Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

My poor cat has traumatised himself

14 replies

AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 27/04/2025 18:09

This morning we think he managed to get his head through the handle of a canvas laundry bag and then it scared him because he was stuck with it, so he charged up/down/up the stairs in absolute terror (this all what we heard btw, by the time we’d moved to see wtf was going on he’d managed to get out of it), he was so frightened he peed all up the stairs, over the landing, all over himself, the dressing room floor and the windowsill where he fled to. This was around 11am and he’s still absolutely petrified. He’s flinching at every little noise and pretty much tiptoeing everywhere. It’s just taken him a couple of minutes to decide the food bowl was safe after lots of slowly creeping towards it and looking/listening around VERY carefully to make sure nothing was going to get him. I’m sure he’ll perk up but it’s so sad to see him like this ☹️

OP posts:
SwanOfThoseThings · 27/04/2025 18:14

Ah, mine have done that once or twice before - they do get over it in time. Give him plenty of space but if he comes to you, do whatever it is he likes you to do by way of making a fuss of him. It is a traumatic thing for everyone, I am always petrified they will strangle themselves, but they seem to be able to shake it off eventually.

SantaToSSD · 27/04/2025 18:15

Got any catnip you can offer him? Mine go crazy for it and I keep a tin of the stuff. Recently, one of mine, very stressed out by the presence of strangers in the house, was hiding in the garden a lot and not eating. One of the things that really helped him was a good session with the catnip.

Mishmashs · 27/04/2025 18:17

Poor little thing. This once happened to me with a horse where an empty feed sack got caught on his head collar when he was mooching around and he was in a total panic

does your cat like dreamies? Maybe sit on the floor and call him quietly and see if he will come for a dreamie and a stroke.

BobbyBiscuits · 27/04/2025 18:19

Don't worry, he'll get over it. One of my cats is so sensitive that if something scares him he goes missing for a whole day, or hides from us for days! But he always comes round to knowing we love him and he wants a cuddle again.

shellyleppard · 27/04/2025 18:20

Mine did this with a carrier bag, took her days to stop being nervous. Sending hugs x

rosydreams · 27/04/2025 18:20

after hanging out with friends one evening i came home to no kitten. No kitten anywhere ???? .So stopped closed my eyes and listened and heard sad mewling ,she got stuck behind the fridge. Had to pull it out to get the now cobweb covered kitten out .Daft things they do like to get to themselves into mischief

Make sure you use urine eliminator spray to clean pee or they get confused and think its ok to pee there

Original poster
AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 27/04/2025 18:20

SantaToSSD · 27/04/2025 18:15

Got any catnip you can offer him? Mine go crazy for it and I keep a tin of the stuff. Recently, one of mine, very stressed out by the presence of strangers in the house, was hiding in the garden a lot and not eating. One of the things that really helped him was a good session with the catnip.

We do but he’s not that bothered about it, his brother will roll in it but he isn’t interested. I’ll sprinkle some on his tree anyway, it might help chill him out.

OP posts:
Original poster
AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 27/04/2025 18:22

rosydreams · 27/04/2025 18:20

after hanging out with friends one evening i came home to no kitten. No kitten anywhere ???? .So stopped closed my eyes and listened and heard sad mewling ,she got stuck behind the fridge. Had to pull it out to get the now cobweb covered kitten out .Daft things they do like to get to themselves into mischief

Make sure you use urine eliminator spray to clean pee or they get confused and think its ok to pee there

I’m glad ours never got into places like that when they were kittens 🫣 I have loads of pet urine spray thankfully. My dog is elderly and has the occasional accident so I always keep some in!

OP posts:
Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 27/04/2025 18:23

One of the local sheep often gets its head stuck in a bucket, cue bizarre apparition of square red head sheep charging about. It doesn’t seem to worry her though, not enough not to stick her head in again…

Your cat will come round, don’t worry too much. Just leave them to have a good sleep , don’t fuss too much. One of mine had a terrifying encounter with a squeaky spider which she stole from somewhere and managed to wrap around herself , but she was fine in the morning.

Original poster
AintNobodyHereButUsChickens · 27/04/2025 18:29

Mishmashs · 27/04/2025 18:17

Poor little thing. This once happened to me with a horse where an empty feed sack got caught on his head collar when he was mooching around and he was in a total panic

does your cat like dreamies? Maybe sit on the floor and call him quietly and see if he will come for a dreamie and a stroke.

Wow that gave me a memory flashback! I was doing my yr11 work experience at a stables back in 2005, there was me and another girl. We were instructed to take the rug off the resident mule who was in the field, the other girl didn’t undo the straps that go around the back legs and mule decided she’d had enough and tried to walk off with the rug still strapped to her back legs. She so very nearly panicked and started to trot off but she stopped instead and we were able to release her fully. I shudder to think how horrific that situation could’ve turned if she hadn’t stopped.

OP posts:
Stickytreacle · 27/04/2025 18:31

Poor cat, they do get stressed so easily bless him.

I did once have a sheep that managed to get stuck in my horse's rug that I'd left on the fence to air. The sheep panicked and ran to the other sheep for safety, who all also panicked, that frightened the horses and it ended up being a right circus!

I managed to bring it all to a stop by jumping on the rug as the sheep ran past, not before a few laps of the field though.

JoanOgden · 27/04/2025 18:33

Poor cat! Mine once had a run-in with a bad cat in the garden and spent 7 hours trembling on the upstairs landing. I was so worried. But she got over it! And yours will too.

Vodkamartini3olives · 27/04/2025 18:42

Aww poor little fella. My cats had quite the adventure last night and they are both acting crazy today. I woke up about 3am & felt something was 'off'. Came down to find my backdoor wide open. My cats are indoor cats. One was pacing the hallway by the door and the other was nowhere to be seen, called for her and nothing. Close the screen door while I checked no wildlife was in the house and my little adventurer came crashing through the screen door looking wild-eyed. They have been wired ever since. Really put the Willy's up them & me!

Picklechicken · 27/04/2025 19:00

Poor cat ❤️ when I was a child my cat got himself stuck in the strap of my school backpack, I came downstairs and he was absolutely terrified rolling around on the floor with the strap twisted several times strangling him. If I hadn’t had come downstairs when I did he would have died. I sat on the floor and slowly got him out and he was fine after a couple of days, just very scared of everything for a bit. I have cats as an adult now and I always make sure all bags / anything with a loop etc is either put away in a cupboard or hung up so they can’t get their heads through. It’s traumatised me for life!!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page