TINSEL the kitten is looking for a new home after popping up under the bonnet of a car in Bridport.

It’s thought that the moggy may have hitched a ride from Chard to the Motorwell garage with salesman Kevin Mason.

Kevin got a shock when he opened the bonnet of his car at the garage to find Tinsel tucked away in the engine compartment.

Now staff at Bredy vets in Bridport are looking after the tabby as they try to find its owners or give it a new home.

Receptionist Emma O’Dowd said: “They opened up the bonnet and out popped the cat.

“They don’t know whether the cat has come from Chard or Bridport.

“But we have had no one ring in to claim it and I don’t think they have had any luck trying to find its owner.

“It is a beautiful tabby kitten with white bib and feet and she is really friendly.

“We think she is about six months old but has no collar and no chip.

“She looks well.

“It is not that she hasn’t got a home and we have perhaps got people who could re-home her but it is really early days.

“Someone is going to be devastated because she is a lovely little thing.”

Kevin is not sure whether the friendly tabby hitched a ride from Chard where he lives or tucked itself in the engine compartment while the car was at the Bridport garage.

Fellow salesman Tony Hawkins said: “Kevin opened up the bonnet to top up his washer fluid and the cat jumped out.

“He came in and said he’d just found a cat under his bonnet.

“We obviously then had to try and catch it and after about ten minutes of running around the forecourt and it hiding under vehicles because it was really scared and disorientated, I managed to grab it.

“We brought it in and gave it some Felix and a saucer of milk and it seemed quite happy.”

Mr Hawkins phoned the RSPCA and Cats Protection and was advised to take it to Bredy vets, which he did.

He added: “We thought we ought to try and catch it because of the busy road and the petrol station next door.

“We have no idea how it got there but we are guessing it must have got under the vehicle and where the engine was warm clambered up thinking it was a nice place to sleep and got rudely awoken when Kevin opened the bonnet.”

Staff at Bredy vets checked the cat over before giving her a suitably festive name, Tinsel.

Call Bredy vets with information about Tinsel’s owners on 01308 456771.