Car repairs can be costly, especially if the user has only third party liability (TPL) insurance cover
Cars parked outside on the streets are susceptible to threats from various quarters. There’s the ever-present risk of theft, vandalism, arson and accidents involving other vehicles. Cars can also be a target for animals such as rats, cats, birds, snakes, etc. These often get inside the car’s engine bay to seek shelter from the elements.
A recent example comes from a Ford Freestyle owner whose car has become a prime target for cats in the area. In the last six months, the wiring of his car has been damaged twice and had to be repaired at the service centre. The owner tried a number of solutions to restrict the cats, but nothing seems to have worked.
Cardboard cover
Fed up with constant hassles, the car owner devised his own unique strategy to deal with the cats. What he has done is use cardboard boxes to cover the lower section of the car.
This has effectively closed the gap between the ground and the car’s underside. The top ends of the cardboard boxes are held together by a tight-fitting car cover. For lower flaps that are touching the ground, some stones have been used to secure them.
The owner has mentioned that this is a temporary solution. He will keep looking for a permanent solution and has shared his experience just for fun. This innovative strategy looks cost effective, as cardboard boxes are quite cheap. Your local retailer could give it for free. The other investment is a car cover that can be easily purchased for around Rs 600-1000.
Replying to the post, some users have shared other similar ideas that car owners have used to prevent entry of animals like cats and rodents. In one such example, two cars can be seen with all-round barricading using thick fabric or plastic material. In another example, a car can be seen fully protected by metal sheets all around.
Cats or rodents?
While the owner has specifically mentioned cats, it’s difficult to say if the damage can be attributed to the feline species. That’s because things like chewing wires are more relatable to rodents. Stray cats do occupy human spaces, but things like chewing wires is not usually associated with them. Kittens have a tendency to chew on things, but adult cats don’t usually do such things.
Even if the owner had spotted a cat in his car, it does not necessarily link it to the damage caused. Unless the owner has actually witnessed a cat chewing the wire, which is quite unlikely. There could be a possibility that rodents may have entered the car first and cats may have followed just for a quick meal.
In that case, the cardboard solution is unlikely to work. Chewing through cardboard is probably an easy job for a rat. Further updates in coming days may tell us who actually was the culprit in this case. It also makes us wonder if carmakers could come up with a solution for such issues.
