We had a scare here last night.

I had gathered all the bags and boxes of Christmas gifts to start wrapping. Some of them were on the floor and I didn’t notice that Scout had stirred from his nap and was snooping.

I had turned my back for less than a minute when I heard a racket as he took off running through the house. He had stuck his head through the handles of a paper bag and was running, bag dragging behind him, and sturdy twine handle firmly around his neck.

The bag tore, contents flying every which way but the handle was sturdy and remained in place.

He was shaking with terror by the time I could catch him and remove the bag.

I am hyper aware of the threats that daily life can present to cats. I haven’t used the mini blinds at my windows since the day he arrived because I worry he will get hung up in the blinds. Many plants and flowers are lethal to cats or can at least make them ill. These things don’t come into the house. I worry about cords, bags, harmful foods, ribbons he might eat, things that might fall, etc.

I have kept the Christmas stuff behind closed doors because of all the bags and handles and other dangerous items. Turning my back for a minute was a near disaster.

He spent the remainder of the evening under the piano bench, smarting from his scare.

Not unlike human children, our pets need care and protection from threats. It takes just a minute to get hurt or to scare themselves half to death. It will take a long time for him to get over his worries and I’ll remember it too.