Why you should tap your car’s hood

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Beth McDermott
| Reporter assisted by AI

A 6-week-old kitten was rescued from a car engine in Taunton last week.

The kitten, named Sparky, was found by two people who heard her meowing while getting into their car, according to a community announcement from the Animal Rescue League of Boston.

“We looked under the cars but didn’t see anything. Then I told my sister we have to look under the hood and, sure enough, when I opened it, we saw her hiding,” one of the finders, Myah, said in the announcement.

Sparky was unharmed and secured in a cardboard box before the Animal Rescue League arrived to assist. She was transported to the league’s Dedham Animal Care & Adoption Center for a medical evaluation and was found to be only 1.4 pounds, but otherwise in good health.

She will remain in foster care for two to three weeks until she is at least 8 weeks old, achieves a healthy weight and has been spayed. Sparky will be adopted by the person who discovered her inside the car engine compartment.

Sparky is not the only kitten to have been discovered in a car engine recently. A 5-month-old male kitten, named Pisces, was found in a car engine in Brockton. Pisces was also transported to the Dedham Animal Care & Adoption Center for a medical evaluation.

Pisces sustained injuries that include a burn on his right hind leg and singed whiskers. He also has a healed, old wound on his left shoulder. Pisces, who is estimated to be 5 months old and weighs 5.8 pounds, is undergoing wound treatment and will be neutered before he is ready for adoption in one to two weeks.

The Animal Rescue League’s Community Cats program was established to address the growing population of more than 700,000 feral, semi-feral and outdoor cats in Massachusetts, including 70,000 in Boston alone. The league is the only large animal welfare organization in Massachusetts with a dedicated community cat program. It assisted 1,181 community cats, including spay and neuter surgeries, and facilitated the adoption of nearly 800 community cats in 2024.

The league often sees cases of kittens found in car engines, especially on properties or in neighborhoods where community cats are present. Kittens take cover in car engines as a way to keep warm and protect themselves from the harsh outdoor elements. In these cases, the biggest concern is kittens getting injured or burned.

During rainy or cold weather, the league recommends knocking on the hood of your vehicle and doing a quick visual check before starting the engine.

Because there is no government funding for this important rescue work, animals must rely on individuals to get the care they need, when they need it most, 365 days a year. Donate now to help Sparky and Pisces, and other vulnerable community kittens: https://arl.boston/sparky-pisces.

This story was created by reporter Beth McDermott, bmcdermott1@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.