Maude the kitten survived 167-mile trip across Ireland trapped in engine block of car

A kitten miraculously survived a 167-mile (270km) road trip from Dublin to Cork trapped in the engine block of a German tourist's hire car. Svenja Dabbert and her two friends from Schleswig-Holstein were worried when, after parking their car outside a Douglas B&B in Cork, they heard a strange noise coming from the engine of their Nissan car. After opening the bonnet of the car, they were shocked to discover a tiny kitten pressed against the inside engine housing.



Svenja and her friends had rented the car at Dublin Airport and drove straight to Cork where they intended to spend a couple of days. They made just a single sightseeing stop at the Rock of Cashel on the way. During their brief stop in Cashel the German trio thought they heard a funny noise from the engine and opened the bonnet to take a look but saw nothing strange and the car continued to operate as normal. "We arrived at our bed and breakfast and when my friend looked out the window she saw a kitten sitting beside the wheel. We went down but there was no sign of the animal.

"We could hear her in the engine but when we opened it but could not catch her," she said. "She stayed hidden so we thought that with the car parked overnight she might come out before we left." When there was no sign of the kitty emerging from its adopted Nissan home, the German tourists asked the B&B owner to contact animal welfare inspectors because they were afraid starting the car engine could kill or maim the little cat. The kitten was captured by a Cork Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (CSPCA) inspector.


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"This is our first time in Ireland and that little kitten has helped to make it a holiday we will never forget," Svenja said. It is believed the kitten must have wandered into the car hire storage park of Dublin Airport and climbed up into the car's engine compartment for shelter and warmth. The kitten, which was shocked but otherwise uninjured by its daredevil escapade, was immediately named 'Maude' in honour of the B&B owner. The CSPCA is now looking for a new owner and home for Maude - preferably a non-car owner who relies on public transport.