Santa Rosa firefighters rescue kitten trapped in car engine

Cries from a kitten trapped for hours in a parked car’s engine compartment led to its rescue this weekend by Santa Rosa firefighters.

A Hendley Street resident told firefighters about hearing a kitten crying under the hood about 10 a.m. Saturday and still hearing the mewing hours later at 3 p.m. when walking by the subcompact a second time.

“They realized it had been in there for five hours and decided to call 911,” said Santa Rosa fire Capt. Damon Pearson on Tuesday, one of three who responded to the nonemergency call.

“We got there, popped the hood. The cat was just shoved way up under the fire wall in back of the engine compartment,” Pearson said.

Firefighter Chris Matthies did some minor engine dismantling and hose shifting and he, Capt. Roy Keegan and Pearson got the tiny black ball of fur safely out.

The engine parts were replaced and the kitten was given to a neighbor who said she’d keep it if she couldn’t find the owner, Pearson said.

“He was a cute little guy,” Pearson said. “If I wasn’t working for another 15 hours I would have taken him home.”

You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 707-521-5412 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@rossmannreport.