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It’s not uncommon for outdoor felines to seek shelter in various places, including your car. One of the most common reasons a cat might hide in a car engine is that they consider it a safe, warm place to rest. Unfortunately, it’s actually quite an unsafe place and could cost the cat their life or cause them severe lifelong injuries.
Therefore, it’s crucial to keep felines from hiding inside your car’s engine. Read on for a few of the best ways to accomplish this.
Why Do Cats Hide in Car Engines?
Cats mostly hide in car engines during cold months while seeking a warm, safe shelter. This is especially common for stray and feral cats, which look for cars parked in driveways, streets, and accessible garages.
Sitting under the hood is an excellent way for a cat to get away from the cold, which is why many female cats also leave their kittens inside car engines. However, such choices have enormous consequences, and many cats die when hidden in such an unsafe place.
Starting a vehicle with a feline inside could injure or kill them, as they can get stuck in the vehicle’s moving parts.
How to Keep Cats From Hiding Inside Car Engines
1. Use Your Horn or Make Some Noise
One of the easiest ways to keep cats away from your engine is to use your horn. If you’re planning on using your vehicle, open the hood, sit inside, and honk your horn before you start the car. The horn is quite loud and should scare a cat off if they’re hidden inside the engine. You could also tap loudly on your hood, clap your hands, and make some noise in an attempt to scare any cats hidden inside.
This method might only partially keep cats away from your vehicle, but it will allow you to ensure that there are no cats in your engine when you want to start the car.
2. Keep Your Vehicle Clean
While most cats hide in car engines because they’re warm, many cats will also approach your vehicle if there’s food inside. Many people forget to clean their vehicles, which attracts all kinds of pests, rodents, and even cats.
Therefore, one of the best methods for keeping cats away from your car engine is keeping your vehicle clean. Try to eliminate dirt, debris, and food particles inside, and wash it at least once a month to ensure that it’s always neat.
Of course, cleaning your vehicle doesn’t mean that no cats will try to hide in the engine. However, their attempts may be partially reduced when your car is in good shape.
3. Consider Your Parking Location
While many people don’t consider this and park in the first available spot they see, your parking location is crucial when you want to prevent felines from hiding in your engine.
Most of the time, cats hide in cars parked outside, whether it’s in the street or a driveway. Therefore, if possible, it’s best to park your car in a covered garage or another sheltered spot where the engine will be less accessible to roaming felines.
4. Try Cat-Safe Repellents
Although these are no guarantee, as some cats will not be dissuaded by them, you can try spraying either homemade or commercial feline-safe repellents. They are feline safe and friendly in the sense that they won’t harm the cat or cause gastrointestinal or respiratory issues or skin irritation, unlike some of the other products, but may keep them away from your car. Cat-safe repellents include vinegar, lemon and citrus products, and even peels of citrus fruits such as oranges.
5. Install a Motion Activated Ultrasonic Alarm
These devices emit sounds that humans can’t hear, but cats can. This noise disturbance is likely to put off most cats from hiding underneath the hood of your car, without causing them physical harm.
6. Use Herbs as a Repellent
Instead of using harsh chemicals or things that are toxic to cats, you can try using natural herbs as a cat repellent. Many felines dislike herbs, especially those with strong scents, so lavender and rosemary may be suitable repellants.
You can either use the herbs and sprinkle them under your car or make a diluted solution out of the oils of these herbs and spray it near your engine and hood. These herbs are cheap, which makes them convenient to use, though you’ll need to sprinkle them frequently because the wind can blow them away, or the rain will wash it off. Never spray it directly on the cat, as essential oils are quite toxic for them if they come in contact with it through inhalation or ingestion.
7. Cover Your Car
Car covers may help, but because cats are masters of finding the smallest hole to crawl through, they may not do the job completely. Cats will hide inside the car engine, reaching it from underneath the car, and most covers will not be able to stop this.
8. Practice Vigilance
Even with your best efforts to keep cats away from your car engine, a kitty can still find their way inside. Therefore, you should practice vigilance and prevention and always inspect your vehicle before starting it.
Although this may sound tiring, it’s still the best way to ensure that no cats are under your hood.
Final Thoughts
While felines may consider your engine as a safe location to hide, doing so is extremely dangerous, and since they can’t sense the danger, it’s up to you to keep them away. By using one of these methods, your vehicle should be cat-free, but you should still always inspect your vehicle before starting the engine.
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Featured Image Credit: Jumpstory
