Garage door threat to cats

Tao managed to get in trouble in a way I've not had a cat do before. A
neighbor rang the bell and asked if I had a black and white cat, and a

Jo Firey...

That works if the is something on the ground. Not sure where there is a cat
on top of the open door that decides to ride it down. Molly gets up there
too and I try to watch for her but it worries me.

Jo

red car, then told me the cat was trapped in the garage door. I thanked
her and ran back to the garage, I could see Tao pinned by the shoulldres
between the garage door and the frame. I didn't want to move the garage
door so I ran around to see if I could help him get out...no Tao, run
back around the back and look again inside, no Tao. I walk back and
find Tao walking along the pool where he settles under a patio chair, I
feel his ribs and for once his grumpiness is an asset, if he was hurting
he'd let me know. He limps a bit as he moves to under s tree but he's
OK.

Julie and Sam...

Norm,

I'm so glad that Tao wasn't badly injured by this incident. Hobbes got
his neck trapped in the garage door when he was a kitten. It was a very
scarey thing. He hadn't lived with us for very long and he hadn't
become a 100% indoor cat yet. When we left the house we would put him
in the garage. We would stand on the outside of the garage, holding him
until the garage door was about 2" from closing then stop it, put him in
the garage and roll a ball across the floor. While he was chasing the
ball we'd close the garage door. We did this one day and he didn't
chase the ball but rather tried to run under the door. He was so small
that he ran under the beam that keeps the garage door from closing on
anything. It closed on his neck. I panicked and was trying to open the
door with my hands and it wouldn't budge. Rusty managed to get to the
keypad and open the door. We closely examined Hobbes and then stayed
home to make sure he was alright. Fortunately, like Tao, he didn't
suffer any physical damage. I can't say the same about the next day
when I shut his tail in the door of my car. Its a wonder Hobbes decided
to stay with us after that weekend!

Takayuki...

Tao's story reminded me of Hobbes too. They were both very lucky.
Hobbes sounded like such a hoolikitten. I didn't know about Hobbes's
tail, but it must've been all right, since he doesn't look like Vino.

WHat must have happened, when the garge door was up Tao jumped onto it
from a car roof, and when Katie left, closing the door by remote
control, Tao rode the door too far and got pinned. A less aggressive
cat, I think, like WIllie, would have struggles less and slipped out and
dropped to the ground but I think Tao, if he ever does it again and
feels the door move, will be off it in a hurry.

jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt...

I'm having trouble picturing this. If he was on top of the door when it
was open, wouldn't he have been on the *outside* of it as it closed? I
don't see how he got pinned underneath it.

In any case, I'm glad he's OK! That must have been a nerve-wracking
several minutes while you were running around looking for him. I guess
in the future, you'll both have to be on cat-alert as you pull out of
the garage, and maybe sit in the driveway a couple of minutes to watch
as the door closes, making sure no kitties are on the wrong side of it!

Purrs,
Joyce

Adrian A...

I'm so glad that Tao got away without serious harm, that must have been very
scary for you.

polonca12000...

How scary!
Lots of purrs,
Polonca and Soncek