Frog in your throat? How about a cat in your engine?
At about 1:30 p.m. Monday, firefighters from the Beltsville Fire/EMS Station 831 got a call that a cat was trapped in a car engine. The firefighters proceeded to the location of the call, which was a parking lot at the intersection of Baltimore Avenue and Ewing Road.
The driver, who made the call, said he heard a cat’s “meow” as he drove down Route 1. He pulled over and requested assistance from multiple people and companies with no luck. The Beltsville Fire/EMS Station 831 was his last resort and the first to provide any help.
The firefighters at the scene could hear the cat but had trouble locating it. The cat only emerged from its “hiding spot” when firefighters banged on a few engine parts. It’s not unusual for cats to seek refuge and warmth in a parked car's engine, according to a release.
The cat turned out to be a 3-week-old kitten, and it seemed to be in good shape. One firefighter took it back to the firehouse for the remainder of his shift. The kitten was named Colombo to reflect the day it was found -- Columbus Day. The firefighter will take the kitten home with him when his shift ends in the morning.
For the duration of this search and rescue, the firefighters remained in-service for any emergency calls.
