Gym Bag Danger

**Lennie B.** · 06-14-2002, 06:25 PM

Something happened to one of my sister's cats the other day (she's one of Vinny's littermates) that I think I should share. Prudence is a very inquisitive little girl whose curiousity leads her into all kinds of interesting places, such as closets. The other morning my sister and her husband were sitting in their livingroom when they heard a commotion in the bedroom. Before they could investigate, Prudence came streaking out of the bedroom with a gym bag handle wrapped around one of her hind legs. She made a frenzied dash for the chesterfield and tried to crawl underneath it, but the bag was too large to follow her and she had to stop. At this point they were able to grab her, but she went absolutely berserk and started to yowl. Ray held her front end while my sister tried to free her from the bag, the handle of which was wrapped tightly around the top of one of her hind legs. After what seemed like an eternity, she was able to release the leg, but not before the frantic Prudence had inflicted about 8 deep bites and numerous scratches on Ray's hands. She was none the worse for wear (except for the fact that she lost a lot of fur) but Ray needed antibiotics and a tetanus shot. Who would have thought a gym bag would pose a danger?

**moosmom** · 06-14-2002, 07:26 PM

Lennie,

It's amazing how many things around the house can pose a danger or health hazard to our pets.

My cat got a Filene's shopping bag with the plastic handles caught around her neck. She ran around my aparment with her eyes bugged out, terrified because the handles were tightening around her neck. It was a good thing I was home at the time.

Another time one of my other cats got a plastic Stop & Shop bag caught around the waste. Again, this time it was my little Munchkin. Not only was she scared at the constriction around her belly, but the noise the plastic made simply horrified her.

Now I make sure all my plastic bags are put away in a drawer. I don't keep any paper bags with plastic handles in the house. I toss them.

Donna

**krazyaboutkatz** · 06-15-2002, 01:35 AM

One time my cat Storm got the handles of a gift bag stuck on his neck. Luckily I was home so I could quickly get it off of him. I also keep all bags hidden in a closet. Cats can be just like children. They can get into the darnest things so you need to get rid of or hide certain items from them.

06-15-2002, 07:57 AM

Moosmom , good thing to hide plastic bags !!
As soon as I come home from shopping , Sydney is turning around me , wanting to know what's in those noisy bags !!!!
He also has the bad habit to put his head all the way in the bag (for another big sniff !!) . So , as soon as all groceries are put away , the bags have to disappear too !!!! To dangerous !!!

http://community.webshots.com/user/sydneybilliepets

**wayne0214** · 06-15-2002, 06:23 PM

One day, and I believe it was Ophelia, who got her rear end and hind legs caught and tangled in a strip of cloth from a wool blanket that is suspended for a tent and cat toy. It has been there for many months. The strip of cloth from within the blanket was due to my furkids tearing a hole in one side. I don't understand how she could have gotten so tangled in it, but by the time I found her, she was frantic. Needless to say, I endured a few scratches, while I attempted to cut away the strip of wool cloth from her. Any way I got her free from the unlikely enganglement.

..........wayne

**yorkster** · 06-15-2002, 07:29 PM

My Wylie got a paper grocery bag (the kind they have now with the handles) caught around his neck. He ran around totally freaked-out, and by the time I caught him, he had managed to tighten it up around his neck

Everything turned out okay, but the funny part was that he so scared my other kitty Kedi by running into him at top speed several times (and it made ALOT of noise), that Kedi ran upstairs and hid under the bed for a good hour. After that, he would not come downstairs for days because of the 'big brown monster' we called it.

Another danger: CANDLES

My Kedi caught his tail on fire one time- luckely I was sitting right there to grab him and put it out!

**Lennie B.** · 06-15-2002, 07:43 PM

I think that Prudence would definitely have broken her leg or dislocated her hip if no-one had been around to help her. As it was, my sister had a devil of a time even locating the gym bag handle on her body- it is jet black and so is Prudence! I also heard a story one day (from one of my Grade Four students) that she went home one day to find that one of her kittens had stuck her head into a hole in a hockey net and had almost strangled herself! Luckily, the child discovered the situation in time to extricate the kitten and save her life.

**sootyandsplodge** · 06-24-2002, 03:51 PM

When we first got our two - they were about 6 months old - we were to about to turn the lights off and go to sleep when there was suddenly a commotion and something flew across the bed.

It was Splodge who had somehow become tangled in a plastic bag. We have a galleried bedroom and he flew right off the balcony down to the living room underneath.

By the time we made it downstairs he was out of the plastic bag and apparently OK, thought very shaken up - as were we!

But since then Splodge has been sensitive about one of his hips being touched and I wonder if he damaged it in the fall