On a cold winter day in January, A 5-month-old kitten was looking for a warm place to curl up, rest and find safety. He found this by crawling up into the warm engine of a Ford Sedan. Unbeknownst to the owners of the car, he traveled from Farmington to Bloomington inside the engine of that Ford Sedan!

When the car stopped the people heard meowing and opened the hood. They couldn't believe what they saw and tried to get him out of the engine right away! This was not easy and he made an escape attempt but they eventually lured him back into their care with Spanish rice. The poor kid was hungry! 

 

He was brought into our vet partner Burnsville Parkway Animal Hospital . His poor stomach seemed super hard.  X-rays showed all kinds of junk in his tummy, some of it even looked like gravel. So he was definitely a super hungry boy for quite a while. Despite the frightening experience this kitten had just been through, he couldn't stop purring. He so badly wanted attention. He quickly won the hearts of everyone who met him and was appropriately named HENRY FORD! After a complete exam from the Doctor, Henry was released to Pet Haven and brought into our Foster Program given the love, care and time to heal that he needed.

Pet Haven is where he would meet his new forever family.

We have a term in rescue called "Foster Fail."  This is when a foster decides to adopt the animal in their care. However, it's not really a "fail" it's love and Henry found so much love we couldn't be happier for him! Henry Ford, what a lucky guy!

 

We asked his new forever family to give us an update on him, see below:

"He’s still a food hound and will relentlessly try to steal my food. He gobbled up a radish off my plate last night!"

"I like to tell myself they heard his purr over the engine of the car because he has the LOUDEST purr ever! When I took him home and got him out of his carrier, he just CLUNG to my shoulder, nuzzled into my neck and purred. He was so happy to be somewhere safe and warm. He has turned into a little parrot cat…his favorite thing is to perch on my shoulders while I do housework, which of course makes everything take 10 times longer but it’s worth it because he’s so adorable. I’ve taken him to work and he just sat on my lap and purred. He sleeps right by my head at night so his purr can lull me to sleep. One of his favorite hobbies is chasing his own tail."

"I had 3 cats already when I took Henry in to foster. Henry has a (at times unrequited) crush on my one-eyed orange tabby, Winky. He always follows her around and wants to play. I think Winky is secretly happy she has a younger cat to play with. She’s 3, and my other two are around 8 years old (they put him in his place when he gets out of line!)."

"As for foster failing with him...my boyfriend said he knew the moment he saw Henry with me that I would end up adopting him. Whenever potential adopters came over to meet him, he would just try to get back to me! The last applicant was such a sweet lady. She thought Henry was adorable but actually said, “I think he’s chosen his mama. He’s totally bonded to you, you need him! Plus, you can’t have an uneven number of cats!”  I filled out the application that night."

"Henry is such a sweet boy, and so happy in his new home. He has done amazing with the other cats and fosters. I’m so, so beyond happy, I was able to adopt him!"

The resilience and abilities of felines are amazing! Henry Ford's story is a testament to that but don't think he will be wanting driving lessons anytime soon! 

 

Practice some winter feline safety - Remember to knock on your car hood in the winter months this will help prevent kitty hitchhikers.