A stray kitten trapped in the bonnet of a vehicle in Dubai Internet City in the United Arab Emirates on Monday was rescued by an official Dubai Civil Defence team in an operation that lasted four hours after a call for help by a local resident.
IT professional Rawan Al Alool, who works in the mainly business-oriented district, says that it was around 10am when she and a colleague walked past the car and the cries of a feline became evident.
A number of nearby labourers said that the noises had been heard for several hours but that they had been unable to determine their source, but eventually it became clear that they were coming from the bonnet of a parked sedan.
Rawan’s first instinct was to locate the owner of the vehicle, so she rang 999 and 997 to explain the problem and provide the number plate details of the car to emergency services.
The owner of the car arrived within minutes and opened the bonnet only to find a kitten stuck by the neck within a tight corner, and apparently unable to move.
Rawan again rang 997 to tell Civil Defence that the cat had been found but was unable to be freed from its predicament.
Two department officers arrived within 10 minutes, and when the rescue operation started, it became clear that rescuing the kitten without hurting it or damaging the vehicle was going to be a challenge.
The officers felt that more tools would be needed and called for extra assistance, with another Civil Defence car with several more officials and the required additional tools soon arriving.
The team carefully went about their task and by 1pm the black and white female kitten was finally able to be safely pulled from the car.
The experience was extremely heartening for Rawan, who says that Civil Defence behaved in a professional, compassionate and caring manner throughout and took her request for help with admirable seriousness.
It is not actually uncommon in the UAE for cats to end up becoming trapped in the engine bays of vehicles.
This problem becomes even more commonplace during the winter season due to the fact that cats looking for warmth and shelter from the cold weather are only too pleased to snuggle into wheel wells and the bonnets of vehicles.
Motorists in the UAE are actually advised to walk around their vehicles checking the wheel wells and beneath the bonnet and even sound their horn so that cats have a chance to exit before they start and move their cars.
Anyone who drives a motor vehicle in the UAE is under a legal obligation to take out car insurance.
Car insurance is a vital defence against the adverse financial complications that can arise from a number of motor-related events such as accidents that damage their own or other vehicles as well as theft and other issues.
There is a wide range of car insurance policies in the UAE, ranging from the comprehensive to the required basic third-party insurance.