Cat found in fan shroud in engine bay-loud thud!

One of my cat's kitty evidently crawled into my Taco's engine bay Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.

When I started up my rig, after 2 or 3 seconds I heard a loud bang or thud. Then, another loud bang or metallic thud 2 or 3 secs later. The engine then sounded normal and I drove to do errands around town.

I parked my Taco at the end of the day Thursday and didn't try to restart it until this Sunday morning. I immediately smelled the odor of death. I left the engine running and popped the hood to investigate. I saw the radiator fan slowly spinning and then I spotted the dead cat wedged between the fan and the shroud.

I then turned off the engine and closed the hood. I drove to church in my sedan.

Upon my return home, I struggled but finally managed to finagle the cat between the fan blades and the shroud. Poor kitty! I gave him a proper burial in my backyard.

My concern is the loud this or bangs. How do I test the normal operation of the radiator fan? I was concerned to see the fan just slowly spinning this morning when I discovered the dead cat in my engine bay.

Should I just drive my Tacoma and monitor the temp gauge?

I have an upcoming 4 hour trip to Houston later this week and am unsure about the Tacoma's roadworthy condition.

I'd like to avoid taking it to the dealership as it is out of warranty.

Thanks for any advice!

 

Engine off, spin fan blade for cracks & missing pieces. Inspect fan clutch if bent (kinda doubtfull). Check that belt is not dislodged from any pulleys. See if and how many rad fins are bent shut. A few won't matter much and can be straightened.

If all checks out, drive it and keep an eye on things for a while.