I thought perhaps the car was blocking the view. In multiple occasions I parked the car outside so the cameras had a clear view of the entire door. Whenever I parked the car outside, the car wouldn't enter the garage that night. Was it trolling me???
My friend joked that maybe the cat was pulling a Mission Impossible move and coming in the garage by hanging on to the bottom of the car. I laughed.
Then a few nights ago I was awake when I could see the cat in the garage cameras. While steaming it on my phone I walked down.
I entered and started yelling and banging things, expecting it would get scared and run away (and hopefully not want to come back). But to me surprise, it just disappeared under my car???
Looking at more footage I was now certain the cat wasn't entering or leaving.
The incredible thing is on *several* of the days when the cat was in the garage at night I drove during the day. Sometimes at freeway speeds. One day I parked it all day in SF. So if it did indeed enter by being somewhere under my car, then it was being driven along everywhere!
I looked with a flashlight under my car. It's a Tesla Model Y so the underside is mostly flat. I believe it may have found a comfortable spot somewhere around the front right wheel well / suspension area. But I haven't been able to see it and confirm exactly.
This was me banging the underside with a broom hoping it would come out. Here you can see my best guess as to where the cat may have been living.
But I may never know exactly.
As my last resort I put a humane trap with a can of tuna. After a couple of nights, I got it.
I'm writing this from bed just after seeing that it went in last night.
Plan is to take it to animal services.
In one of the videos a few nights ago the cat seemed to be trying to catch a fly or something like that. When it jumped, you could clearly hear a bell hanging off its neck. There's a good chance this cat has an owner.
2 days ago trying to piece everything together I realized that the first time I saw pee in the garage was right after I came from visiting my friend in Central California. There's a chance I accidentally drove someone's cat under my car all the way here from 180mi away.
Iāve been hesitant to update this thread because what happened after I posted it was so surreal and absurd that I thought people would either not believe it or think I made it up. But anyway. Here it goes.
Turns out the cat that had been living in my garage for 2 weeks was my friendās cat. The cat had been missing, but didnāt think to mention this to me because the idea of his cat getting in my car and then living there at my house was preposterous.
I had nicknamed this cat Houdini. His real name is Bowser. Heās now safely back at home.
The end.
@giladronat I know. Funny thing is when I got back from seeing my friend and this started happening, I jokingly texted my friend (2 weeks ago!): "I can't believe your cats made it here".
Wild.
@[email protected], I worked in various lube shops doing oil changes for 10+ years. Based on my experience of having animals jump out at me while working on cars, they will absolutely ride along in the engine and under carriage at freeway speeds. I've pulled out cats, birds, squirrels, and rats, all alive and dusty.
Is the friend on any nextdoor-type services where they could inquire about lost cats?
@Javi that trick wonāt work, youāre going to get charged for new tires when you turn in the lease if they are under a certain tread depth (those certainly are!)
You can put on some cheap-o aftermarket replacement tires though.
@smileyborg yeah itās my first time leasing (and driving a car that eats tires). I certainly expected that as a possibility, was just wondering if maybe it would fly given the rest of the car is in great condition.
The thing is, I thought it would be the same whether I get new tires now, or they charge me for them when I return them. What I didnāt consider is the possibility of returning it with crappier tires than what it came with!?
@smileyborg thank you so much for this!! Iām gonna look into it.
I also need to understand what the return process will look like. I was under the impression (although now I donāt know where I got that from, maybe I made it up in my head lol) that thereās some kind of inspection prior to returning the car, and then I get to go fix any discrepancies on my own?
@smileyborg thank you š Iāll look into that!
Also I checked Americaās Tire, and for some reason the tires they show me are Pilot Sport 4S, which are fancy ass (and expensive) tires š
Javi
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