'A bit dumb': Cat rescued after hitching ride in Uber engine bay

<p>A cat took trips all over Wellington on Thursday, stuck inside the engine bay of an Uber driver's car.</p> <p><b>By Sammy Carter of </b><a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/community/785615/cat-stuck-inside-wellington-uber-s-engine-bay-for-several-trips" target="_blank"><b>RNZ</b></a><b> </b></p> <p>Owner Renee Wadsworth said her cat Norton's tracking collar saw him travel all the way from Hataitai to Johnsonville – which was about a 30-minute drive.</p> <p>She said Norton, a 6-year-old Burmese cat, had a love for anything warm and cosy, and he was also "a bit dumb".</p> <p>Wadsworth noticed Norton was too far from home on Thursday, and raced to his nearest location to find him.</p> <p>In Mount Victoria, Wadworth said she frantically looked for her cat and called his name.</p> <p>She couldn't see him anywhere, until, she heard meowing from a car bonnet.</p> <p>"I was honestly relieved because I thought that I was going to either find just his collar... Or I thought I was going to find his body."</p> <p>After explaining the situation to the Uber driver who she said looked very confused, they opened up the bonnet to find Norton deep inside the car.</p> <p>"He was pretty shook up. And actually, so was the Uber driver."</p> <p>Wadsworth called a local mechanic, who managed to squeeze the cat out via the front tyre.</p> <p>"It looked like he was literally being birthed."</p> <p>By Friday, she said Norton was perfectly fine, cuddled up on her lap.</p> <p>Brendan Foot service adviser Mel Barrett said she got a call on Thursday afternoon about "a bonnet meowing" and rushed up to Mount Victoria.</p> <p>"I've got nearly 10 years of experience in the industry and it's the first time I've had to get a cat out of an engine bay."</p> <p>She explained the cat was sitting behind the front left fog light, away from any moving parts, with a plastic panel separating him from the radiating heat.</p> <p>"He was quite well tucked away and safe."</p> <p>Barrett said she removed the wheel guard on the tyre, turned the wheels, and managed to reach out and save Norton.</p>