California cat rescued after 7-mile ride in engine compartment

March 7 (UPI) -- Firefighters in California came to the rescue of a cat that took a 7-mile ride in the engine compartment of a vehicle.

The Modesto Fire Department said a call came in from a cat owner who reported hearing meowing coming from the engine of their vehicle after driving 7 miles from their home to the rodeo fairgrounds on the east edge of Modesto.

Deputy Chief Darin Jesberg said crews arrived and discovered the caller's cat had crawled into the engine compartment and the feline's foot was caught in the transmission line.

Firefighters were able to free the cat and reunite it with its owner.

Jesburg said the cat suffered a minor foot injury and some singed hair, but is expected to make a full recovery.

Firefighters in Oviedo, Fla., conducted a similar rescue in January when a kitten spotted wandering loose on a road fled into the engine compartment of a parked car. The rescuers ended up removing a wheel from the car to reach the kitten's hiding spot.