Omg I almost lost my indoor cat

[Burts]

I was walking Oliver in my yard and something scared him and he pulled on the leash and god forbid I dropped the plastic reel which went banging on the ground....That made him even more scared and off he went under the house at a 100mph with the leash plastic banging behind him, I ran to the other side and he was gone...

Holy crap I was was out of breath with anxiety going through the roof, he was nowhere in sight and I could run no longer...My greatest fear was coming to life!

I glanced up the road and the neighbors dog was barking, I thought he was long gone....I went all over the yard nothing, to my garage and I see the leash stuck under my truck tire...I was like thank god but alas, the harness and leash was there with no cat...

I found him under the house with eyes big as marbles, omg thank god

Never going walking again...Stupid Oliver

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi--
I'm assuming you didn't mean your cat is stupid.

I'm so glad he was smart enough to go under the house rather than other more dangerous places.

Try an enclosed buggy, a cat mesh tent, or a catio for him.

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[Margret]

You surprise me, since the picture shows your cat in a wide, fabric harness rather than a simple narrow braid harness, like most collars or leashes. I've found the wider harnesses to be escape-proof. Do you have any idea how your cat got out of it? Had a buckle or the Velcro come loose?

A large part of your problem was the retractable leash. Those are much better for dogs than cats, since they allow cats to get out of sight, or up a tree, or some such. With a standard leash you can also put the hand loop around your wrist, which makes it much less likely that you'll drop it.

Margret

 

[Burts]

The harness was still velcro in place, no idea how he came out....

He has a super large catio, a outdoor screened tent and a outdoor screen stroller go figure

Hes still on edge, gave him some cbd oil to calm him down from his adventure, im surprised he didnt go into the future when he hit 88mph

 

[Tik cat's mum]

I'm glad that he didn't go to the future too at least he didn't go to far. I would just use a fixed lead at least if that drops it won't scare him more. I had a cat get out of a crate I didn't think he could escape.

 

[di and bob]

I had a little Houdini that escaped a number of harnesses. She would turn around backwards and slip right out somehow. I finally found a 'figure 8' harness that tightened when she turned around and it worked. Your experience is exactly why I plead with people not to ever walk their cats away from their neighborhood. I have been blocks away, chasing a loose cat all over, it was terrifying. i have had people walk up to me with a large dog lunging at my cat. I had picked her up when I saw them coming and one time she sank her claws so deep in me i got 'cat scratch fever' and was sick witrh a swollen arm for a week. I always told them to keep their distance, i don't know why someone would do that! They would always apologize while i stood there with blood dripping to the ground! I learned to stay in my yard. a pen is a much easier and better idea, my cats loved to experience outdoors with no dangers. Connecting it to the house so they can enter from a window was the best!

 

[Margret]

i don't know why someone would do that! They would always apologize while i stood there with blood dripping to the ground!

I don't know why someone would do that either. Some people simply have no sense of what's appropriate, or courteous, or safe, for cryin' out loud!

An "apology" for something that you're continuing to do even as you "apologize" is less than worthless; in my opinion it's an insult.

Margret

 

[di and bob]

I agree! Especially approaching someone with a cat, having a large, barking, lunging dog. I was lucky I didn't get my face ripped off!