Cat on a Hot Tin….Engine

I’m in love with our new offices – part of the reason I’ve been posting less often in the last few weeks. The location is CENTER JERUSALEM – and I love riding the train to work every day. We went into Mahane Yehuda – the open marketplace/shuk – seconds from our building. You can’t really get more central than we are…

I could take the bus from Maale Adumim, but so far, I’ve been lazy. I’ve driven to the Ammunition Hill. A huge open parking lot was created for people to park. It’s free; it’s clean, and it is seconds from the train.

On Sunday night, as I was coming home, I got off the train and got in my car. I drove a few yards and heard, “meow, meow, meow.” I stopped the car quickly but heard nothing. I opened the doors, the trunk, the hood. I looked up, down, in, around…nothing.

I started the car and drove a bit more. “Meow, meow, meow.”

I stopped the car. It was coming from the engine. I opened the hood – nothing. I called Elie and Shmulik and my husband. I had no idea what to do. Two women stopped by and together we shook the car, banged along the areas under the tire. Nothing. Every time I started the car, silence. I thought I had killed it.  I drove a few feet forward, “meow, meow, meow.”

A man stopped and with a flashlight tried to help – there were now three of them. I thought maybe the sound was weaker. I didn’t know what to do. Finally, I thanked the three and they left. I couldn’t bring myself to drive, sure it would kill the cat.

Amira said I should call the animal shelters and she volunteered to do that. Elie said I should call the towing company and they’d get it out. Shmulik said let the car cool off and the cat would go out by itself.

While I was explaining/arguing with the towing company – they were telling me to call the animal shelter people because they wouldn’t come…I saw a little kitten run out from under the car. So – Shmulik was right – when it got cold enough, the cat would leave; and Elie was right – calling the towing company helped because it was only while I was on the phone and not starting the car every few minutes that the cat ran out.

All in all, dear Honda – please make sure in the next design you release that there isn’t space for cats to get into the engines. It doesn’t make for happy results unless someone is willing to sit on the side of the road for hours waiting for the cat to leave.