Pickles came with a young girl鈥檚 McDonald鈥檚 order in Central Saanich.
Thanks to an attentive young girl, the male orange tabby cat was rescued and will be reunited with his family.
Members of Central Saanich Fire Department and Central Saanich Police Service rescued the cat from a parked, locked car Saturday afternoon near the McDonald鈥檚 Restaurant in Central Saanich after the girl had heard the animal while walking toward the fast food restaurant with her parents, said Cpt. Dan Little of Central Saanich Fire.
鈥淭his cat was crying profusely,鈥 he said.
Little said is not clear when and why the animal entered the vehicle鈥檚 engine area, where it found itself stuck between the engine block and the firewall.
Little said the animal might have entered overnight for warmth, but nobody can be sure.
The vehicle itself belonged to a woman, who had parked near the restaurant before departing for Vancouver, where Central Saanich police eventually reached her. Police became involved after the family had contacted the fire department, which contacted police.
Little said firefighters attending the scene then used a device commonly used by tow truck drivers to open the vehicle and pop the hood.
While engine grease had blackened the animal, which Miller described as 鈥渧ery distraught鈥 when discovered, it was un-injured.
鈥淗e was physically fine, 鈥 Little said.
When an initial search for the cat鈥檚 owner was unsuccessful, he was taken to the CRD animal shelter off the Pat Bay Highway. After a post on social media garnered attention, the shelter announced Pickles鈥 owners have been found after the cat had been missing for more than two years.
Shelter staff stressed the importance of having permanent identification for cats, such as a microchip.
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