Cat rescued after travelling 45 miles stuck in wheel well of vehicle

A routine oil change was anything but routine for a cat that got caught in the wheel well of a car travelling to Norfolk, Nebraska. When Mike Kerkman of Elgin left home on Tuesday to get an oil change in Norfolk, he didn't know he had an extra passenger for the 45 mile ride, until he arrived at Norfolk's GM Auto Center.



"They opened up the hood and there was a cat with its head sticking through a little hole," said Kerkman. What was supposed to be a quick lube oil change, turned into a rescue operation. When employees found the cat, she had become stuck in a hole under the hood by the washer fluid, they knew they had to do something.

"He was scared. He was almost choking. His head was the only thing that could get through that hole," said Bob Rorich, Service Tech, Norfolk GM Auto Center. Operation kitty rescue took about an hour and a half from start to finish. The Kerkmans were thankful that one of the employees at Norfolk GM had worked at a veterinary clinic. A local vet was able to provide a sedative to make sure the cat could get out safely.



"The cat was just frantic. It was in distress. It needed to relax and come down. When in that situation the best bet is to sedate the cat," said Tabitha Streeter, Body Shop Coordinator. After removing the front bumper, cutting a bigger hole in the metal around the kitty's neck, the farm cat was removed and woke up minutes later. She's back home now, with as much energy as she had before the big ride. She's busy chasing mice and basking the in sun.

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