A cat was trapped in a vehicle’s bumper during an 8-mile ride before a bystander noticed the feline and flagged down the driver in San Diego County on Feb. 24, 2016. (Credit: County of San Diego Department of Animal Services)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – A cat was recently reunited with its owner following a harrowing 8-mile journey in which the feline was trapped in a vehicle’s bumper, traveling just inches from off the roadway in San Diego County.
The 5-year-old lynx point Siamese cat had somehow crawled inside the front end of a vehicle before an unsuspecting person went for a drive, according to the County of San Diego Department of Animal Services.
The driver traveled approximately 8 miles, from the Santee to Grantville areas, before a bystander noticed the cat hanging headfirst from the bumper, just inches from the ground.
The bystander then flagged down the driver and used a crowbar to
pry the cat free.
County Animal Services officials then took the cat in, and although it remained a bit jumpy for a day or so after the incident, they said “amazingly” it was fine.
And “thanks to a microchip,” the cat was ultimately reunited with its owner — who lived near the parked vehicle.
A cat was jumpy but “amazingly fine” after becoming trapped in a vehicle’s bumper while it traveled about 8 miles in San Diego County on Feb. 24, 2016, animal services officials said. (Credit: County of San Diego Department of Animal Services)
The incident served as an excellent reminder to drivers that animals can become trapped inside vehicles parked outside, officials added.
“If you park your car outside, tap the hood of the car or tap your horn lightly to alert any animals that might be looking for warmth from your car’s engine,” said County Animal Services Deputy Director Daniel DeSousa. “Tapping will scare them and they’ll run off.”
