Cat Saved From Car Engine By Detectives

Cats do the darndest things—like hang out in SUV engines and wait for cops to rescue 'em. Seriously, an orange and white cat had be to extracted by Emergency Service Unit detectives when a SUV driver discovered the feline in the vehicle's front hood.

According to the Daily News, the cat had been in Wilfredo Rodriguez's Nissan Murano for a 2-mile trip between a Bronx building on Marcy Place to a Department of Buildings office on Arthur Avenue: "Rodriguez said that after he parked the car he continued to hear a rattling sound he had noticed during the trip. He investigated and quickly spotted the tabby's bushy tail and front right paw sticking out of the SUV's front end." The building super worried, "I said, 'Oh my God! I killed a cat,'" but was happy when the cat's paw moved.

He called 911, and Detectives Jeffrey King and Kris Cataldo arrived on the scene. They "freed the feline by removing the car's battery and several other parts." Animal Care & Control says the cat seems to be doing fine.

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By Jen Chung in News on October 20, 2009 9:32 AM

Comments [rss]

claudiachloe

That is NOT a good looking cat.

maevemealone

Poor thing, as if it's day didn't suck enough: now it's going to get a bath!

hotstepper

this is obviously part of some sick gang initiation. the investigation continues...

DanielJ

I wonder if the fact that it's a hybrid car had anything to do with the cat not burning up.

The Edge

Murano's are not hybrids.

Mr. Shankly

It's stuck against the radiator in the first pic (assuming he got there shortly after the car started). It's not likely to heat up much over 2 miles in October. That part of the radiator houses the transmission cooler, which warms up even later. The biggest threat was probably the serpentine belt. It doesn't take much effort to keep an electric fan from turning.

Stinky Dingo

The belt is the most likely threat, it will catch the cat's hair. Our relatives in Minnesota who don't have a garage and who have to keep the car battery plugged in overnight on those below zero winter nights, have learned to open the hood and flush out any warmth-seeking cats prior to starting the engine.

JenChungsBaby

You can cook a burger on a hot engine block. That could have been a shish-ka-cat if the guy was taking a longer drive.

brandonz

They called 911 for that, though?

nik13

Apparently cat was attracted by warmth of engine block.

HOTCUP

oh how adorable...

nicemarmot

I have to admit a little squealing girly whimper came out of my throat after I saw the pic on the left and then realized the kitty was okay. Stupid cat! When I was in high school my neighbor's cat liked to sleep on my car and I was always terrified it would climb inside the hood without me noticing. Or that I would run it over while backing out of the driveway. People really shouldn't let their cats roam like that.

For the record, I actually love cats but can't have one because of my allergic fiance.

Peter

For the record, I actually love cats but can't have one because of my allergic fiance.

You could always get a Sphynx. They are so cute in person it's amazing!

Jen S

That is not cute!

S_R

That may or may not be true, at least according to wikipedia:

Although Sphynx cats are sometimes thought to be hypoallergenic due to their lack of coat, this is not always the case. Allergies to cats are triggered by a protein called Fel d1, not cat hair itself. Fel d1 is a tiny and sticky protein primarily found in cat saliva and sebaceous glands. Those with cat allergies may react worse to direct contact with Sphynx cats than other breeds. However, conflicting reports of some people successfully tolerating Sphynx cats also exist.