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As the weather gets colder in the northern hemisphere, we humans have the privilege of hiding out in our warm abodes. Some of us are even lucky enough to have a kotatsu to snuggle into. Meanwhile, have you ever wondered, “What about those poor little cats on the streets? Where will they go in this chilly weather?”

Well, some of them would hide between buildings or cardboard boxes to take shelter from the wind, rain, and the occasional unfortunate typhoon. However, some of them will actually make their way to your cars! If you don’t catch them in time and start your engine right there, it could lead to some serious tragedy (think minced meat…). Here at RocketNews24, we pride ourselves on our eternal love for our feline friends, which is why we’re so glad that one animal protection organization in Japan created a simple campaign to save our kitty friends…and our cars!

Your engine is like a cat’s sauna

Right after you turn off your engine, it remains warm for some time. As it gets cold, many cats like to take shelter under the engine of the car for the warmth. Sometimes, however, they might enter the engine compartment from underneath the car. Now, if you start the car with the cat in the engine, what would happen? Nothing good for either the cat or your car, that’s for sure…

Knock knock!

In order to avoid these cat-engine accidents, it’s best to open your bonnet and check. However, if you are like me and are still not 100% sure how to open a bonnet, or are simply too lazy, Japan’s animal protection organization Clover has come up with a simple “Knock knock” campaign just for you. When cats hear the knocks, they will sense danger and escape from the car.

Listen up!

After knocking on your bonnet, be sure to listen well. If you hear panicky shuffling, there is a high possibility that a little creature had just escaped from your car. Open up your bonnet to make sure that it is no longer there. On top of that, if you don’t want to look silly knocking on your own bonnet, you can try other things such as honk, shake your car or shout to send a signal to the imaginary critter in your engine. We are not sure which would attract the least attention from passers-by so you can test it out and let us know.

For the cat and for you, too

Some netizens have also shared their experiences of the ‘cat in the engine’ tragedy:

“It was a horrendous sight.”

“I couldn’t get rid of the smell so I had to get a new car.”

It’s a lose-lose situation for both humans and felines. This winter, perhaps there would be a cat hiding out in your engine too. Be sure to ‘knock knock” – save a cat and save your car too.

Source/Image: Facebook
[ Read in Japanese ]