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I'm over on the Home boards asking about the contractor drama when I hear the dryer go on and all this thumping like there are tennis shoes in there. After a few min. I hear the dryer stop and then Hubby says in a weird voice that Gumbo was in the dryer. It took a moment to register, and then I was afraid to go look because Hubby was awfully quiet. I was on my way to go get my baby when she wobbled past me. It took a min. or two for her to walk correctly, and when we my son pulled out the kitty treats she went right up on her hind legs to get her treats so I think she's fine.
Moral of story: Check the dryer for cats before you start it; it could have been really bad for Gumbo if Hubby hadn't thought the tennis shoe sound was odd.
Over time I have read about cats getting killed in dryers. Your cat was very lucky. I had a friend (may she RIP) who killed her kitten when it got inside her recliner. She stood up and closed the recliner and .... poor kitty. On another forum a couple lost their cat in the slide-out mechanism in their motor home.
Hi, I just wanted to write because I don't know what to do either right now, there's nothing I can do. My husband just found our cat Sasha. I'm so upset I don't know how to sleep or feel. I feel horrible. I had no idea this happened all the time. I'd heard of it maybe once or twice but I didn't know it was common and I feel like such an idiot. I think the worste part is just knowing she couldn't possibly understand. It just makes me sick to my stomach. I know it's an sccident but I can't think of a stupider thing to do. I guess I can share you'r pain but I can't say it's not you'r fault like everyone else even though we know it was an accident it WAS our fault and it is a horrible thing to live with. I Love my cat soo much. The fact that she died because of me is just unbearable right now and I just feel like im this horrible idiot. I just wish so much that i had checked the dryer. I was throwing a jacket in the dryer that was allready full of clothes to get the hair off of it because i couldn't find a lint roller and I didn't see her. My husband found her the next day, today. I think right now i'm just too upset to know what to say.
I'm so very sorry, nina. I'm know it must be just an awful thing to live with. But I'm sure all of our cats have narrowly escaped a horrible accident at some time, maybe without us even knowing it. They're just so quick and so curious. Please try to forgive yourself. I know Sasha forgives you because she knows how much you loved her. RIP.
I always keep the dryer closed, so it hasn't been an issue.
Reminds me of another incident. Starting my truck on a
cold morning, I heard a horrible thumping and screaming
and I had a dead cat and a derailed fan belt under the
hood. I always bang on the hood and beep the horn now.
I was afraid to even read this thread. I'm glad that it turned out well for Gumbo. The fan belt thing is a real nightmare. Many cats die in like fashion, unfortunately.
Woa blast from the past seeing this post. Actually I'm glad to see it here. Gumbo was in the dryer two days ago. She climbed right in while I was folding clothes. Reading this reminds me of how important it is to keep that door closed and to check before I start the dryer up. Ironically, since the dryer incident Gumbo had an episode of "dizzy kitty" and now has a permanent dizzy walk, (although no where near as bad as it was after the dryer incident).
Ninadivine I am so sorry for your loss. I lost my Mini Moo because of my own stupidity and beat myself up for it six years later. I won't say I know how you feel, but I feel so much sympathy for you because I know how I felt and still feel when I think of it. It's a terrible experience. Just know that you are not a horrible person and that somewhere over the Rainbow Bridge Sasha understands it was an accident and that she was very loved. I'll say a little prayer for you and Sasha tonight.
I wanted to share our survival story. Thursday my son called me in tears. His friend's cat, Frankie (the cat), crawled into the dryer and the kids started it not knowing. They couldn't get ahold of his friends mom so they called me. I rushed down to their house, grabbed the boys, and the cat (who was at the time panting hard and bleeding from his nose and mouth) and rushed them to my vet.
When we arrived they swiftly took the cat back, took his temperature (a whooping 108 degrees!!) and put him in an ice cold bath to quickly cool him along with cooled iv hydration. Once his body temperature came down, he started vomiting blood and bile and having bloody diarrhea. I had the vet draw a baseline blood panel and checked it randomly throughout the day to monitor his kidneys and other organs. At 5:30 that night (all this started at noon), the vet felt he was stable enough to stay overnight there and not be transferred to the emergency vet.
Today started out with the cat again running a small fever (103) so they gave him some anti-inflammatories, more antibiotics, and heparin (which they had given him the day before to help prevent blood clotting so he wouldn't stroke out). He had started urinating on his own the night before, but hadn't eaten. When we went in at noon to see him, we got Frankie to eat a little bit of tuna. At 5:30 tonight the vet called saying all blood work was still looking normal, but that the platelets were low because of the heparin, as well as protein but only by 0.2. Tomorrow Frankie gets to go home.
Frankie's story is a miracle. He made it through his ordeal with only minor bruising and 2 burns on his body. He was in that dryer for anywhere between 10-20 minutes and wasnt found until the smell of burnt blood started permeating the apartment (one of the kids was taking a shower so they didn't hear the thump thump thump).
Always always always check your dryers for your cats!!
The same thing happened to my SIL. Her cat thought the best place for her litter was that nice, warm, dark place with the fluffy towels.........They all died. mama cat set up a rucous and alerted them her babies were in there, but it was too late....
Another thing to watch---keep the microwave closed with no power left. I read about someone who left the microwave door open, there were a few minutes left on it. A cat crawled in, someone bumped the door shut, it started..........
Always always always check your dryers for your cats!!
We always do. And we keep the washer and dryer doors closed at all times.
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Your cat was very lucky. I had a friend (may she RIP) who killed her kitten when it got inside her recliner. She stood up and closed the recliner and .... poor kitty. On another forum a couple lost their cat in the slide-out mechanism in their motor home.
