Kitten Survives Pit Bull Attack, Hides in Minivan Bumper

A 7-week-old kitten survived an attack by a pack of pit bulls and gained a ride from Banning to Palm Springs by hiding inside the bumper of a minivan.

The vehicle didn't fare as well as the kitten, who was named "Fender-Lynx" after her adventure.

Here's the feline survivor's story, according to Palm Springs police: An unidentified resident of Banning went out to his Dodge minivan Monday morning to find the vehicle's bumper torn apart, and a tire flattened, as shown in the photo below.

The culprit: the vehicle owner's four pit bulls, which the man assumed had been trying to get at something hiding somewhere under the hood.

"He figured that there was a maybe a rodent or an animal in there," Palm Springs police Sgt. Mike Kovaleff said.

The man changed the tire and drove to work – 25 miles – in Palm Springs. When he got out of the car, he heard mewing from the front of the vehicle.

Palm Springs police were called just after 9 a.m., and an animal control officer eventually dismantled the bumper after about 40 minutes of work.

In a hollow space inside, the officer found the kitten, a brown American shorthair tabby. She was taken to a nearby animal hospital, where she was found to be in good health.

"The kitten had successfully survived the pit bull attack and the 25 mile drive to Palm Springs from Banning," a press release from the Palm Spring Police Department read.

The young feline's name was selected for the following reason, according to the police release: "'Fender,' for area where she was rescued from and 'Lynx' based on the Lynx-like appearance of the tufts on her ear tips."

The kitten is available for pre-adoption from the Palm Spring Animal Shelter beginning Saturday for a fee of $20. To contact the shelter, call 760-416-5718.

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