Counties Manukau Police attended a van breakdown in Papatoetoe, only to find a kitten stuck inside the vehicle's engine.
The incident happened on Friday afternoon when police helped a driver after a vehicle breakdown on Plunket Ave, Papatoetoe.
A van had broken down in the middle of the road.
Constables Wienk and Alexander were surprised to find "a suspected cat burglar stowed away in the engine compartment".
"The suspect is described as a grey tabby, about 20cm tall and 30cm long," police posted on Facebook.
"Just another day's work on the feline - whoops, we mean frontline."
The kitten has been taken to the SPCA.