LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Before you start your car, you may want to check under the hood for furry creatures that may have snuck in. The Kentucky Humane Society (KHS) is reminding people that outdoor cats have a tendency to crawl under vehicle hoods to stay warm when it's cold outside.
KHS said they are currently caring for an injured kitten that was surrendered to the shelter. The shelter believes the kitten, named Pinecone, was injured by a car's fan belt. She suffered nerve damage to one of her legs and had severe wounds on her mouth when she arrived.
According to the shelter, a Good Samaritan rescued and cared for Pinecone during her initial recovery, then brought her to the shelter for additional treatment and surgery. If you'd like to help support Pinecone's recovery, you can donate to the Kentucky Humane Society here.
To avoid injuring a cat that may have unknowingly snuck under your hood, the shelter said there are a few things you can do.
"A bang on your car hood or a beep of your horn before starting the engine can give cats a chance to escape or make their presence known and can help save lives this winter," said KHS Media Manager Megan Decker.
The shelter also said homeowners can keep cats out of their cars by building winter shelters for outside cats from styrofoam bins lined with straw.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
