How to keep cats out of your car's engine bay

Stray or pet cats can easily hide within the engine bay of your vehicle. One primary reason that they do this is that they think it’s a nice safe and warm place to stay to be sheltered from the elements. They actively seek out these places because cats have a higher body temperature compared to that of a human, as such they find the engine bay a cozy place to settle. By doing this our feline friends will be able to conserve their energy while napping.

It can be quite stressful to have a cat hanging inside your engine bay. Unfortunately, some car owners won't even notice it’s there, and without any clue, they’re going to start the car which could then severely hurt the cat and potentially damage some of the engine components. Aside from regularly inspecting the engine bay, there are other tips and tricks to keep away cats from resting under the bonnet.

Before you even start your vehicle make sure to do a brief inspection around it. This will ensure that you will be able to scare off any cats that may have chosen to stay within your vehicle. Cats are creatures of habit if you do this consistently for a couple of days they will get the message and will start to stay away from your vehicle.

Another method that you can use without harming the cat is to quickly honk your horn before you set off and wait for a few seconds. The loud sound should scare them off before you start the engine. Conversely, you can also do a quick tap of the hood or fender to also scare them off. If you do this consistently for a little while they should get the message that they shouldn’t stay in or around your vehicle. 

While it may not work in all places, some say that parking under the sun might attract more cats than those cars that are parked in a covered garage. Your vehicle should be less accessible to cats once it's placed in a secured personal garage.

Cayenne pepper is a spice that’s added to some of your favorite dishes, yet who would’ve thought that this condiment can also be used to draw away cats from your car. You’re just going to have to spread it around the edges of the vehicle. It should take about a few days before these felines will finally leave your car alone. If the cats return, then you might as well increase the amount of cayenne pepper. Again, it might take some time but it should work as cayenne pepper does have a history of keeping strays away. 

A dog’s nose works like wonder, their strong sense of smell could help them trail almost anything, including a cat. Many dogs hate cats and they are a bit hysterical once they smell one. Having a dog around will deter cats from the location the dog is in, as evidenced by several of our personal experiences. 

Of course, using your car more frequently should keep those pesky cats away from your engine bay rather than just letting it sit in your garage for quite a long time. Then again, it’s always best to check under the bonnet frequently, and see for yourself if cats are not invading your car’s precious mechanicals. 

We do love both our cars and feline friends, so let’s protect both, shall we? You don’t want to end up grinding cat meat along with damaging your engine components, would you? Not to mention that the smell of a dead cat is quite repulsive.