Check for Sleeping Cats Before You Start Your Car Engine - Vol.313
Car engines can be warm places for animals to nap, especially in colder weather. There are a variety of potential signs that a cat may be under your car or in the engine, including paw prints on the ground around the vehicle or on the car itself. If you have an outdoor cat yourself, or if there are cats in your neighborhood, it is very possible that one might take a nap in or under your vehicle. Beyond the dangers to the animal itself, it can also be unsafe for you and your vehicle if you drive while one is sleeping in the engine block. The moving belts and fans can injure or even kill the animal, which is certainly sad in and of itself, but this can also cause expensive damage to your vehicle. A few simple steps can help to ensure the safety of any neighborhood or stray cats, and prevent damage to your car.
How to Easily Check for a Sleeping Animal
Cats will often seek out a car to sleep in or around to stay warm and to hide from outside dangers. Cats notoriously leave their paw prints on the hoods and windshields of cars, and this can be a sign that one might be seeking refuge somewhere within your car. Other signs include animal hair on your vehicle, dead rodents around your driveway or yard, or other animals in the vicinity. If you own a cat yourself, you may want to check your vehicle even if it is parked inside a garage where other animals cannot access it. If you know that there are stray cats or your neighbors cat commonly wanders onto your property, then you may want to follow these directions even if there are no obvious signs that an animal has been in or near your vehicle.
If you notice any signs of an animal around your vehicle, or if there are commonly animals near where you park your vehicle, there are a few easy things you can do to prevent any catastrophe. The engine block and wheel wells are often the warmest, and therefore likeliest places for an animal to seek refuge from the cold weather. A couple of loud knocks on the hood of your vehicle is likely to wake or disrupt a sleeping animal and cause it to evacuate. Allow a few seconds and check under the vehicle to see if any cat or animal is moving. You can also kick each wheel well to disrupt a sleeping cat and cause it to wake up and leave. If you do not live in a crowded are then you can also honk your cars horn before starting the vehicle to frighten any animals away from your vehicle.
Why is it Important to Check for Sleeping Cats
Of course most people would not want to intentionally injure or kill an animal, which is very possible if a cat or other animal is sleeping on your engine or in the wheel well. Moreover, an animal sleeping on the engine or under the hood of the vehicle can cause damage to the car as well. It is not just a matter of taking an unwitting cat or animal for a joyride, but damage can occur simply by starting the car's engine. Be sure to knock on the hood, kick the wheel well, or honk the horn prior to turning the key in the ignition and allow a short period of time to let the animal escape from its toasty hiding place. A few simple steps will help to prevent any unwanted damage to your vehicle, but most importantly it can help to keep animals safe that might simply be hiding out or taking a cat nap somewhere in your vehicle.