A sad pet story and a caution to cat owners

[Opusnone]

My friend's cleaning woman accidentally killed his cat in a clothes dryer this week. It was left open and the cat (Urkel) snuck in while she was away from the laundry room.

It's a horrible story, I know. But PLEASE take care of your pets and pass this along.

Thanks.

[Warpy]

1. I left my dryer open one day about 12 years ago

My tomcat peed in it.

I have never repeated the mistake.

[Mythsaje]

2. I know someone this happened to years ago...

She had a litter of kittens and lost one that way.

Cats seek warmth and an open dryer is an invitation.

[EFerrari]

3. Cats love nests. Please be careful! Also, cleaning liquids.

If you leave any kind of soap or cleaning fluid on a surface, it will wind up on paws and it can be fatal.

[Katina]

15. not only cleaning liquids but also car antifreeze

believe it or not, it is "sweet" and both cats & dogs love it...and it can be fatal if they get too much of it. They can lick it up off the floor of your garage or out on the driveway. Make sure your car doesn't leak.

[graywarrior]

4. Lazy Boy recliners can be a killer, also

Mine likes to crawl underneath when someone sits in our chair. Then, when you push chair back into the sitting position, kitty gets squashed.

[terrya]

5. Thank you for posting this

Cats love warm places. Luckily, I live in an apartment building with a laundry room on the first florr. No way would I ever let my cat get near there. Because I know she might get in one of those dryers.

Thanks.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. Thanks for the reminder

luckily our flat doesn't have a clothes dryer. But knowing to keep cleaning supplies out of baby's way is also good advice. Now can anyone tell me how to keep my kitten off my keyboard? She loved to "help" me type from time to time.

[AmyDeLune]

12. Kittens loooove computers...

especially if you are paying more attention to the machine than them...

[CatholicEdHead]

13. That cat has good political preferences

[AmyDeLune]

14. Of course! She is a Democat! n/t

[NJ Democrats]

16. My cat

unfortunately correctly picked Bush for re-election over Kerry in 04. She is a very good prediction. What I do is put two pics of whatever is competing on the floor and have my cat walk to the one she likes better. So far she has correctly predicted the 2004 and 2005 World Series winner, the 2005 and 2006 Super Bowl Winner, Bush's re-election, Corzine 2005 Governor Victory and many other things. So I'd say my cat is an Independent.

[Deja Q]

17. You have the cutest kitten!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

18. And then if you WANT to pay attention to them.....

When I saw this darling picture (which looks like my kitten looking at the computer), I called her to come see. Would she come anywhere near me? Of course not!

[skygazer]

7. Cats will find the warm spots

We lost a kitten once because it had climbed up into the warm engine compartment of my dad's car. When he started it, the cat was killed by the fan. How strange is that?

[libnnc]

8. kitten in the engine accidents happen alot

especially in the winter time.

[KatyMan]

9. this happened to a friend of mine's

cat about 20 years ago, and since then he bangs on the hood of the car in cold weather (so do I now, actually)

[cedahlia]

11. I have a "kitten in the engine" story that actually has a happy ending

I too have heard horror stories of the poor little things dying after seeking warmth in a car's engine. Fortunately, though, this particular little girl was a highly sociable talker, and when she heard my husband putting his tools in the back of his truck one morning, she emerged from her warm "bed" inside the engine, and announced herself! She was a stray (possibly even "dumped", as we live out in the country) and that is how she entered our lives...my husband was not overjoyed with the problem of dealing with a small stray kitten at 5 a.m., right before he had to go to work, but he was relieved that he had made such a ruckus that he had actually saved her life! And almost a year later, she has become another light in our lives! O8)

[Pied Piper]

19. Similar story...

My farm relatives drove into the (not-so) big city for Thanksgiving dinner. 90 miles. When they pulled up in the driveway, and as we went out to greet them, we heard a little mewing from under the hood. There she was, little miss very young kitty, who had hung on for dear life for 90 miles of winter driving. Although she didn't exactly earn a seat at the dinner table, she rode home in the comfort of the inside of the vehicle.

[IsIt1984Yet]

10. I knew someone as a child to whom this happened as well.

:(

[Roon]

20. I lost a kitty that way once...

Mom! Mom! Come look!! See this trail of blood? It goes from the car to here! (walks mother to crawlspace entrance under the trailer house) See? There's tinsel, she is dead! My Mother just burst out crying and I thought I did something bad. I was five years old but I remember it like it happened yesterday, as you can tell. :-(

[StellaBlue]

21. I know someone that happened to, too

:(

Watch out.

[Control-Z]

22. Our cat likes going into the dryer

so I am always very careful. As it happens, he is missing today. He's gotten out of the house before but has never been gone like this. We've put up signs and looked for him. It's like a thousand degrees out today so I imagine he's found a shady spot somewhere to stay cool but I'm really not feeling very hopeful at this point. He's been gone most of the day. I don't know what to say to my kids. I miss him as much as they do. Possibly more.