Cats, Cold and Cars: How Car Engines Can Claim Your Cat’s Life In The Winter

Cats, Cold and Cars: How Car Engines Can Claim Your Cat’s Life In The Winter

Written by on in Care

 

The lost kitten was cold and all she wanted was a place to get warm. That’s how the unnamed stray, who had been separated from her mother, made her way into the undercarriage of an SUV on December 19th. She had survived a harrowing journey from Brooklyn to Harlem before the driver heard her plaintive meows and called police for help. And help they did, as NYPD officers lifted the SUV with a jack. They coaxed the terrified little one out of the undercarriage on the bitter cold, 26-degree day.
Twitter: @NYPD32Pct

Officers named her Chance, after Sgt. Christopher Chance of the NYPD’s 32nd Precinct in Harlem. She is now recovering in a shelter.

Image via Twitter: @NYPD32Pct

While the story had a happy ending for little Chance, that’s not always the case when it comes to cats, cars and the cold — three things that don’t mix.

Cars offer respite for chilly kitties

As anyone who lives with a cat knows, felines are basically furry heat-seeking missiles. Their favorite lounging spots are invariably warm places. This includes human laps, laptop keyboards and sun-dappled window sills where they can soak up heat and watch the world go by.
When winter comes around their drive to seek warmth is magnified, and recently-driven cars offer immediate, concentrated heat.
Cats follow the heat to its source and climb up into car undercarriages, wheel wells, and engine compartments. It’s a quick and easy way to beat the cold, but it can quickly turn fatal when the driver returns and starts the car again.

“Cats love warm places because they have a higher body temperature compared to humans,” Marie Celina Lugti-Mergilla, DVM of The Pawsh Vet pet shop, told TopGear.com. “Stray cats usually go inside the engine bay because they seek shelter to keep them warm. They do this to conserve energy while napping. They also like the engine bay, because it is dark and they could nap in peace.”

How to make sure cats aren’t hiding in your car

Cat safety advocates say drivers should be aware of the phenomenon. Remember to check for cats before getting behind the wheel on cold days. The danger is real, and cats can be killed or seriously injured if they’re hiding in a car’s innards when a driver starts the engine.

Here are some tips:

  1. If your car is garaged, make sure there are no entry points for small animals. Cats are already notoriously inventive when it comes to squeezing into small spaces. On bitterly cold days they’ll be extra motivated to get inside and bask in the heat of your car’s engine.
  2. If you’ve got strays and ferals in your neighborhood, give them a place to escape the elements. It can be as simple as a small shelter with some blankets, fresh water and food. Cats who have a place to go are less likely to seek car engine heat.
  3. Give your hood a good knock before you get into the car and listen for any kitty sounds. Before turning your key and starting the ignition, honk your horn once or twice. The goal is to give any napping or lounging kitty plenty of notice before you start your car.
  4. Keep your cat indoors! This seems like common sense, but it’s still a hotly-contested issue among cat owners. Still, your cat can’t be harmed by the many dangers of the outdoors if she can’t get there on her own, so consider keeping your kitty inside and, if he or she must have some outdoor time, take her out for supervised walks on a harness.
  5. Finally, if you do find yourself trying to coax a scared cat from your engine compartment, don’t hesitate to call your local police department or SPCA. It can take quite a bit of convincing to get a cat to come out of hiding.


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