Re: Dangers to our cats

Having just read about the cat who is very poorly through being in contact with that lovely looking flower the lily just makes you stop & think about what dangers there are to our spoilt "house cats"some very obvious some not.No doubt the owner is making herself feel very guilty & wouldn't we all,as far as we can we try to forsee any dangers for our animals & eliminate them but here is one unforseen problem that I had ,never heard of it before & may not again,hopefully.
A few months ago there was the most terrible scream from the room where the cats sleep when we opened the door five of the cats were just huddled shaking on the floor & Merlyn the big silver boy was hanging head down from the radiator,I thought he was dead,I rushed over & somehow his back legs had got trapped behind the radiator,trying to hold 10kgs high enough to work out how to get them out while all the while you feel pig sick & shaking is not very easy,hubby had gone to bits & was in a heap with the other cats,just as I was freeing his second leg he came round & I have never been so happy to get a super big cat bite on the hand,he couldn't walk & was semi paralysed for nearly a day but the vet said it was due to the nerves "going to sleep"on him from being in that position & also how he would have wrenched himself when the accident happened.
Thing is how did it happen,how many of us have radiators under the windowsill & how many cats jump on & off said windowsill all day long & do you ever see the threat of an accident,the room where it happened the top of the radiator is only about four inches from the windowsill so how he managed to get even his toe behind it let alone the whole of both legs we will never know,I now have a blanket tucked along the top of both that & the sitting room radiator,very glamorous but.....It took longer for the other cats & us to recover from the shock than Merl.

I think it's much the same with our kids. Unfortunately you can't wrap them all in cotton wool.... no matter how much you want to.

I've got some branches in the cat run, and dh suggested I remove them just in case one of them falls on them. the branches are mainly horizontal, so I thought I might just cut off any branches sticking up. I think the cats will enjoy running up and down the branches.

I agree,the cats love things to run around & climb on the branches have to stay just get rid of any obvious dangers & as for children I reckon there is a few out there who have been stuck up trees,me included in my teenage years,I do think with all this health & safety nowadays things are going a bit too far but we will try & keep our two & four legged family as safe as we can by using good old fashion common sense & a blanket or two on the radiators !

yes commonsense seems to be forgotten..

Poor Merlyn :sad1: we think thats how our old MC broke his back leg when he was nearly 1&half, there had been fireworks going off all week & he used to sit on the bedroom window sill watching, there must have been one very loud & spooked him & he got his leg stuck between the radiator & the wall :sad1: he had to have his leg pined & wire wraped round the bone, crate rest for 6 weeks which was murder then the vet decided to take the pin out as he was still growing. He recoverd very well & the only thing that seemed to bother him was being caged, even when he went to have his stitches out after 7-10 days (not sure was a long time ago) the vet said "Oh just take the lid off the carrier he wont jump out or anything" he had'nt had much dealing with MC's Milo just leapt straight out & made himself comfortable round the vets neck :rofl:

Thats a very good idea jckkerrison Im off to find towels as the radiators are under windows here to & I worry about Louie doing the same thing :sad2: but he seems more interested in scaleing the curtains at the moment :LOL:

That really was something that I had never thought about, but a great idea about putting towels down. Harry like Louie seems to like climbing the curtains :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by harrymc

That really was something that I had never thought about, but a great idea about putting towels down. Harry like Louie seems to like climbing the curtains :)

---

lets just hope its their age or there is going to be some serious wall damage when there bigger :LOL:

makes me glad we don't have radiators....

Just a question... but wouldn't the towels at the back of the radiators cause a fire? We're always warned to keep things like that away from heaters.

re: Dangers / Poisonous things etc..

[ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Maine-Coon-Complete-Owners-Manual/dp/0764134027/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270099287&sr=1-1"]Maine Coon Cats (Complete Pet Owner's Manual): Amazon.co.uk: Carol Daly: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61F26SKXX0L.@@AMEPARAM@@61F26SKXX0L[/ame]

Maine Coon Cats (Complete Pet Owner's Manual)
Currently £4.32 on Amazon and imo.. well worth a read when you consider that your kitten has likely cost close to 1/100th of that.
Not the most amazingly detailed of books but it does give a good overview and also gives info on plants / items / safety with MCs.

