Kitten survives attack as four pit bulls maul minivan

A stray kitten crawled into a minivan's engine compartment to escape four attacking pitbulls, then survived a 25-mile drive, authorities said.

Palm Springs police said the minivan's owner found his vehicle with a flat tire and numerous scratches across the front bumper that had been caused by his dogs. He changed the flat tire, then drove to Palm Springs.

Later, he found the kitten hidden in a hollow area of the front bumper, police told the Desert Sun newspaper.

The kitten was rescued by an animal control officer, who spent 40 minutes trying to remove the bumper, the paper reported.

Animal control officers named the 7-week-old feline Fender-Linx. She is available for adoption at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter.

"'Fender' for the area where she was rescued from and 'Lynx' based on the Lynx-like appearance of the tufts on her ear tips," Sgt. Mike Kovaleff told the Banning-Beaumont Patch.

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