Purrtacular

5 Sounds That Freak Out Cats All The Time

People retell the sounds that scare their cats the most, even if they’ve heard them time and time again. And, it’s hilarious. Cats are very clung to how they want their world, and when they want it. So, if anything interferes with that like, the sounds of a garbage bag being snapped open, then there’s a problem. Cats like to live in serenity, but we all  know that can’t be possible in a home. There’s always something going on. But, it doesn’t bother cat owners in the least bit, because it’s a guaranteed laugh for them every time.

Snapping of plastic garbage bag


Plastic garbage bags don’t come out ready to place into a container. You obviously have smack them against air, in order to open them. The sounds it makes is sharp. Basically a whipping sound. So, without surprise, cats scatter when a bag is opened. It doesn’t matter that they’ve heard it time and time again. It always scares the lights out of them.

Doorbell


My apartment didn’t come equipped with a doorbell, and my previous homes didn’t have one either. A few months ago, I bought a wifi doorbell unit because I live in a long, skinny apartment, and it’s sometimes difficult to hear someone knocking on my front door when I’m at the other end of my place. The doorbell offers about 30 ringtones. Can you believe it? There’s a tune for nearly every holiday, as well as several varieties of the old standard “ding-dong.”
Sure, the kitties have always been a little alarmed when someone knocks on the door, but the doorbell has taken the freak-out to a whole new level. It’s not all that loud, and I chose a ringtone that’s not too “in your face,” but Cosmo and Phoebe still think the Grim Reaper is ready to pay them a visit. Or at least they act that way.

Start of washing machine or dishwasher


My appliances are not what I’d call “whisper quiet.” They don’t sound like a jackhammer or anything, but they do turn on somewhat loudly and abruptly. Cosmo and Phoebe react especially to the motors of the dishwasher and washing machine. They don’t run, but they lift their heads like little periscopes, looking for the source of the sound. They don’t offer a ton of their attention, though. After the initial jolt, they usually put their heads right back down to sleep. Old news.
 

Bubble wrap popping


Some people are obsessed with popping the little bubbles on pieces of bubble wrap. I admit to playing around with them now and again, but I’m not one of those who just has to. Yeah, yeah — you know who you are. Phoebe is actually intrigued with the wrap, but she’s also addicted to tape or plastic of any kind. She’s been known to run off with a whole sheet of bubble wrap. Cosmo, on the other hand, is a bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to bubble-popping. He doesn’t jump, but he certainly looks wary of the situation and won’t come near the stuff.

Packing tape peeling off the roll


My experience with cats and tape: Either they hate it or are super obsessed with it. I have one of each. I mail a fair amount of packages, so packing tape is usually sitting around somewhere in my living area. When I peel a piece off the roll, two things happen: Cosmo hightails it into the other room, and Phoebe can’t get in my face fast enough. And then I have to fight with Pheebs because she wants to make off with every piece of tape I remove from the roll. If she could, she’d jack the entire roll. Don’t think she hasn’t tried.
What kind of sounds freak you cat out? Share with friends!