Kitten saved from car engine will soon be available for adoption

A 10-week-old kitten will soon be available for adoption after being found in the engine of a car that traveled from Mission Viejo to Laguna Niguel. 

A Laguna Niguel resident heard the kitten meowing in her engine after she parked her car and immediately called the Mission Viejo Animal Services Center. 

When Animal Services Officers DeAlmeida and Stewart arrived on scene, they saw the kitten in the compact car but could not reach it, so they set a humane trap next to the vehicle. Within a few hours, the kitten exited the engine and walked into the trap. The kitten was named "Sonata" after the model of car. Sonata suffered a few minor burns on the pads of his feet and was treated by one of the center's partner veterinarians. 

Although the incident sounds rare, this type of call is not uncommon. Cats love warm places because they have a higher body temperature than humans. Stray cats, especially kittens, will go inside an engine bay seeking shelter to keep them warm. They do this to conserve energy while napping and like the engine bay because it's dark and quiet.

Sonata is an orange tabby that will soon be available for adoption.

For more information about him and other adoptable animals, visit cmvas.org or call 949-470-3045.