Cat got stuck in my Cybertruck, survives with 8 lives! - Video added

[ARMANDO PADILLA]

This is one of those things that you just can't predict would happen. But yes, something should be done, made or invented to prevent that from happening to owners with curious pets. But they're probably just looking for a warm place to hide.

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[CT_AZ_4x4]

Alright, problem solved. After calling Tesla support, their only solution was to take the vehicle into service center, but they did say under an emergency situation they would work with it right away, which is good to know. I removed the bed cover exposing the air compressor and air tank for the suspension and there is a small plastic cover separating the area where the vault cover rolls up. I could immediately see my cat trying to escape. After several attempts to pull back the plastic enough for her to escape and removing some screws, which didn't really do anything, I finally pulled back the plastic and reached in and pulled her out by the fur. She let out a whelp but I was able to pull the full grown cat out. My eight year old daughter is elated and all is good again.

While the bed floor/cover was removed, I could see the vault cover storage area is not fully enclosed on the sides. Not sure why this is the case, but an animal can get in through the opening in the wheel area and make its way back to that open cavity. I guess it is like a roach motel, animals can check in but they can't check out. LOL

So glad you found a solution! Dad is a hero to his 8-year old! All is right with the world!

 

[getsometom]

Wow, what an experience. I'm glad you were able to get the cat out. Hopefully someone from Tesla can make some changes to prevent this from happening to others.

 

[cybercricket]

I park mine in the open in a rural location, so it is inevitable that little furry assholes will try to build a nest there. Happens with every single piece of equipment I own. Hoping for some kind of long-term fix...

 

[jameskk]

Wow, what an experience. I'm glad you were able to get the cat out. Hopefully someone from Tesla can make some changes to prevent this from happening to others.

Cybertruck lead engineer Wes has watched this video... see screenshot from X:

 

[tcmeyers]

A similar issue has been discussed here before:

Kid dropped iPad down tonneau cover slit.

The solution was to remove the bed floor, 10 bolts (15mm socket).

The procedure is here:

https://service.tesla.com/docs/Cybe...UID-5454FCCE-7BE6-404F-86A1-5D54D4A1438A.html

NOTE: the bolts are differing lengths!

Good tonneau.

 

[CyberGus]

Good tonneau.

I see what you did there

 

[Crissa]

Yes, I believe so. In fact, I did try to open the cover and once it started rolling up it must have hit my cat because the motor detected resistance and I heard the cat moving around rapidly then the cover reversed direction and closed itself. That is how I knew she was in that cavity.

Wow! At least it didn't crush the kitty. They're not very... uhh... Solid.

Glad you were able to retrieve the cat. Going to have a more detailed teardown for anything less cooperative, tho...

Hotel California! And reason #134,699 why dogs are better than cats.

You have apparently never met my neighbor's rat-catcher or the labs kitty-corner. They're squeeze artists.

-Crissa

 

[firsttruck]

This is one of those things that you just can't predict would happen.

AHHHH. NO

This WAS very PREDICTABLE.

Small & medium size animals climbing into the under spaces of consumer vehicles has probably been happening for over a 100 years.

Luckily for original poster it was only the poster's own cat and no permanent damage caused.
Animals can cause several thousands dollars of damage to a vehicle and it is not just a rural problem.

Animals which get into vehicle under spaces can chew wires, tubes, hoses, coolant lines, brake lines, air filters, and more. Also animals pissing on electrical components or air intakes or air filters.

We even had discussions on this forum as far back as 2020
https://www.cybertruckownersclub.com/forum/threads/wire-eating-rats.687/

 

[firsttruck]

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.....
But yes, something should be done, made or invented to prevent that from happening to owners with curious pets. But they're probably just looking for a warm place to hide.

If a house cat can get into spaces under Cybertruck then squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, rabbits, marmots, martens, groundhogs, and others rodents will easily fit.

It is possible the reason the cat went into the area is because it smelled the scent of rodents that had also previously explored the cavity.

Not putting screens to cavities is a big oversight for vehicle that might be heavily uses in rural areas.

With supposed all the best engineers and tons of computer design & simulation, why was such basic obvious intrusion prevention not designed in?


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Ford Freestyle Owner Creates Unique Solution To Restrict Cats From Entering Car
2022 Feb
RushLane Facebook page

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Rabbit chewed 900 dollars non-warranty covered holes in my new 2022 VW Jetta.
2022
r/Volkswagen
reddit

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* In some spots on vehicle, instead of electrical wires or brake lines with only rubber/plastic flex outer cover, need lines with outer metal braiding.

1. Dog (8 month) chewed brake lines.
2. Porcupine chewed up the front brake lines.
started by Justin85, Jul 21, 2019.
Discussion in '3rd Gen. Toyota Tacomas (2016-2023)'
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/dog-chewed-brake-lines.620443/

.....
Jul 21, 2019
#1
Justin85 ( Arkansas USA )
Visit my sister and family and left my truck parked in their driveway while we went out in their vehicle. Come back home and their 8 month old German shorthaired pointer is chilling in the shade under my truck. Didn't think anything about it cause its hot and dogs like shade. Get in the truck with the kids yesterday morning and I the dash is lit up with lights for the brakes and the abs sensors. When I pressed to brakes I could hear spraying under the truck and knew immediately what had happened. Damn dog chewed the brake line up and tore the abs sensor wire in half. Long story short my truck is now sitting at Toyota of Fayetteville waiting on parts that won't be here at least until Tuesday and they are looking at $750 of repairs plus the $100 tow bill.

