Art survived a two-mile ride in an SUV engine (photo: NY Daily News)
With cold weather already upon us, it was no surprise to read about about a cat who survived a two-mile car ride while trapped in an engine. (Read the original story and the follow-up in the New York Daily News.)Luckily, the cat made it through his ordeal unscathed and is now recuperating at Animal Care & Control of New York City. But every winter, many others aren't so fortunate.
When it gets cold, stray and outdoor cats keep warm however possible. According to the Massachusetts SPCA Web site, "Cats often climb under car hoods to get warm and then get caught in the radiator fan when the engine is started."
What can you do to prevent tragedy this winter? Find out after the jump.
The Baltimore Examiner, in a February story about a cat who survived a hundred-mile trip under a car hood, offered these tips:
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- Before you get in your car, pound on the hood to get any hiding cats to jump out.
- Once you're in the car, honk the horn before you start the ignition.
- Keep your own cat indoors -- not only will it prevent him from climbing into a car's engine compartment, it will keep him safe from hypothermia and other winter dangers.
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I have had two experience in the past month of cats crawling into cars. A friend of my husband's brought one in his truck to our house. I noticed his truck meowing and tried to call the kitten out. We were unsuccessful at getting the cat out and we think it rode back home with him. The other experience I had was when I was driving down the road and the car in the other direction had something drop out from underneath it and roll. Then the cat sprang to it's feet and ran away, apparently unharmed.