# Why Paper Bags with Handles aren't Allowed here anymore ...



## TheComputerGremlin (May 8, 2008)

So, my husband and I are students and we walk to and from school because our apartment in a mile away. We were talking and decided we wanted pizza for dinner. Since he had his bike with him, he rode home and was going to get the pizza I was calling in. I keep walking, keep walking. About 5 minutes from home, he calls me and say GET HOME NOW. I'm thinking the worst, one of the cats died, someone broke into our apartment, the cats escaped. I'm running (uphill nonetheless), huffing and puffing, saying prayers the whole way. I get inside, and he's recounts the story:

He walks in the apartment, finds Molly laying on the couch, wonders why Mysti isn't in her favorite chair. Goes to put two soda cans in the fridge for dinner, and here's this sad, scared meowing. So, he's looking all over the place for Mysti and finds her sitting on top of the fridge, stuck between the wall and the stand mixer, with her face towards the back wall (like she was put in the corner for a time out), unable to turn herself around. He grabs her and puts her down on the floor and, fortunately, says to himself that this is weird. He decides to check on Molly and finds one of those paper bags with one of those paper handles wrapped around her neck, the bag is torn to bits and she's just resigned herself to not move anymore. (Don't worry, no cats were harmed, at least physically, in the making of this story.) He has to cut the handle off and she is relieved to be free.

So, as I walk in, he walks out to get the pizza after telling me that part of the story. I'm trying to be concerned, but it's really hilarious. Mysti's eying Molly, won't come within a few feet of her. I put Mysti and her dinner in the one room and close the door because she won't even go near Molly while eating. (And I closely inspected both cats for any cuts, broken bones, or pain - none found.) I start to check out the apartment and find that one of the cats wet herself on my bed. <sigh> I change the bedding and disinfect the mattress.

Here's what I think happened: Whenever we've tried to put the harness on Molly and the leash, she will run around like a banshee until she wraps the leash around something and gets caught. She's freaked out by it. I believe that Molly was messing with the bag, got the handle wrapped around her (this wasn't the first time a bag like this was around, we leave them out frequently for the cats with no problems before), and started tearing around the apartment like a banshee. Mysti, who was peacefully sleeping on our bed, heard the noise and panicked and wet herself. Molly probably was tearing all over our three room apartment, hence the shredded bag, and Mysti decided to get up on the safest place she knew of, on top of the fridge. But she hadn't counted on getting stuck there because she couldn't turn around. Eventually, Molly gave up and laid down, figuring someone would come save.

After recounting this to my mother, I just couldn't stop laughing. All of the trouble my little baby had caused! Needless to say, now they get the bags but my husband cuts the handles off.


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## seashell (Dec 5, 2003)

Poor puss-cats! Those bags with handles are a nightmare. A similar thing happened to me when I was cat sitting for a friend years ago.
Her little kitty, Vena, was playing with a paper bag such as that - it was a small one that I'd got from a cosmetics shop.
I thought it was cute until she got her head stuck in the bag. She started panicking becuase she couldn't see. I went to pull the bag off her head, but as I did so the handles got suck round her neck. I let go in case I strangled her, and she just took off round the flat, with the bag sort of flapping on her back. She was terrified that she couldn't get away from this awful bag monster.
Eventually after much chasing around I managed to catch her and get the bag off. She then retreated under the bed and wouldn't come near me for about a day.
I was so relieved she didn't actually come to any harm, especially as she was not my cat!
I would never let a cat of mine play with that sort of bag in future.

seashell


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## Pugzley (Mar 11, 2008)

That is hilarious. I would have been laughing too and it's great that the cat wasn't hurt. 

I laughed out loud at the part where you said the cat was facing the wall, like in the corner for a time out. hahaha! 

Good story!


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## dittlekins (Jun 25, 2008)

I don't mean to be wet blanket, because it is a funny story, but it reminded me of something that happened to my boyfriend many years ago.

He had a cat that got tangled up in a plastic bag, I'm not entirely sure of the details but I'm assuming it's a similar situation with the handle going around the neck. Long story short, the cat ended up somehow suffocating in the bag and died.  

I also had a cat many years ago that got caught in a plastic bag. I don't know which is worse, paper or plastic - they both make terrifying noises apparently. Anyways that poor cat was going 100mph and I was lucky enough to snatch her as she was running by so I could pull the bag off of her. Poor thing, it was funny though I admit.

But anyways after I heard about what happened with my boyfriend's cat, I never, ever leave bags on the floor of any kind. 8O


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## strawberrybl1050 (Jun 19, 2008)

This makes me think about where my bags are. I keep them in another bag hanging just above my dryer. Right now Cari is not even big enough to jump onto the sofa so I know she can't get to the bags, but it wont be long before she will be everywhere. So, now I am thinking I need to move them, or put them into something else.

:yikes


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