Cool Cat Tries to Make Home in Stamford Convertible

A cat looking to warm up from the winter chill blanketing the country tried making his home in a car on Bedford St. last week, said Director of the Stamford Animal Care & Control Shelter Laurie Hollywood.

The brown Tabby apparently tried climbing into the trunk of the convertible by way of the small space where the retractable roof meets the body of the vehicle.

Officer Tilford Cobb drove out to assist the animal after the owner heard the creature stuck inside and notified authorities. He was able to removed the cat by grabbing its hindquarters and pulling it free. He deemed the cat to be feral and it was released.

"We have to do this a couple of times a year," Hollywood said. "Cats get stuck in cars sometimes when they climb up into the vehicle, especially during this time of the year, with weather like this. A lot of times they'll climb into the engine compartment of a recently-parked car."

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Hollywood offered two tips to Stamford residents in light of the recent cold weather hanging over the region.

First, residents with a garage or porch should keep an eye out for wild animals looking to come in and warm themselves up. After receiving a call about a raccoon sleeping the day away in a detached laundry room, Hollywood warned those calls are often directed to a wildlife removal service.

"You can either pay to have it removed by a company or wait till it decides to leave on its own," Hollywood said. "If it's found somewhere warm, since they're night creatures, it will probably be there for the day."

For pet owners, she said they should keep an eye out for how long their animal is spending outside on particularly cold days, and to always make sure fresh water is available and not frozen.

"The general rule of thumb is, if it's too cold for a person to be out there for 10 to 15 minutes without needing to head inside, it's too cold for an animal," Hollywood said.

Hollywood said horse owners especially need to keep an eye on water buckets and said heated bowls and buckets for a variety of pets can be found online.