Why Is My Car Engine Meowing?
How Ginger became our family's accidental third cat.
You came into our lives nearly 10 years ago, yet I still remember the day I found you like it was yesterday. At the time, I was still in high school and worked as a barista in our small hometown coffee shop. On this night, I was working late and closed the shop alone.
When I reached the parking lot, it was completely empty. Even in the small town where I grew up, an empty parking lot at 10 p.m. is still an eery experience. So, I quickly hopped in the car and turned on my car, and began my short drive home.
Because it was a warm summer's night, I kept my windows open as I drove the three minutes to my house. When I pulled into the driveway, I just sat in my car and listened to the crickets singing their night song. And that's when I heard it, a tiny meow.
It took me a moment to process what I had heard because there was no way that my parent's cats were outside at this time of night. I looked around in the darkness and saw nothing, so I sat in silence just in case I heard it again. Maybe I had imagined it, or maybe it had been one of those annoying catbirds.
But I heard it again: a soft mew somewhere close. At this point, I got out of my car so that I could get a better view of the area and try to pinpoint the meow. As I stood outside my car, I took a wide stance and tried to remain as quiet as possible.
It took a minute, but the meow came again, and it was coming from the hood of my car. As the realization dawned on me, I ran to open my car hood. Inside sat a small orange kitten that was no bigger than my fist.
When she saw me, she quickly darted further inside my car hood. I tried my best to reach her, but the engine was hot and she was just out of reach. Starting to worry that she would burn her paws, I quickly ran inside and grabbed some turkey from the fridge.
I ran into my mom and brother and quickly told them that I had found a kitten in my car. At first they didn't believe me, but as I sprinted back outside they got the message and trailed after me.
When I got back to the car, the orange kitten was peaking her head out of the front wheelwell. Now that I had backup, we were on a mission to get this kitten out. Armed with the smelliest turkey I could find and extreme determination, we tried for half an hour to get the kitten out of my car before she finally made herself reachable.
It was my mom who grabbed her. She took the small kitten into her arms and cradled her close. Even though the kitten had been scared at first, she was quite the cuddly little thing. And, she was pretty obsessed with the turkey. Who would've thought we'd go through a quarter of a pound to get a 1 pound kitten out of a car engine.
We brought the kitten inside and made a little setup in our laundry area. She was small, maybe 4 weeks old at most, and the car had burned her paws. Luckily, the burns weren't severe, but I'm sure they were not comfortable. Regardless of her physical health, we planned to call our vet for an emergency visit the next morning.
Now that we had the kitten, however, we had to decide what to do with her. We already had two cats and a dog, and we were not prepared to add a new kitten to the family. Of course, I begged my butt off to keep her. I made all the promises that a 16-year-old could, like "I'll take care of her," "You can take away my allowance," and pretty much every trick in the book.
It didn't take much more begging to get my mom to agree to a few conditions. Basically, we could keep the kitten if she was healthy and got along with our resident cats. Naturally, I was sure that all these things would work out.
And you know what? They did. Besides minor burns on her paws that would heal in a few days, the kitten was in perfect health. Besides that, our cats, Izzy and Lulu, took to her immediately.
And that, my readers, is how Ginger became our accidental third cat. Now, she is a plump and happy cat who loves to sit in the sun. Thank you for reading!
Plug: Once the weather starts to get cool and at night, always double-check your car for cats and other animals that crawl into your hood to stay warm. Luckily for me, my drive was barely a mile and Ginger only had minor burns. For the safety of any animals who may hop in your car for warmth, always check, just in case. Who knows, maybe you'll add a new member to your family!
About the Creator
Isla Berry
Fueled by black coffee and Lucky Charms, I'm ready to take on the world one short story at a time. Passionate dog mom, fantasy junkie, and lover of all things steamy.
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