Cat Health & Safety
Suffocation: Bins and bags
Hundreds of dogs suffocate and die in chip, cereal, treat, and other snack food bags each year, and it happens to cats, too, though not as often. But because they’re good jumpers and love to explore boxes and other semi-enclosed spaces, they've also suffocated in plastic and other bulk pet food storage containers. Most cats get into these containers by lifting the lid themselves, or when someone forgets to close the lid securely. They then get trapped and suffocate when either gravity or another pet slams the lid down. In a sealed storage container, it doesn’t take long for a trapped cat to run out of oxygen and suffocate. Always make sure that food storage containers are securely closed and, if your cat is particularly “handy” with their paws, keep all food storage containers safely behind closed cabinets or doors (Tip #79).
a loving — and loved — orange tabby, suffocated in the plastic storage bin where his mom kept her cats’ food. Max was particularly adept at opening cabinets and lids, which is how his mom imagines he got into the bin. Unfortunately, either due to gravity or one of the other cats jumping onto it, the lid of the bin slammed shut, cutting off the oxygen supply with Max trapped inside. When his mom couldn’t find him around the house, she figured that Max had gotten outside. As she went to get some food out of the bin to help her search, she discovered the devastating and horrible reality. She has since learned that Max hasn’t been the only cat to lose his life this way; she shares her story hoping that he will be the last to do so.
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