Firefighters rescue kitten stuck in car grille in W. Houston

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It was a situation that almost turned into a catastrophe.

Kara Tumlinson was on her way to work Thursday in west Houston when she suddenly stopped after hearing a cat meowing from inside a car's engine.

She said he wasn't happy and seemed overheated.

She and other people tried to lure it out with food and spritzing it with water, but that didn't work.

According to a Reddit post by her husband, Kevin, Kara decided to find more help for the kitten. She drove slowly to a nearby fire department.

She said the firefighters didn't hesitate and were all smiles, wanting to help set the kitten free.

Firefighters unscrewed the grill of the car and created a gap for the kitten to crawl out.

"Little Max was in a pretty tough spot," Kevin wrote.

Max, that's what they named the cat.

"As he touched a paw to the ground, hearts were filled hope," the post read.

Max was almost free but freaked out and wiggled back up into the engine.

After more efforts, a firefighter was able to pull him out.

Apparently, Max wasn't happy and all four sets of claws and his teeth dug into the firefighter's glove.

Kara brought the kitten home and the Tumlinsons took care of it briefly, however Max wasn't quite the best house guest.

"It was a rough night. Little Max wasn't thrilled about being locked in our bathroom all evening and told us all about it, all night long. He had also slashed at me, when I first picked him up, trying to determine his sex while also placing him on what we hoped would be a comfy bed of blankets. I think he was less concerned with comfort, though, and more preoccupied with plotting his escape from the porcelain and tile Shawshank in which he'd found himself," Kevin wrote.

So the Tumlinsons can't keep him and are hoping another family can take him in.

If you're interested, contact Kevin.

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