TOKYO >> Japan’s automobile industry has been calling on drivers to develop a strange habit before starting their cars: Knock on the car hood. It’s central to an initiative to shoo away cats that have climbed into the engine compartment, preventing injury to the animal as well as car trouble.

Nissan Motor Co. started the campaign “Neko Ban Ban” (“Knock Knock Cats”) in 2015, and since then, it’s become widely recognized, garnering more than 1 million posts on social media.

“With some extra compassion, we can save lives,” a Nissan spokesperson said.

In one instance of a cat hiding in an engine compartment, passersby in Yokohama in September gathered around a parked car when they heard mewing under its hood. They tried to reach the cat from under the vehicle and coax it out, but the cat stayed put.

After two hours, with the help of police, they found the car’s owner. When they opened the hood, a black kitten crawled out from a gap in the engine compartment and quickly dashed away.

“I have a cat, too, and I’m glad the kitten was saved,” one woman said with relief.

According to the Japan Automobile Federation, cats often climb into a warm engine compartment from under the car or sit on car tires to avoid the cold or rain. If the engine starts and the car moves, cats could get caught in moving parts or run over, and the car could be damaged. Last year, the federation received 284 calls in June alone to rescue cats.

Nissan has a dedicated website for the “Knock Knock Cats” campaign, and since Jan. 25, there were 1 million posts on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #NekoBanBan.

Mazda Motor Corp. reminds drivers in its owner’s manual to check for animals in and around the car.

The federation’s Kanagawa branch offered a few tips, including tapping the hood loudly, honking the horn, not moving the car immediately after starting the engine and using cat repellent near the car.