Have you ever had a little scare with one of your pets? I know I have. One time, my cat got accidentally locked in the car when we had the trunk open, unloading it. All night, the poor fella was pawing the windows to try to get out, as evident by the paw marks on multiple windows and the frightened look on his face the next morning. It was a complete mistake, but it’s occurrences like these that put us through a whirlwind of emotions, even if the outcome is okay.
Amanda Meredith from Mudjimba in Queensland had a scare with her own pet. While her husband Angelo was washing bedsheets, their beautiful, Burmese cat was mistakenly locked in the washing machine. Unfortunately, Angelo didn’t realize her pet was inside and turned the machine on.
For 12 minutes, the poor Burmese endured hot water and laundry detergent, all while being spun around and around. Those 12 minutes must have felt like hours.
But there’s good news. Although getting locked in the washing machine is no doubt a frightening experience for any animal, and a dangerous one, at that, Angelo and his wife stopped the washing machine before things got worse.
Meredith heard their cat meowing, which at first, she didn’t know where it was coming from. Then she realized her sweet kitty was in the washing machine!
Although Meredith immediately halted the machine, it took a couple of minutes for it to stop spinning, drain, and then turn off.
“The poor little cat had his hands on the glass as he was doing the rotations and he was looking at me. It was tragic,” Meredith said.
Meredith and her husband took Oscar the Burmese to Veterinarian Dan Capps at Beachside Veterinary Surgery in Coolum Beach to get checked out. The cat ended up having a few bruises from being tossed to and fro in the machine. The vet decided the best course of action would be to give Oscar anti-inflammatories and have the cat stay 24 hours in veterinary care just to be on the safe side.
And if there’s any “benefit” from it, his fur came out very soft and clean.
“He’s a very lucky but strong little fellow,” said Dr. Capps.
Oscar isn’t the only kitty to have ever landed himself in a washing machine. Dr. Capps has heard of this tragedy one too many times.
Always check your washing machines (and dryers) for your pets before turning them on!
Some more good news for Oscar: a few weeks after recovering, he is doing great.
But Meredith strongly believes that washing machine forever changed him.
“He sits there and watches it tumble-turn all the time,” Meredith said. “Maybe he has PTSD or something — he has to sit at the door watching the wash cycle.”
Poor Oscar probably recalls his trauma every time he sees that machine.
