Kitten caught in bus engine rescued thanks to quick-thinking mechanics
One Brooklyn Center Transit Center operator was surprised to hear crying before noticing what appeared to be a cat stuck somewhere in the underside of the bus.
(FOX 9) - As the weather gets colder, stray animals try to make their way toward structures to seek shelter – often in garages, basements and car engines.
One Brooklyn Center Transit Center operator was surprised to hear crying coming from the underside of his bus this week before noticing a stray kitten had been trapped in the engine compartment.
Martin J Ruter (MJR) Garage Shop was requested to assist and further inspect the vehicle when they encountered their new feline friend.
"I'm a big animal person, so I got out there as quick as I could. The driver informed me that the cat must have climbed up under the bus from the garage he had driven out of, which was located in downtown Minneapolis," mechanic Daniel John Kaus explained to FOX 9. "Little guy was holding on for dear life."
However, without the proper equipment, they could not free him at their current location.
"I was unable to get him out from under the bus at the transit center, and made the call to move the bus back to MJR garage. I figured if I'm cold, he must be freezing,g and we better get him warmed up," said Kaus. "I drove the bus back as slow as possible and felt every bump. Once in the garage, I used a jack to raise the frame of the bus up and give him more room to free himself and for me to squeeze under. He was pretty scared, and I could tell he was just a kitten, so I had to kind of scare him down from his position."
But once free, he went on the run yet again.
"When he did finally get down, he ran right to another bus and hid in that engine compartment as well," Kaus said. "He put up quite the fight, but all-in-all, I'm glad he is safe. I eventually was able to hold him and get him a little food, and first thing he did was jump into the bowl of water I had given him. He was pretty dirty after climbing all over the underside of the buses."
According to Kaus, the kitten was sitting right under the turbocharger in the engine compartment of the first bus, and was named Turbo as a result.
FOX 9 has confirmed the shop was able to get Turbo out uninjured and adopted to his new home.
A GoFundMe has been created to help Kaus purchase resources for his new furry friend.