Avoiding a cold-weather cat-astrophe
Feline trapped between Buick’s exhaust system and floor board
A black cat likely used up one of its nine lives after it became trapped inside a car.
Jamie Strasser was getting ready to drop her daughter off at daycare and then continue on to work Tuesday morning when she heard what she thought was a cat meowing near her parked car.
“I’m getting closer to my car and I can hear the meowing get louder,” the Niagara Falls resident said.
She looked around the vehicle and couldn’t find a cat, but the meowing continued. Strasser then realized the meowing was coming from inside her Buick Encore.
“I looked underneath the car and saw this little paw,” she said.
Strasser knew her neighbour had lost her cat Steve on Monday because she’d seen a missing poster in the lobby of her apartment building.
She and the cat owner spent 45 minutes trying to coax the kitty from the car to no avail.
“We couldn’t get him out. We tried luring him with food.”
Panicked, Strasser drove from her north end home to Falls Chevrolet Cadillac Buick GMC on Thorold Stone Road.
Mechanics first checked under the hood but found no signs of the wayward feline.
The car was then lifted onto a hoist and Steve was located.
“He was between the heat shield of the exhaust and the floor board,” said service manager Angelo Ventresca.
Service adviser Nick Parkin and staff removed a section of the exhaust in order to reach Steve.
“I thought he was dead,” Strasser said. “When the guy gave me a thumb’s up I was so relieved.”
Although clearly frightened by his ordeal, Steve seemed no worse for wear and Strasser returned him to his thankful owner.
Ventresca and Parkin said this is the first time the dealership rescued a cat from a car and are glad the story had a happy ending.
Strasser hopes her experience will serve as a reminder to others to take a minute to check their cars before heading out, especially during cold weather.
“He must have crawled in there to get warm and this could have ended so badly,” she said. “From now on, I’m going to be listening and banging on the hood before I start the car.
Veterinarian Dr. June Mergl, of the Niagara Falls Animal Medical Centre, said cats often seek shelter from the cold inside engines and on top of tires.
She encouraged residents to bang on the hood of the car or slam the car door before starting the engine. For cars with automatic starters, she advised owners regularly use a cat deterrent spray around the vehicle.
“Even with all of these techniques, sometimes a frightened and cold cat will not leave a car so the very best solution is to shelter cats inside to avoid vehicle contact,” Mergl said.
“It’s too cold out there for our furry friends and cars are too appealing as a shelter for them.”