Kittens Trapped/Hiding in Undercarriage of Car

[catastropheinprocess]

Advice please!!!!

Our resident garden cat has three kittens (we just had her spayed FYI) and they keep climbing into the actual underbody of the car.

Previously they came out when we started the engine but now they refuse to budge.

We have tried: starting the engine, enticing them with tuna, banging on the car. Mama cat miaows and calls to them - they still won’t move. They are scared rigid.
If we leave the car they do eventually come out, but as soon as they see us, they climb up inside again.

It’s so bad we haven’t been able to drive the car today.

Any suggestions we haven’t thought of?

Could you approach your local rescue for a cat trap?

I work with a local rescuer, it's how we got the mama cat spayed...but the kittens are too light to set off the trap, she tells me.

Also, how will I stop them going back up inside the car again?! I'm stumped.

I did suggest to DH that we surrender and let them live in there as long as they wanted..I think he may divorce me.

I got a kitten out by using a garden sprayer and forcing it up into the engine compartment where I grabbed it. But it's not going to stop them going back in.

...the kitten didn't go back in the car 'cos it knows when it's on to a good thing

Get another car?

I'm confused by this. Who is the OP? Do you have three names?

And Farfaraway (not sure if you are the OP or not) surely the rescue have manual traps? (Where you pull string to close them). If they don't they need them! How else can you do trapping where there is more than one cat in a garden? Say there is a pregnant female and a male for example and you set an automatic trap, the male goes in, sets it off, the female sees it and runs away or then won't go near the trap. All rescues need manual traps. If the rescue contacts The Celia Hammond Animal Trust we can send the blue print for how to make one very easily.

I know this doesn't help the immediate problem but all rescues need to have manual traps!!

that's strange, i posted a reply from my phone and it used a different (old) username from days of yore!

it took 4 years (yes 4 years) to trap the mama cat - she is feral....we did also try manual traps yes. even a net at one point! they said she was the trickiest cat they had ever known.

i'm overseas so it's a different set up but thanks for the celia hammond tip.

update: they came out of the car after THREE hours but as soon as they see me/any human they run straight back under.

thankfully we have two cars but we can't go on like this. i'm considering the hose....

When you next get them out could you keep them indoors for a while? They need to find a new safe space.

lostindubai i'd love to, have been trying to get near to them for months but they are so feral and unapproachable. at one point they were on our back terrace which was a nice spot for them as they were sheltered and had a nice bed (!) id like to entice them back up there!

longer term we do have plans to TNR them.... BTW i'm in dubai too :)

Ah poor things. Really awkward situation for you though. What is TNR?

I have a slightly misleading name, sorry! I'm in the UK. It refers to a time I got lost in a gold souk in Dubai (many many moons ago!)

TNR = trap, neuter, return.

Ah, thank you.