As temperatures plunge this winter, cats that spend time outdoors will search for any warm place they can find. One particularly attractive site for many of these cats is the warm engine of your car. This can be a particularly dangerous place for a cat to curl up, since they can be severely injured or killed when the engine is started. Help keep your own and your neighborhood cats safe with these tips:
Keep your cat indoors
The best advice we can offer regarding your own cat is to simply keep him indoors during the winter. This would prevent access to warm engines, with the added benefit of avoiding other dangers, including exposure, predators, moving vehicles, or injuries or disease transmission from other cats. Here are some helpful hints for keeping your cat happy indoors!
Check on your cat before taking any trips
Finding and checking on your cat before leaving is a good way to make sure they are not in your own vehicle before you leave (or anyone else’s vehicle, too!).
Give any cats that might be hiding under your car a warning
Even with your own cat safely inside, neighborhood and feral cats could still be hiding under your car. We suggest that you pound on your hood, slam the car door, or even sound your horn before you start the engine. Make sure you give them plenty of time to wiggle out of their hiding spot before you start that engine.
It’s always a great idea to take a quick look under the car to make sure no one is visible under the car. You never know, you may even find a leak or notice that low tire, too!
Let’s keep everyone safe out there!
