25/01/2022
Tragic-something I would not have thought about💔
Cats are vulnerable to pet suffocation, too. We have lost several to chip bags and other food bags, but another danger for cats is getting trapped in containers or enclosed places, which is what happened to Sheldon last week, a beautiful 2 year old Sphynx. His owner, Mike Rosol, writes, "I’ve been around dogs and cats since I was a young child, and Sheldon was the sweetest, most loving, friendly, innocent animal I’ve known. He loved everyone. He would follow any person or animal who came into the house, wanted to play with them, and loved to be picked up and held.
I got home from work late and noticed that our two cats, Sheldon and Ezra, weren’t in the window, where they often watched me as I walked up to the front door. Sheldon didn’t greet me at the door like he always does, but it was late, so I thought maybe he was asleep under a blanket. As a hairless Sphynx, he liked to burrow under blankets even when the house was warm. The first thing I did was to put their wet food down. When Sheldon didn’t show up with his noisy meows for food, I started getting worried. Sheldon was always loud and at my feet as soon as the food can cracked if not an hour before. I did two thorough searches of the house. At that point I was afraid that he snuck past my feet at the door and was outside in the snow, but I decided to do one more house search.
We kept our bags of dry food, which we rarely use, in a large Iris brand plastic bin with a latching top. It is a common bin sold at places like Chewy’s. We got the bin so that the cats wouldn’t tear into their food bags (which they both do) when I’m at work. We also thought it would ensure that the food didn’t attract insects or rodents. Somehow, while I was at work, poor little Sheldon opened the latch, got inside the container, and locked himself in. He suffocated in there. Based on how I found him, I think it happened fairly early in the day. I found him when I bumped into the container in my final search of the house before I was going to look outside. When I bumped the container, it felt too heavy for the amount of food I knew was in it. By that point in searching, I already had the feeling something was very wrong, and I knew in my gut, before I even got it all the way open what happened. As a Sphynx, Sheldon was always very warm to the touch. My heart and stomach just fell as I saw him, then touched his stiff, cold little body. The image and the feeling when I picked him up is seared into my mind, and not the memory I want to have of him.
I thought we did everything right to “cat-proof” the house. We walked through every corner of every room with multiple checklists – child locks on the drawers, all cleaning supplies and medicines in latched or locked drawers, no ropes or strings they could catch themselves on or eat, and plastic covers on the electric cords – everything from several cat books and on-line guides. I knew that dogs and cats can suffocate in a very few short minutes, so we minimized plastic, cellophane, and foil bags and kept the ones we did use locked up. Maybe I should have thought about it, but it never occurred to me that the food bin could be dangerous. I think I assumed that with the plastic locking mechanism on top, it would be fine. Instead, the lock may have just keep him in once he snuck past it – or he may have just crawled in and curled up to sleep since it was a small, enclosed area, then run out of air. There were no claw marks in the plastic and he was in a sleeping position, so whether it is true or not, that is at least what I’d like to think so I don't have to imagine him scared and alone.
I know much of the page focuses on bag risks, but I hope you can also share this and make people aware of the risks of these food bins. I had posted on a social media site tied to Sheldon's breeder, and a few other people reached out to me with similar experiences, so I know it has happened to others. If I would have thought about it earlier like I should have, I would have put the bin behind a locked door, drilled holes in it, or found some other storage option."
Cats are quick on their feet and their agility allows them to easily jump on food counters, tables, and refrigerators where they have easier access to food bags and containers. Cats are also prone to hiding in enclosed and small places like bins, plastic containers, and washers and dryers. Please share to spread awareness in memory of Sheldon. Thank you!
