Animals In Need Donegal have issued a reminder to the public to be aware of the possibilities of kittens climbing into car engines.
As kitten season approaches, some small kittens tend to crawl into car engines for shelter and to keep warm.
A spokesperson for Animals In Need Donegal said: “We are starting the time of the year where sadly a lot of young kittens are roaming about and climbing into car engines.
“Please bang on the bonnet before starting the engine to wake up/ warn and kittens to give them a chance to get out.”
Other suggestions to prevent the loss of cat lives are:
– Get under the car and spray any openings with cat deterrent. This is a product you can find at pet stores that smells “objectionable” to cats. Rather than having to climb through it, kittens are more likely to find some other place to sleep.
– Cover any openings with plastic or foil. As long as you’re under the car anyway, spend some time finding any crawling spaces kitty might use to get into the engine. Found one? Block it using whatever you have at hand. This is an annoying solution if you have to undo the whole thing the next morning, but a good option if you plan on parking your car for a long period of time.
– Give kittens an alternative shelter. If they have a better place to sleep in, they probably won’t bother with your car at all. A carrier or box lined up with a warm, fluffy towel would help. So would a small bowl of food next to it. If the kittens can get shelter and food in another area – as far away from the car as possible, chances are they’ll stay there.
