my 7 yr old cat petrified of plastic grocery bags

[kaoK'okung]

Hello all my fellow cat lovers, been quite awhile since I have participated in this awesome website. I hope all are well.

Anyways, when my 7 yr old male cat, Sombrero was 7 months old he got a plastic shopping bag caught around his neck and thankfully I was home because it FREAKED him out!! He ran around my apartment desperately trying to get it off, frantically running into furniture, etc... I had to jump on him to capture him and remove the bag.

He to this day is deathly afraid of them and runs and hides whenever I bring home groceries.

I would love to ease his stress from this any suggestions???

Thanks for your time and Happy Thanksgiving.

[Karen]

Awww, maybe you can gradually desensitize him to them. Can you take one, cut the handles off so there is no danger and set a dew treats on it? Or carry one into a too where he is, and pull out a toy to give him? We need him to associate them with happy emotions! It may take some time, but I bet you can do this!

[kaoK'okung]

I have tried that yes, I bring a bag around and crinkle it up and make noise with it as he runs at just the sound and it seems to help and then the next time I bring home groceries he takes off and hides.

His brother Zorro on the other hand LOVES the damn things as it is one of his favorite toys lol.

[maid25cats]

I keep those re-useable fabric bags in my truck and an insulate bag.
I still get the plastic bags in the store but you can but the plastic ones inside the re-useable ones.
The insulated one I keep for anything refrigerated and they hold ALOT

The insulated one also fits a pizza box too. Keeps the pizza hot till I get home

[phesina]

Good idea would be to cut the handles of all of those bags after you bring them home, so the same thing would never happen to any of your kitties again.

[Jessika]

Definitely cut the handles to the bags after bringing them in to avoid a potential strangulation hazard.

I'll be willing to bet that it is the SOUND of the bags (rustling) moreso than the bags themselves. Most cats are curious about plastic bags, I've even been told there is a chemical in plastic bags that is similar to a phermone (hence why so many cats are attracted to them), but when he went to investigate the bag, got it stuck around his neck, and couldn't get out... the sound of the bag freaked him out.

Can you switch to using reusable paper or cloth bags, and ditch the plastic altogether?

[kaoK'okung]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

I will try the paper bags and see what happens and it is definitely the sound of the bags that freaks Sombrero out, oddly enough I caught him playing with the plastic bag the same way his brother, Zorro, does.... Go figure....

I guess it fits his personality as his nickname is "Nut"... lol...