Most mechanics have seen a few strange things inside airboxes, including leaves and maybe an acorn or two. But cat food? That’s a new one, at least until a couple took to TikTok to share their discovery of what was nestled inside the new air filter in their Toyota Tacoma.
The auto enthusiast community jumped in with plenty of theories upon seeing the clip that’s been viewed more than 37,000 times.
“Okay. I've never seen this happen before,” TikTokker Momwowwowmom (@momwowwowmom) says as her husband pulls out the air filter to reveal a handful of kitty kibble scattered around the air filter housing chamber. “When he opened it the first time, it had a bundle of cat food in there, like a whole bunch… So, how is the cat food getting there?”
The 2020 Toyota Tacoma had been performing acceptably in terms of fuel economy, but the husband believed the mileage could be better given that the truck was frequently towing a boat. After reading suggestions online about upgrading to a “high-performance” air filter, he installed a replacement and soon after popped open the truck’s air filter housing chamber or air-box to find not just the used filter but a total surprise: a clump of cat kibble. What followed was a second inspection showing even more cat food fragments lodged around the filter chamber.
What Creature Is Causing the Problem?
When the clip began attracting views and comments, members of the automotive and maintenance community quickly chimed in. One respondent claimed, “I used to see that all the time… auto tech/shop owner/operator,” referring to rodent-related debris inside airboxes. Others volunteered similar experiences: acorns in the airbox, nests by the cabin air filter, and shredded insulation behind the hood. Such anecdotes hint at a broader pattern rather than a one-off oddity.
What appeared at first glance was a question of “how did cat food get in the airbox?” was more accurately a case of rodent activity inside the intake system. Airbox filters and housings can serve as convenient stashing spots for mice, rats or squirrels in colder months, especially in vehicles parked for long periods in wooded or debris-rich environments.
Disposable food items such as pet kibble, seeds, or acorns often turn up in these areas because rodents are attracted to the shelter and ready access to food. One forum observes, “There are large cowl drain areas behind each wheel. Lots of openings for mice to get in the air intake system—once in they encounter the cabin air filter then they chew a hole in one edge of a fold and wiggle through.”
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Meanwhile, open access paths such as drain holes behind the cowl or unscreened intake ducts can invite small animals.
Such rodent intrusion is not trivial. While kibble in a filter may first elicit a laugh or a double take, the long-term consequences can be serious. Restricted airflow in the engine intake can reduce performance or increase fuel consumption, while nests or food stores near wiring harnesses pose fire or malfunction risks as rodents chew through insulation. Vehicle owners have reported engine-bay chew damage, malfunctioning sensors, and even burnt wiring, sometimes leading to repair bills in the hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Gallery: 2020 Toyota Tacoma: First Drive
Why Preventing Rodent Invasions is Crucial
For drivers of modern trucks like the Tacoma, proactive inspection can avert such problems. With every filter-service or seasonal maintenance stop, it’s wise to peer into the air-filter housing and check for unfamiliar detritus, nesting material or food fragments.
While the original TikTokers may not have had a rodent “invasion” as dramatic as some reports, the discovery of cat food alone signals a breach of the intake zone that merits attention. Preventative steps can include ensuring food items such as pet food and birdseed are not stored near the vehicle, parking in cleaner areas if possible, and installing fine mesh screens or covers on intake openings.
In the end, the couple’s predicament may be amusing in its oddity, but it underscores a broader truth of garage-maintenance: what starts out as kibble in the airbox can escalate into real mechanical risk if unchecked.
As one commenter put it, “You have mice! … We found out too late… Thought a coil went out, so went ahead and changed all 8… $900 later and still had same misfire error! … Took off top… found one of the fuel-injector wires had been chewed in half.”
The takeaway for Toyota Tacoma drivers, and anyone who owns a vehicle that sits, tows, or lives near wildlife habitat, is that the air-filter chamber is not just dust-catcher number one. It can also be the way rodents move in, stash supplies and ultimately wreck havoc. That handful of cat food may just be the wake-up call your engine bay needs.
Motor1 reached out to the creator via direct message and online comment. We’ll be sure to update this if they respond.
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