Cat turns on vacuum, causes emergency alert

[Liberal_in_LA]

Cat turns on vacuum, causes emergency alert
August 10, 2010

BERLIN—A cat home alone in Germany apparently turned on the vacuum cleaner, frightened itself half to death and wound up being attended to by emergency services. Police in the Bavarian city of Bayreuth said a neighbor heard the cat's cries -- not to mention a vacuum left running for hours -- and feared there'd been a terrible accident.

The fire service sped to the scene Monday evening, but found only the cat and the machine.

A police statement Tuesday said the emergency call wasn't entirely in vain, though, because "at least the cat could be calmed down."

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/08/10/cat_turns_on_vacuum_causes_emergency_alert/?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed3

[Tobin S.]

1. MissHoneychurch must have left the vacuum plugged in.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. How awful for that poor cat.

Cats know that vacuums eat kitties. Poor thing was probably freaked out all day.

[david13]

3. My cat will set off my car alarm. He steps on the key fob button. I

have to keep it in a drawer, where he can't get it.
He thinks it's funny if he sets it off.
dc

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. I can beat that.

I got a citation in the mail from the city not too long ago. Seems the police responded to a false alarm at my house -- the alarm system went off for some unknown reason and I had to pay the city $35 because the police had to come and check out my house.

I couldn't figure out how that had happened until I realized that I'd propped a stepladder up against the wall, and the cats had been playing on it. And the top step of the ladder was the perfect height to set off the system's motion detector.

I moved the ladder and it hasn't happened since.

The cats owe me $35, but they haven't offered to pay up.

[david13]

5. I don't think they should, you know.. I am a cat. I'm on their side. dc

[NJCher]

6. LOL, that is a great story

Take it out of their 'nip fund.


Cher

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. I wish cats were marsupials. Because then they'd have pockets.

And if they had pockets they'd have a place to keep their money, and then maybe I could sneak up on them while they're sleeping and get my $35 back, if they hadn't already spent it on catnip and laser pointers.