Window cover drawcord strangulation warning

[bikeman]

Drawcords with multiple strands can strangle cats! (or small children)

We've always been very aware of the drawcord positions in all our windows. When the drapes are down, the cord is retracted up and away from cat's ability to play or get tangled in. When the drapes are raised, the drawcords need to be tossed over the window drape poles and away from their attention also.

Today, in a very brief and unusual brain freeze, we forgot one. Don't worry - kitty is OK, but sheesh!

It only took a fraction of a second for our 8 mo. old kitten to jump off the windowsill and get her neck caught, and then dangle from the cord. She struggled briefly, and if we weren't in the same room and three steps away, she could have died. Heck - she was absolutely and completely wrapped up in the thing (it has three seperate cords braided together). It took about 10 seconds to get her untwined and free. I'll bet Junebug thought it was kinda fun, but we sure were very embarrassed and (almost) very guilty of gross neglect. Could have been much worse.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE examine what possible dangers you have around your windows so this never happens to your pets or kids.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Oh that is scary! I'm glad your kitty is ok.

Our cords are tied up high, but they are also separated into separate strands, so they really can't get caught that easy. I just don't want them breaking a window while attacking it either!

 

[hissy]

We have a pvc pipe decorated and mounted near the windows. The cord drops into the pipe keeps it away from kitties and stops it from being all tangled by them batting at it.

 

[bikeman]

Hissy, that's a great idea. You should patent® that idea and sell it!

 

[hissy]

LOL! Well I needed something that worked. I got tired of my kitty acrobatic team trying to come up with different ways to hang their brothers and sisters

Being an artist, I just painted the tubes and then painted designs on them.

 

[bikeman]

You could call them "Hissy Tubes."

 

[menagerie mama]

Glad kitty is ok!

Yep, I always tie up my cords. Not only for their safety but also because otherwise Emily will sever them in half in 3 seconds flat!

 

[mom2salemisis]

my ex MIL used to cut the ends of the cords so that their cat couldn't hang herself

 

[tom w]

Hi, One day 3 of our cats were acting strange, running in and out of the bathroom. I figured something must be wrong and went in and looked. Here was Tuffy with a claw stuck in the shower curtain and by trying to get himself free he somehow must have rolled over and had the curtain wrapped around his paw.
When I came in he got scared and had backed himself behind the toilet still with the curtain around his foot pulling on his leg real hard. I had a heck of a time to get him out to where I could get him unstuck. He couldn't understand that I was trying to help him, he was affraid I was angry with him. After some soft words he eased off and I got him out.
I hate to think what would have happened if I had not been home. He never cryed out either, if not for the other cats comming to get me I would have never known anything was wrong.
I was real suprised that the other cats realized he was in trouble and got my attention. They do some amazing things at times. They are alot smarter than I used to give them credit for.

 

[KitEKats4Eva!]

Originally Posted by hissy

We have a pvc pipe decorated and mounted near the windows. The cord drops into the pipe keeps it away from kitties and stops it from being all tangled by them batting at it.

Wow that's sure better than the sticky tape I use to keep my cords together.

Sashka is endlessly fascinated by these and since we have blinds in every room we have to be careful that we don't find her dangling one day.

 

[tuxedokitties]

Originally Posted by Bikeman

Hissy, that's a great idea. You should patentÂ[emoji]174[/emoji] that idea and sell it!

I always like to look at the neat inventions in the back of my Cat Fancy magazines, and I don't think I've ever seen ads for anything like that.

 

[yosemite]

We got the verticals with the rods instead of cords. Much safer and actually a lot easier for us humans too. If I remember correctly they were no more expensive either.

 

[krazy kat2]

I just went through my house and cut the ends of mine so there are no more loops. A few days ago I heard Scooter kicking stuff off of the computer desk, and when I went in to stop him, saw he had gotten the cord from the blind wrapped around his jaw somehow, and fell off the desk. He was kicking around to try to get back on. I had to rescue the poor little guy. He was not choking, but terrified and hanging by his jaw. I felt so bad for not going in sooner, but he was not making any noises like he usually does at the slightest little thing. He is ok, and has stayed off the back of the desk, finally.

 

[smokiethecat]

Hi. I thought I would give out another danger warning....We recently bought our kittens an Armakat cat tree/condo....which they LOVE by the way. Anyway, at the top two "landings",there is a carpet type loop that hangs off the bottom of each perch that you can hook toys to so that the cats can bat at toys. The tree came with three such toys but one broke the same day so the loop was still there,no toy. Anyway,my husband THANKFULLY was sitting there watching Bagel and she was interested in the loop...somehow,she jumped up for the loop with her mouth and got her teeth stuck on it and was hanging there by her teeth!!!My hubby rushed over and helped her out...she could have lost a tooth or hanged there for awhile...who would have thought?????????