Sad and Disturbing

[coldcupofjoe]

Found a cat wrapped up in a serpentine belt. It was rather horrible. I thought it was dead until it meowed at me. I don't even know how it was still alive. I threw up twice getting the poor thing out. The bastard who owned the car just laughed when I told him. I wanted to hit him and I don't even really like cats.

[blas]

I'm so sorry. That is just awful.

[ArenaBoy]

THAT FUCKING BASTARD!!!! I hope you took the cat to animal control. He does not need an owner who is a waste of his parents FUCKING FLUIDS!!!

[Sylvia727]

Please tell us you called the humane society and the cops on this guy. Poor kitty.

[dougiezerts]

Yes, he should be reported.

[coldcupofjoe]

I think the cat was a stray that had crawled up in the guys engine looking for a warm place. Before I told him, I asked him if he owned any cats and he told me no. I'm pretty sure it was just an accident.

Not that I'm defending his response though. He was a bastard.

[Pedersen]

And what has become of the cat? I assume euthanized at this point, but I would really like to know.

For some reason, I find myself hoping it's being given a chance to live. I'm not a cat person, but wouldn't wish that sort of fate on any critter.

Well, except for maybe a few ex-bosses of mine, but they don't even get counted as critters, right?

[coldcupofjoe]

I'm not sure. One of my co-workers took it to a vet but when I asked her she only shook her head and wouldn't say anything.

But given the extent of it's injuries I very much doubt it could have survived.

[Broomjockey]

Forgive my automotive ignorance, but what exactly is the purpose of a serpentine belt? I know fan belts, for instance, but not this one. Unless you just mean a twisty circuitous routed belt? Either way, I woulda torn the guy a new one for laughing.

[Retail Associate]

This story brings back a horrible memory of a similar incident that happened when I was about 16 yrs old. I won't go into the awful details but the kitty was a stray that had climbed up under the hood of my dad's car for warmth and was caught in the fan.

After that I always pounded on the hood of the car and blew the horn before starting the engine...hoping to scare off any precious creatures.

I adore kitties and it still upsets me after all these years.

.

[counterjockey]

Forgive my automotive ignorance, but what exactly is the purpose of a serpentine belt? I know fan belts, for instance, but not this one. Unless you just mean a twisty circuitous routed belt? Either way, I woulda torn the guy a new one for laughing.

They're fairly similar to fan belts, but basically are designed to power multiple components from the same pulley off the crankshaft--alternator, power steering pump, air conditioning compressor, coolant pump, and maybe a fan. They are exactly as twisty and circuitous as you describe them. On my car it's easily accessible, which is a blessing because I've replaced six of the sodding things.

I have a paunchy 3-year old tabby using my beer gut as a heating pad right now. He was a stray from the streets who could have easily ended up the same way as the cat in the OP. I wouldn't consider myself fucking amused at the thought.

[Seshat]

I'm not sure. One of my co-workers took it to a vet but when I asked her she only shook her head and wouldn't say anything.

The poor kitty. At least it got some time with people who cared, even if it was in pain during that time.

Please tell your co-worker that some complete stranger on the 'net thinks she did a good thing. You did too.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

Oh, that hurts.

When I was in high school a friend drove her Dad's 1950's era pink caddy to school one day. Her and her friends drove home for lunch and then came back to school; on the way there, they kept hearing a mewling and couldn't figure out where it was coming from. When they got to school and turned off the car they could hear it louder, it was coming from the engine. They opened the hood and found a tiny kitten from her barn cat's litter in the engine. It was completely unhurt, but had crawled up into the warm engine while they were eating lunch and had settled in some protected part of the engine, and was stuck there the whole 3 miles to school. She had to bring it to class with her and we got to play with it.

[Emmeileia]

That nearly made me cry...poor kitty. I have to go hug my cats now.


That was awesome of your co-worker to take the kitty to the vet, I hope despite everything the cat makes it.

[Becks]

Poor kitty.

Where's that guy? He needs a meeting with a fish.