Watch Tip for week of Dec. 5:

Watch and listen for kittens and cats hiding in engine cavities of vehicles, now that winter is upon us. They climb into dark cozy places to get warm or they chase mice that may be building nests in your car. If you hear crying, bang on the car hood to chase them out of the car if you can. You might need assistance from your car mechanic. And make sure your poisonous antifreeze is well secured!

Kitten stuck in pickup truck engine is rescued in parking lot

My friend Bob is a manager at a big, busy, modern hardware store in southwest Wisconsin. One warm day not long ago a customer raced into the store and excitedly told him that there was the sound of a kitten yowling loudly inside a pickup truck. Bob didn’t hesitate; he ran out to investigate. He heard the frantic kitten too–sounds coming from inside a wheel well. But he couldn’t see the kitten.

Bob hurried back to the store. He told a staffer to call the humane society and the police. He asked another to try to find the owner of the vehicle. Then he grabbed his tools and hurried back to the truck. He crawled under the truck and got to work. He found the kitten. Now, how to get it out safely?

Soon the animal control officer showed up, as did a patrolman. A television station crew showed up too alerted by a report on police radio scanner!

Meanwhile, Bob freed the kitten and handed the little wiggling critter up to the animal control officer. The TV crew interviewed them; the segment aired that afternoon and evening. The kitten went to the humane society for examination and care, and would later be adopted.

I love this true story.  In a world where cats are so often devalued, there are ordinary people who will urgently do everything in their power to save a helpless kitten.