Cat trapped in car engine rescued by mechanics

[TowNews]

BLACKMAN TWP., MI – A wayward cat looking for a spot to stay warm trapped herself inside a car engine on Valentine’s Day, but was rescued by a group of mechanics.

A woman starting her car Thursday, Feb. 14, felt something was wrong and quickly turned the car off to see what it was, only to find a cat wedged deep in her car’s engine compartment, Jackson County Animal Shelter Director Lydia Sattler said.

Not wanting to hurt the animal, the woman had a tow truck take her car to Art Moehn Chevrolet, 2200 Seymour Road, where the mechanics pushed it into a service bay and worked to free the cat, Sattler said.

Chevy -- now the cat’s name because she trapped herself inside a Chevrolet Trax -- was handed over to the shelter once she was free, Sattler said.

Chevy, a domestic longhair, was trapped close to the car’s serpentine belt. Cats that find their way inside an engine compartment rarely survive once the engine is started, the mechanics told the shelter.

“Having the vehicle towed to the dealership saved (Chevy’s) life,” Sattler said.

Chevy has injuries that will take time to heal, but she is expected to make a full recovery, Sattler said. Once she is feeling better, she will be available for adoption. That’s expected to take several weeks, Sattler said.

The Jackson County Animal Shelter reminds residents to check under their vehicle hoods before driving during cold weather.

 

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[TOWMAN27]

When I was a kid my dad took me on a no start call that didn't end well for a cat.  I can still picture what it looked like when he opened the hood.  

[mushspeed]

That cat has used up one of its nine lives ....👍

[rreschran]

When I had my tow company in the Sierra's, our feral cats would climb into the tow truck's engine compartment to sleep on the warm engine. On one occasion, I heard the cat scream when I started the truck's engine, only to open the hood and see the cat captured with its fur caught in the alternator belt. I immediately cut the belt and the cat dropped to the floor and took off into the garage. I followed its bloody trail and found the cat badly hurt. With the aide of a heavy blanket, I snagged the cat and took her to the Vet. Long story short, another feral did the same thing at the end of winter. My kids appropriately names my tow truck, "The Kitty Gobbler".    R.