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cats freaked out, worried someone has been coming into my apartment when i'm not home

post #1 of 14
12/30/09 at 6:52pm
Thread Starter 
just looking for some input here. I stayed at my bf's last night and do frequently (and no I do not always lock my door, lesson learned), i came home at 11:30 this morning and knowticed my light was on and none of the 4 cats came to greet me. not even for food and 3 of them are piggies! One came out and had a paper bag handle around his neck. Slowly the other 2 boys came out but weren't interested in the food and were scared for me to touch them and were slinking around going into other hiding spots. I couldn't find my little girl for an hour and was freaking out thinking that someone took her, finally found her in a place no of the cats have ever gone to (under the stove which is a very tight space that she could only get to through the back and by going behind the fridge). Her body was very tense to the point i wondered if she was hurt, she sat on my lap for a minute with me holding her, and her eyes dialated, then crawled under the couch. I went out for a short bit then came back and she still wouldn't come out then at dinner time 6, she ate a little food when I brought it to the couch. the boys got better but were still really spooked or terrified but Zoey just seemed horrified. Any thoughts on this? We thought maybe the bag with Spot and him maybe running though the house like so spooked everyone and maybe even the managed to turn on the light. All of this seems like a stretch, I've seen them spooked before but never like this to the point they would hardly let me touch them.
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post #2 of 14
12/30/09 at 7:12pm
My Merlin had two incidents when he got the string part of a bag caught around his neck (all plastic and paper bags with handles have been banished) and he totally freaked himself out by running around my apartment because he thought that it was chasing him. I finally ran him aground underneath my dressor, but to this day, he hates plastic bags.

If your kitty was trying to "run away" from the bag, he could have not only terrified himself, but also his companions. That is a possibility.
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post #3 of 14
12/30/09 at 7:16pm
Poor babies ...... if one had paper bag handle around his neck, I would suspect that he probably did freak out and the whole commotion scared them all. When a cat panics it can be very scary.

BUT I would never leave without locking the door either.
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post #4 of 14
12/30/09 at 7:42pm
One time Jake panicked like this..it was when I was a very new cat owner, I came home and he wouldn't greet me and I found him hiding under a bed..I thought he must be sick and my body went stiff with panic and worry and my heart racing thinking he is probably feeling very very ill to be acting like this...
I couldn't get him to come out for a while and when he did come out he very very slowly and cautiously walked to another part of the room, stopping and starting to walk again (and I was thinking wow he is even having trouble walking and started calling an ER vet) ..then I realized he was walking to a poster that had somehow fallen from the wall- the sticky glue had worn off or something and it was on the floor-and he circled around it a few times ready to run if it does something...he put his paw out and touched it and ran immediately..then came back and did the same thing a few times...
So I found out what it was that way- the poster falling had really freaked him out...
If you live in a big apartment it may not be easy to find exactly what it is that scared them but watch them and see if they get back to normal, and lock your door
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post #5 of 14
12/30/09 at 8:19pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by esrandall2000 View Post
My Merlin had two incidents when he got the string part of a bag caught around his neck (all plastic and paper bags with handles have been banished) and he totally freaked himself out by running around my apartment because he thought that it was chasing him. I finally ran him aground underneath my dressor, but to this day, he hates plastic bags.

If your kitty was trying to "run away" from the bag, he could have not only terrified himself, but also his companions. That is a possibility.
Oh my God, Lucky had one of these the other day, and by a miracle something really bad didn't happen.... She finally stopped in a shelf ready to jump off where if she did she would be hurt for sure - thank goodness she knew, and she let me free her from the bag. The poor thing was freaked out frozen for a while, and so where the other kitties too. It was awful.
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post #6 of 14
12/30/09 at 8:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by carolinalima View Post
Oh my God, Lucky had one of these the other day, and by a miracle something really bad didn't happen.... She finally stopped in a shelf ready to jump off where if she did she would be hurt for sure - thank goodness she knew, and she let me free her from the bag. The poor thing was freaked out frozen for a while, and so where the other kitties too. It was awful.

I totally agree. My baby was absolutely terrified and I've never gotten over the guilt of being a bad meowmy! This happened when he was a kitten and he's never gotten over it. So when I come home with plastic bags, he still runs, and I ditch them in the garbage.
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post #7 of 14
12/31/09 at 1:53am
Oh my! Really lock your doors. There are some reaks out there that could harm your cats purely out of nastiness. If the condition of your cats doesn't improve I'd get them checked for toxins.

I cut the handles of paper bags. They can still play with them, but won't get caught. Plastic bags are stored out of reach as they love chewing on them.

Good luck!
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post #8 of 14
12/31/09 at 4:13am
OMG, please lock your door! There are weirdos everywhere. You would feel terrible is something happened to your babies!
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post #9 of 14
12/31/09 at 4:47am
I'm sorry... how come you do not lock your doors? I live in a really nice neighborhood and the doors here are always locked. I am paranoid about it!!!

Yes - bag around the neck or leg is terrifying to a cat. Plastic is stored away... paper bags.. .as another poster noted... handles cut off.. and set out for playtime.
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post #10 of 14
12/31/09 at 6:04am
as for the light being on, that's very weird. i'm glad none of the cats got injured
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post #11 of 14
12/31/09 at 6:13am
Wow, thats just too freaky.

As you said, lesson learned, lock your doors.

Lesson two: share overnights with BF, alternate nights between the two places. If someone did come in they will hopefully see you have a guy coming over frequently and decide to leave you alone.

I personally would have to move.....that is just too freaky. I don't trust people, I know people case out places, learn routines and wait for opportunities........
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post #12 of 14
12/31/09 at 9:46am
Just want to add, can you install a web cam but hidden so that if someone is trying to come in you could catch them on camera? I don't want to scare you but I think it's important because if you haven't found anything missing, and someone has been coming in, it could be a stalker who has been terrorizing your cats and who may be waiting for you next time.


Check your place very carefully to see if anything is out of place or missing, like personal stuff. Such as underwear, perfume, makeup clothing, like a scarf and those kinds of things. Even stuff like family pictures.


Check your credit report immediately in case of identity theft. All an intruder would need is to find your checkbook or a credit card bill or anything with your name on it, to be able to get more personal information on you.


If you left without locking your door(s) where were your keys while you were gone. Changing the locks might not hurt.


Are you on good terms with your landlord? Does he/she like cats? Is it possible they are the ones who have been in your apt?

I *would still do all of the above*!


Have your boyfriend come stay with you for a few days as well.


Please keep us posted.
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post #13 of 14
1/1/10 at 11:06am
Thread Starter 
thanks everyone for your replies. Zoey my girl cat finally is coming out a bit today but is still very cautious. I think I will be doing little things in my place just to make sure it's not anyone coming in. I have absolutely nothing anyone would take, broke as all heck, no credit cards or checks lying about and the bf and i are not on a specific schedule. i have been locking my doors and leaving a light on at night when i am not and I have 2 neighbors in my apt building that well I've know for a while and feel they are pretty trust worthy. i may get a camera for the place. Also s for my landlord, he doesn't care one way or the other about animals and literally yelled at me saying it was my own fault for not locking the doors. Guess what some people are actually just raised that way, where I lived no body ever locked the doors. sigh...we'll see...
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post #14 of 14
1/1/10 at 11:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ladycat View Post
where I lived no body ever locked the doors.
Not uncommon for people to leave things unlocked where I live, and also where I grew up. I have to lock mine cos the cats open the doors

Hope the cats settle down soon
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