It was just another day of filming for our YouTube channel. As I was setting up my camera gear outside the car, I heard a distinct “meow” coming from somewhere under the car.
I ignored it at first, but it persisted until Simonn, my colleague and boss, told me there might actually be a cat somewhere INSIDE the car. Mind you, we took off from Marikina and were now in Laguna for our shoot.
I dropped down to check if I could see into the back end of the car and confirmed the team’s suspicions. Except for a tiny gap near the rear tire, I couldn’t see inside or figure out how to open it up. I tapped the body panels and bumper to see if the cat would respond. I think it got scared and quieted down.
At this point, with the clock ticking on our production schedule and no way to open up the bumper without damaging it, we decided to finish the shoot as quickly as possible while we figured out a solution. Maybe, we thought, the cat would find its way out on its own.
Four hours later, we were finally done and had all but forgotten about the cat until we heard a faint “meow” again. It’s alive! It’s still inside!
“Hello? Are you there?” I said out loud. I tapped gently on the bumper.
“Meow…”
At this point, we realized it was well and truly trapped. If it still hadn’t gotten out on its own, and with the sun blazing hot, we needed to find another way. I got down on the ground, scanned the underside, and saw… a tail!
I reached out and touched it, and the tail withdrew. A few moments later, I could see its butt sticking out of the hole.
Finally, we examined the bumper cover and found that we could pry it loose by removing a few clips without damaging it. It was a borrowed test car, after all. We saw the kitten hiding in a little cubbyhole and managed to get her out gently. We named her “EV” because she had been hiding in our review car for the day, a Kia EV9.
EV was dehydrated and scared, and Simonn volunteered to foster her. She meowed all the way through the two-hour drive. Apart from needing some fluids and having an irritated eye from all the dust, she was fine. She is now the official Ridebuy cat.
She’s our lucky animal!
Postscript: EV is now the official office princess at the Ridebuy.ph office. She is healthy and happy and has finally found a home. No more stowing away for this girl.
