A cat died after becoming trapped in the mechanism of a reclining chair. Apparently, the cat’s owner was adjusting the chair while watching television. Kent Fire and Rescue were called out to Vincent Gardens, Sheerness, and around 6:30 pm on Sunday. The cat’s owner found her beloved cat trapped in the chair’s mechanism.
She had sat down on the chair not knowing that her cat was beneath it. She was adjusting the mechanism so that it became more upright which strangled her cat.
The lady was unable to readjust the chair to release her cat and so she called the fire service. They freed the cat but it was too late. Kent Fire and Rescue said:
“This isn’t the first…we would like to advise pet owners to check their chairs before moving them.”
I would go further than that. I would suggest that if anybody is a cat caretaker they should not purchase a reclining chair. That is the best preventative solution. If they have to buy a reclining chair because of mobility problems it is essential to always check underneath the chair before they use it. It is genuinely a very serious hazard in the home for domestic cats.
When I visited a very well-known Savannah Cat breeder in America I noticed that they had a reclining chair. It was a very good looking reclining chair in point of fact. The kittens were being socialised in the living room which is commonplace for breeders. This allows the kittens to become adjusted to meeting people and visitors.
One of the kittens was underneath the recliner and I mentioned this to the breeder telling her that I thought the item of furniture was dangerous. She agreed with me but did nothing about it. She told me that a visitor – I think he was a builder – had not long ago crushed one of her Savannah cats inadvertently with his boot. That’s one life dramatically wasted. On a commercial basis that was about $4000 wasted as well.
See more articles on firefighters and reclining chairs by clicking on the links. Also dangers to cats is a tag containing lots of useful articles.
truly ANYTHING can be dangerous in your house if your NOT careful. i have mobility issues so i DO have a recliner, AND i have 2 cats(my Lex & my girlfriends cat Blake). i knew that it COULD become a problem in the beginning so i took steps to lessen the probability of incident. i blocked off all access to the underside of said couch by screwing wood to every opening i saw & wrapping a blanket in the 1 open area so i could still recline, cuz to me my Lex is more important than a couch no matter how comfy. i check/checked it before sitting down, & i spray/sprayed my kitties if they tried to go underneath the couch(which they dont anymore save on an off time, but i get them out before they get comfy). now im sorry cuz im sure some dont like the idea of spraying their cat. i love my kitties & i try to be as gentile & humane as possible with them while teaching them that going under the couch is NOT ok. ive provided them with many other alternatives, & over time theyve learned that they can go pretty much ANYWHERE they want to EXCEPT under the couch…& in the bathroom, but THATS another story. i dont think ANY animal belongs in THERE cuz meds, toilets, & cats dont mix even if they are “supervised”. i guess i just handle it kinda like the way i do with my kids. i figure if i take the time to train/teach them, & i stay consistent with those rules(cuz CONSISTANCY is the key with kids & animals), theyll learn & then theyll be safe. the problems i see happening are when WE, as caretakers, get/stay lazy in how we handle our responsibility to our animals. to me, it IS a responsibility, a very serious one, just as much as it is a total JOY. our cats deserve our our LOVE, our RESPECT, & our PROTECTION all the time. sorry for rambling, i just love my kitty, Lex, & the thought of ME allowing THAT to happen to him is as unconscionable as it is heart-wrenching.
A dear friend lost a special cat when her husband reclined his chair. I will never have one.
ME, thanks for that. It’s one more story of a cat killed in a recliner. They are deadly. The chair no doubt attracts cats to explore underneath where the mechanism is. The manufacturers should take some responsibility and modify the mechanics to make it safer.
I have a recliner, but only recline when my kitty is in my lap reclining with me. No one else uses it.
This happened when I reclined in my girlfriend’s chair (one end of the couch). I heard flopping underneath and immediately reversed action, whereby her cat cat running out. Luckily it was apparently just her fur that got caught, but it scared the cat and I. I said she should get rid of the couch… one of many arguments we had about cats. I soon moved with my cats (and hers’ as well… the same one), and “Allie” lived a long, safe life with me. Too often people learn the hard way what’s hazardous to cats, though I had indeed knew it was and it happened anyway. I agree with Michael again – it’s imperative NOT to have this kind of death trap in the home at all. That was 20 years ago for me and as I learned to think like a cat, I’ve helped them avoid many injuries or death. That’s the least we should do.