over to rescue the cat so we followed the car."

Since posting about the incident on social media, it has been shared more than 8000 times. Mcewen also informed police and the SPCA.

Mcewen said the entire experience was "awful" and nothing she ever wished to see again.

"I was so upset, I have animals of my own and I'd never wish them any harm."

A police spokeswoman on Thursday night said they had spoken to all those involved and "based on the information available at this time, police do not believe the cat was thrown out a car window, although it may have appeared this way to some witnesses".

She said the SPCA Inspector will continue to try to locate the cat. However, should "additional information come to light, it will be assessed".