Spring of 2023 was a season of intense storms in the United States. The South and Midwest were bombarded with tornadoes. The Northeast and other parts of the country hadn’t fared so well either. During these storms, one little kitten went to seek shelter and got himself stuck in a scary situation.
Storms, Car Engines, and Kittens?
As a thunderstorm with tornado potential raged in Ephrata, Pennsylvania, a resident in the area heard something other than wind and rain. The small sounds of a kitten mewing was coming from somewhere around their car. They pinpointed that the mewing was coming from their car’s engine. Immediately, they took action. But turning on the car and driving it to a local mechanic could cause more harm to the kitten. So that idea was out of the question. Instead, the car’s owner called the fire department.
“Rescue 16 arrived and found a small kitten that was stuck in the engine compartment and could not self extricate.”
The poor thing! It must have been so scared getting stuck in the engine and then all the noise from the storms probably didn’t help. We don’t know how the kitten ended up in the car’s engine. But it may have been due to the storms and spooked the kitty, trying to get to a dry and safe space.
Meet “Lincoln”
The Lincoln Fire Company, Station 16, painstakingly worked for almost two hours to try and free the kitten. They realized they had to take off some parts of the car’s undercarriage and remove a belt to get to the little gray tabby. And yes, all of this was done with the owner’s permission. After all, we’re sure every cat-lover would tear their car apart to rescue them! With the fire department’s hard work, they were able to free the kitten with no harm done.
Another Ephrata resident in the neighborhood agreed to take the kitten in as their own. There’s no word on an official name, but the fire department suggested they name him “Lincoln” after their fire company. That’s a pretty fitting name to give him if you ask us!
“We highly recommended the name ‘Lincoln’. The Lincoln Volunteers are not only dedicated to help the citizens in our area, but our furry friends too.”
The department posted the ordeal on their Facebook page and got a lot of cheers for their good deed.
“My son Lincoln approves.”
“A Rescue is a Rescue….nice job guys!”
Even with dangerous storms, this fire company gets kudos for protecting everyone, humans and animals alike!
Now it is predicted that storms will continually get stronger in the future. A good way to help any stray animals is to have a safe shelter around your home for them to wait out the storm. Always check your car for any cats or kittens hiding by banging on the hood or making some noise. This allows the kitty to either make their escape before you turn the car on, or let out a cry to let you know they are there.
#REMEMBER: ADOPT, DON’T SHOP; FOSTERING SAVES LIVES & SPAY AND NEUTER!
All photos by Lincoln Fire Company Station 16/Facebook.