I agree scrapdragon some heaters you would not be able to do this to but the solid radiators on brackets that we have are fine,one they never get that hot {or at least mine don't they are only a bit of back up to main fire} & two you are only covering the gap between wall & brackets if it was blocking air vents or a fire hazard wouldn't do it,I would get rid of radiators rather than risking my cats like that again & use the blankets to wrap round me for the extra warmth instead.....

Ok... now I understand. We don't have radiators so that's why I didn't really understand. We just have a fire.

Hi Scrapdragon,just looked to see where you come from,now I understand,think we have been there before with radiator beds ! Perhaps the answer to my problem would be to pack up & ship out to your area where radiators are not required.

:rofl: no radiators are never required... it's usually coolers....

We've only had one scrape with Lucius but it was scary. He took to climbing on the clothes horse and balancing between the struts then lying down (something only an MC could do I'm sure.) We were always a bit nervous and would shoo him down, but then one day our backs were turned, and we heard a scuffle then the most horrible shriek and growl, and the poor thing was hanging upside down with his legs caught on the struts and desperately shaking himself to get down. We quickly released him and it obviously scared him as he has not been on there since. Gave us a fright too :(

Don't these mainecoons seem to be good at getting themselves into trouble & end up hanging upside down ?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jckkerrison

Don't these mainecoons seem to be good at getting themselves into trouble & end up hanging upside down ?

---

Yes :rofl: that must be why they are called the clowns of the cat world by some people :rofl:

How easily accidents happen. This morning Simba was playing very happily with a large paper bag with string handles from Shepherd and Woodward. He was enjoying himself so much I let him play then suddenly I saw him panicking - he had put his head through the string handle and couldn't pull it out again so starting twisting his body round making the string handle tighter and tighter. Luckily I was there and quickly dived on him to stop him turning any more. I had to hold him quite tightly while I got the string off around his neck which by this time was quite tight. He didn't thank me and I have scratches and bite marks all over one hand but there is no question if I had not been there he would have strangled himself. Nothing is safe is it! The bag is now in the bin and yesterday I put blankets over the top of my radiators and I have gotten rid of most of my house plants but I feel like you can't take your eyes off them.

I have that book Tomian - got it before we got Simba - it is quite good but not very informative.

Chill Karena they are like children& will always be a step ahead of us & they are really nosey aren't they,nothing is sacred with them from getting your knickers out of the laundry basket to pinching things out of a visitors handbag,their heads get into everything,as Louie-Louie says they are clowns of the cat world & that is why we love them soooo much & have plenty of fun with them.Very pleased that Simba is ok but sorry about your scratches although no doubt you are like me & just pleased to bear the scars from the rescue.
Just trying to picture your house at the moment with things getting chucked out or covered up & thats only in a couple of days,now who is going to dare bring you an Easter Lily in a lovely carier bag & pop it on top of the radiator....!

Our clown has just fell in the loo :pissed: we had friends round earlier & I forgot to check the lid was down DOH! hopefully that will teach him but I have a theory on that :LOL:

So glad Simba's ok I think we need to find some where that can sell us eyes for the back of our heads :LOL:

Oh no lol, poor louie-louie, can picture the scene ! Harry has done this too, luckily he's ok with having a bath ! Glad Simba is ok Karena, something similar happened to Benson (poppy's kitten that died last year) he was in to everything and was playing with a bag but a sainsbury's carrier bag he was having great fun until his head got stuck through the handles he freaked out and ran around the house with it around his neck of course never getting away from it. Luckily we were here and had to chase him around. Every time after that if I came in from shopping he would see the bags and run like mad !

YIKEES Ive just had a terrible thought good job we dont have a toliet block thingy or he would have dunked himself in bleach :sad2:

Thats why I love this forum,a lot of the mishaps generally come round to something that give you the giggles & here we are left with the image of a cat that could have given itself highlights..!
Happy Easter & fingers crossed a fun and accident free one with our furries x

lot of close calls there... glad they're all ok but.

i've been at the kids for months now to make sure they put the seat down and close the toilet door... still not sinking in so I'm sure gryfn will fall in at some stage.

I've seen the cats head in the shopping bag, so I know to put these away from reach...

It is scary when you think about all the things that can go wrong!!!.

Sarah got her head caught in a plastic bag handle - I had just put it down for a sec. She went screaming around the house and outside and luckily it ripped and she got out of it herself ( saved me the scratches)

I too dont have radiators and by the sounds of it I am grateful. I have gas fire and ducted cooling, neither of which the cats can get in trouble with.

I am just about to put the toilet seats down as well - thanks for that