Kitten found under hood of car, 2 days and nearly 40 miles later

A Jacksonville woman said she was driving around with a kitten in her engine block for more than 40 miles.

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It started with a note from a stranger who heard a meow coming from a car parked in Riverside.

Lily Stewart saw the note and says she checked under the hood, but didn't see anything.

It wasn't until she got home to her Southside apartment that she looked again and spotted a kitten looking back at her.

“It was heartbreaking, I was scared for him,” Stewart said.

Stewart works in Riverside, where she says there are several strays.

“We tried to lure him out with some food and we tried to grab him, but he was being aggressive,” Stewart said.

She says the kitten stayed for almost two days, and nearly 40 miles.

Scott Brown at Muffler City and Brake said he was surprised the kitten survived.

“That's not in a good area from what I see, that's right above the exhaust, on the back side of the motor. It does get super hot down there,” Brown said.

Brown said it’s common for small animals to seek warmth under the hood. He also says that it can cause major issues.

“We have actually had to total a car out before because there was so much damaged wiring, and electrical, and it can get bad sometimes,” Brown said.

Stewart said the kitten ran off after she finally lured it out with food. But she's worried it will come back.

“He seemed like he had done this before, and he's kind of like a car squatter,” Stewart said.