15/10/2026
I know people who follow my page would never want to hurt a little animal. First freeze in Iowa this week.
Every winter, every veterinarian and every shelter in America sees the same injuries. And every one of them is preventable in four seconds.
A car engine that's been driven stays warm for hours. On a freezing night, that engine bay is the warmest, most sheltered spot in the neighborhood. Cats climb into the wheel well or onto the engine block. So do squirrels, chipmunks, opossums, rabbits and rats.
Then you turn the key.
THE FOUR-SECOND HABIT — do this every cold morning:
👊 Bang on the hood twice, hard, before you get in.
📣 Or honk the horn once.
👀 Or check the wheel wells with a glance.
Then wait a beat before starting. That's it. That's the whole thing.
IF YOU HEAR SOMETHING AFTER STARTING: turn the engine off immediately. Don't drive to a vet with an animal in the engine bay. Open the hood, and if it's stuck, call a vet, a shelter, or animal control — many will come out, and firefighters sometimes will too.
WHILE WE'RE HERE — THE OTHER COLD-CAR CHECKS:
🐭 Mice love engine bays too, and modern cars use soy-based wire insulation that rodents chew readily — a repair that routinely runs into the thousands. Pop the hood weekly in winter and look for shredded insulation, nesting material and chewed wiring. Peppermint oil pouches and keeping the hood open in a garage both help. (See post #29.)
🚗 If you park outside long-term, run the car at least weekly. An unused car in winter becomes a nest.
Four seconds. Every single morning. Please.