.....
Jul 21, 2019
#14
SunRunner ( Pennsylvania, USA )
I parked my old Forester at a trail head parking lot and went for a 3 day backpacking trip some years ago. When we returned to the car, we discovered a porcupine had chewed up the front brake lines, as well as some coolant lines. Quills were the evidence left behind. Turned out to be roughly $1k in damage.

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I am experiencing a problem with the brake lines on my work vehicles being sabotaged by animals (I am assuming rats but could be squirrels or foxes, I have no idea) it is getting expensive not to mention dangerous
28th February 2020
(Ascot, Berkshire)
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=135&t=1857251

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Rabbits are chewing the wires under many cars costing owners a lot of money. The rabbits get in and chew the brake lines, the clutch lines and other wiring. Local car repair shops estimates they can do thousands of dollars in damage.
Rabbits Wreaking Havoc On Cars At DIA.
Travelers have a warning for drivers who park their cars near Denver International Airport (DIA).
January 25, 2013
CBS Colorado
https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/rabbits-wreaking-havoc-on-cars-at-dia/


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Foxes blamed for motorists’ severed brake cables
2016 Jun
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/02/foxes-blamed-chewing-motorists-brake-cables

Drivers in Tunbridge Wells (UK) have been left outraged after hungry foxes apparently chewed through the brake cables of several cars. Kent police have now warned drivers to check their brakes before setting off on journeys.

Officers called on wildlife expert John Bryant to determine whether there was an explanation other than deliberate damage to six vehicles in the second half of May. He concluded that a family of teenage fox cubs, rather than a human vandal, had gnawed through the brake cables.

“It is a pretty rare occurrence, but you do get a couple of cases every year. It is the cubs who are teenage hooligans now, so they are up to all sorts,” Bryant said. “They get under cars and snap away at all the cables when they are hyped up.”

A Kent police spokesman said an expert had confirmed that the damage was not caused by humans. “Foxes, especially cubs at this time of year, are known to rest under vehicles, and can chew through pipes. There is no evidence at this stage to suggest the damage was deliberately caused by a person.

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‘Frenzied’ foxes cause multi-thousand pound damage in Horsham car attacks.
Young foxes have chewed through vehicles’ brake cables and electrical wires and have left surrounding pavements strewn with faeces and vomit.
Published 4th Oct 2021
By Sarah Page
https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/new...d-pound-damage-in-horsham-car-attacks-3406405

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Mice chewing through brake line .. WTF?
Mar 8, 2007
https://www.bimmerfest.com/threads/mice-chewing-through-brake-line-wtf.193151/

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My dog's new chew toy - chewed the wiring harness for the tail lights and chewed through my aftermarket trailer light connector.
Mar 9, 2011
Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by stormyday
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/my-dogs-new-chew-toy.144868/


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E locker wiring headache - My fucking dogs chewed up my e locker and ABS sensor wiring.
E locker wiring pretty much cut gnawed off right at the plug and a good 2 ft of ABS Wiring (blue and white) missing. Anybody had a similar situation? I cant
Sep 15, 2015
Discussion in '2nd Gen. Tacomas (2005-2015)' started by ukaboy
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/e-locker-wiring-headache.391484/

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Cat peeing in car air vents. Please help?!
Please Help! Our neighbour's cats are peeing/spraying on our car every night. They are doing it on the air vents among other places. Needless to say the stench inside the car every morning is terrible.
reddit

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[MetalBonsai]

Good tonneau.

Cybertruck Pun of the Year Award nominee.

 

[M0unt41nm4n]

Oh No. I was worried about this kind of thing. I was hoping Cybertruck would be more resistant to animals finding places to hide.

If a house cat can get into spaces under Cybertruck then squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, rabbits, marmots, martens, groundhogs, foxes, and others rodents will easily fit.

There is a fix for that.... as a guy who lives in the mountains (imagine that) you need 2 items:

https://www.qcsupply.com/motomco-tomcat-outpost-bait-station.html

and

https://www.amazon.com/Tomcat-Bait-Chunx-Pail-LB/dp/B005BV0DD2

Put that out below your truck. After about 4 days, all your problems will be resolved. Trust me... it works!

 

[cybercricket]

There is a fix for that.... as a guy who lives in the mountains (imagine that) you need 2 items:

https://www.qcsupply.com/motomco-tomcat-outpost-bait-station.html

and

https://www.amazon.com/Tomcat-Bait-Chunx-Pail-LB/dp/B005BV0DD2

Put that out below your truck. After about 4 days, all your problems will be resolved. Trust me... it works!

I have 3 of those (literally that trap and that bait) setup around the house. I have seen some dead mice near them, but I also regularly hear mice doing their nasty business behind the drywall. There are just way too many of them in the country. Same will happen with the truck, assuming it's even practical to keep those traps underneath it. Additionally like others mentioned there are chipmunks and squirrels, which technically we don't want to kill. I haven't seen opossums or skunks getting into the equipment before, but given a cat can get in those will fit too.

 

[M0unt41nm4n]

I have 3 of those (literally that trap and that bait) setup around the house. I have seen some dead mice near them, but I also regularly hear mice doing their nasty business behind the drywall. There are just way too many of them in the country. Same will happen with the truck, assuming it's even practical to keep those traps underneath it. Additionally like others mentioned there are chipmunks and squirrels, which technically we don't want to kill. I haven't seen opossums or skunks getting into the equipment before, but given a cat can get in those will fit too.

Buy more!!!!!

 

[cybercricket]

Buy more!!!!!

At that point it might be more effective just to stick a cat into the CT on purpose and keep it there.

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