A cat survived a five-mile round trip under the bonnet of a Vauxhall Astra on the school run after escaping from her home.

Four-year-old pet Rose was discovered when David King, 65, popped his hood to do an oil check after dropping his grandson at school in Minster.

Mr King’s wife Tina, 67, said: “He came running in shouting for me to come have a look. I thought whatever’s wrong?

“What I didn’t expect to see was two eyes staring back at him from a ball of fluff. We weren’t even sure it was alive.

“I gently prodded it with a stick to check it was breathing and saw it was a terrified little cat.

“It reversed even further into the engine and was stuck.

“I tried to reach it but it was too far down and there wasn’t any way I could coax it out. My husband couldn’t touch it as he’s allergic to cats.”

Rose is usually an indoor-only pet and was later reunited with her owner, Mr King’s neighbour Allison Webster, 48, after a rescue by Cats Protection.

Mr and Mrs King, who live in Berridge Road, had initially called their roadside assistance service.

When they were unable to help they rang a local vet, who suggested that they try Cats Protection.

Kim Braysher, welfare team leader at Cats Protection’s Swale Branch, then came to Rose’s rescue.

“When we opened the bonnet, we saw two wide eyes staring back at us,” she said.

“She was understandably frightened and trembling. She must have been petrified all the time the car was driving on the busy school run.”

Ms Braysher said they tried to calm Rose but she “backed away, burying herself deeper into the engine cavity”.

They then jacked the car up and took off a front wheel off so Ms Braysher could reach in from underneath and was able to free the cat.

Rose had a microchip, and Ms Braysher was able to trace her owner, despite the contact number being out of date, by driving to the registered address which was nearby.

Ms Webster said of Rose’s adventure: “On Monday morning, I thought she was asleep in my son’s bedroom on his windowsill but I felt something was wrong after he left for school and she never appeared.

“She always gallops around the house after being fed, so I was surprised but relieved when I answered the door to Cats Protection.

“Rose is my family and she had quite an experience with all that she went through. She must have been so afraid when the car was moving along the roads.

“I feel so blessed that she had Cats Protection as well as a lovely couple who were willing and able to bring Rose home to me.”

Ms Webster said that Rose appeared unscathed by her ordeal, and that her microchip details have been updated.

“Rose is back to galloping around the house as if nothing happened but I’m pretty sure she has used up one of her nine lives,” said Ms Webster.

“Bless her, she’s a very lucky cat and I’m lucky to have her.”