Furby and Lola say practice safe laundry
Today I received an email from a friend who did the unthinkable. She killed her one year old cat. It wasn’t intentional. Her cat did what a lot of exploring cats do and climbed into her clothes dryer. My friend didn’t realize her cat was missing until it was too late. I totally sympathize with her as I have to do a head count at laundry time. Especially with my kittens who are fearless.
Just because your cat lives indoors doesn’t mean it is safe from accidents.
Her cat’s death got me to thinking about all of the accidental ways to kill a cat. At the end of this article, I’d like for the readers at pictures-of-cats.org to write in and let the readers know if I’ve missed anything.
At the top of the list is poisoning. Common household substances such as mothballs or antifreeze, houseplants or medication (pain relief) kept around the house can be deadly for a cat. So can foods such as raisins, grapes or artificial sweeteners. And it doesn’t take a large amount to prove fatal (Toxic to cats).
Another thing to watch out for is window blinds. Many cats like to climb them. They climb the cords as well as the blinds themselves. These can be a death trap if a cat maneuvers them wrong. Many cats have accidentally hanged themselves.
Recliner chairs can also be dangerous to an exploring cat. Cats like to hide under chairs. Unfortunately, the foot stool part of the chair can squish a cat if the cat is between the stool and the chair when the stool is being raised or lowered.
Car engines can also be deadly. I experienced this myself many years ago when I was caring for a white feral stray. I beat on the hood of the car as I’d always done. Perhaps my white kitten was deaf. All I know is a few seconds after I started the engine the kitten went running toward my doorsteps. I chased after it and picked it up. The fan belt had slung the poor baby to the ground. She died in a matter of a few seconds from blunt force head trauma. So readers, please be careful about cats and car engines.
Hot pans on the stove. Cats are curious about what we cook. Perhaps they want to be the first to sample the food. Just keep in mind a serious burn can cause an infection that can kill a cat.
Christmas trees also pose a danger to cats. Cats have been known to chew through the light wires and be killed by electrocution (cat swallows Christmas tree). Also chewing on ornaments or icicles can require surgery as both can cut the gastrointestinal system of a cat.
I happen to own a very accident prone cat. So far he’s fallen (and gotten stuck) behind the dryer, behind the stove and his head stuck in a hole in a banana box. I took out an insurance policy the first week I had him. I’d like to share that information with you as I researched MANY companies to find what I felt was the best cat insurance plan.
I pay a $15 premium and have a $50 deductible for each illness. After that the plan pays 100% up to $12,000. I know a lot of you don’t believe in having insurance on a pet, but I feel a lot safer knowing my accident prone baby does. I’ve also done a lot of stories about families whose pets have been seriously injured through animal abuse and the family has to struggle to pay the vet bills.
Please comment and let me know if I’ve missed anything. There are probably many more ways I've failed to mention. Please speak up if you know of any I missed.
I feel rather bad writing this article. First I tell the readers at PoC that outside life isn’t safe for their cats. Now here I go writing inside life can also be deadly!
Hopefully this article can save a cat’s life.
Elisa
Need a Cat first aid kit?
Good article! I am surprised nobody mentions aquariums. I am cat sitting a sphynx now and then that loooves the aquarium, it has a cover but she’ll go on top of it to be high up 😉 And I definitely don’t trust it to hold. If she were to fall into it, she most certainly could drown of exhaustion or hypothermia, it’s pretty deep. Given cats are attracted to the fishies, I’m sure aquariums are an issue (besides the fact you don’t want the fish to become snacks either).
Another thing we are always careful about.. sitting on her. Being a sphynx she is always looking to nap in blankets, and she’ll bury herself in there. That skinny little thing can disappear flat in the fluffs on a couch, and our big butts cannot lie.
I like the comment that refers to the mentality of “think cat”. It should be a mandatory exercise for anyone before getting a cat; the “who can find the most cat hazards in the environment” game.
Thanks for your comment. And aquariums should be in the article. I’ll have a look at that.
Thank you for writing this article so people can be aware of the common things that are dangerous for cats.
Purses or anything with cords that are hanging in closets. I came home from work about a month ago to find my beautiful 3 year old cat Mic Fuzzy Butt hanging from a purse strap in my closet I always shut the door but he could open them, drawers, windows and other doors. Nobody was home and he must of freaked out and was spinning cause the strap was wrapped tightly around his neck and I was to late. I never thought anything like that could happen I’ve heard of curtain blinds but never this I just wanted to tell my story so nobody ever has to go through what I just did. My heart is broken and I just wish I had been home to do something I’ll never get that image out of my head and I’ll never forget him he was the greatest cat ever and my dog’s best friend both of us miss him so much 💔. RIP Mic Fuzzy Butt I’ll never forget you.
OMG – your comment is very painful. Phew. That’s hard to take. May I use it to write another article on this subject to warn others? Are you the only person living in your home? If not did the other person object to your cat?
Yes you may anything that can inform other people of the dangers of common household items so this doesn’t happen to another person and I do live with my sister but she is just as heartbroken as I am we had had him since the day he was born from her cat ( anime ) who she had to put down last year from kidney issues so he was very special to both of us ( he was a lot like his mom 😔 who was also a great cat). We both wish someone had been home that day but we both work during the day so it’s been hard not to beat ourselves up over it. We are now going to close all our bedroom doors whenever we aren’t home once we do get another cat but that might be awhile still 😔💔