“The first thing to do is to stay as calm as possible. If it is safe for you to do so, you can see if you can free your pet, either by tempting them out with some of their favorite treats or by gently trying to get them free," PDSA Vet Claire told Bored Panda how pet owners should proceed if they find their beloved animals stuck somewhere.

"If they are afraid or stressed it is important to remember that they could lash out at you in fear," the vet said.

"If you are unable to free your pet yourself, call your vet or the RSPCA for their advice. Remember that sometimes, pets can have accidents and make mistakes. Some situations that look funny to us, may actually be very worrying and stressful for our pets and they may need our help," she noted.

PDSA Vet Claire also explained to us why animals, like cats, enjoy going into various nooks and crannies... places that may have our Feline Overlords ending up in articles like this one.

"We know that for cats, hiding can reduce their stress levels, especially if they are in new places or situations. This is probably because hidey-holes like cardboard boxes make cats feel safe and protected," Claire shared with us.

"These hidden spots feel warm and cozy, which is why they will sometimes sleep there. It’s also likely that curiosity plays its part, as cats will investigate new and interesting smells in their home," she said.

"Cats sometimes try to create their own hiding places, which is when they might be found in unusual spaces! Owners can help their cats by providing them with boxes and other safe hiding places to explore." So if you have any spare cardboard boxes somewhere in the garage or attic, now's your cue to hand them over to your cats, Pandas.

Anyone who’s ever raised an animal knows just how hard they can make us laugh when they get stuck somewhere they really shouldn’t have been snooping around. As long as nobody was hurt or too scared, it’s fine to have a little giggle.

But there’s a huge difference between a cat getting stuck in a flip-flop and your kitty ending up in the walls of your house, as though it’s hunting for ghosts in the darkest corners of the property. It’s also hard to compare your good boy or girl who’s gotten stuck in the couch or doggy door, and a canine who somehow, inexplicably, ended up on the roof. There’s only so much stress our poor hearts can take!

Calming your pet down should definitely be at the top of your priority list. Then it’s just a matter of carefully getting them out of the situation that they’ll probably end up in again very soon. It can be as simple as taking your floof out from between your couch pillows or disassembling a piece of furniture.

Though things can get as complicated as breaking apart your wall or fishing a raccoon out of a vending machine. Do you think the raccoon will reward us with snacks if we work quickly enough?

One thing that might help some pets not get stuck in the first place is if they stay slim and avoid all of the problems that come with being overweight. Obesity is a horrible thing that greatly impacts animals’ quality of life. They’re more prone to illness. They have less energy. They may be in pain. And they won’t live as long.

We owe it to our pet pals to ensure that they get a healthy and nutritious diet and that they’re as fit as can be. It doesn’t mean that we have to radically change how we live. However, it will mean making various adjustments.

For instance, taking your dog on longer walks can be beneficial for you both. Taking your pet to see the vet can help a ton when putting together a quality meal plan that’ll help them slim down. What’s more, you can help your cat or dog move more by taking a bit of time to play with them, daily. It’s fun, it helps you bond, and it helps everyone get fitter.

During an interview a while back, Dr. Ernie Ward, the founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, told Bored Panda that obesity is the greatest health threat to cats.

“Feline obesity is more than ‘chonky,’ it's a biological time bomb. Obesity in cats is a serious disease with many severe consequences such as diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, and many forms of cancer,” the specialist warned. “The worst part of feline obesity is that it reduces their life expectancy and dramatically reduces their quality of life. Cats with obesity desperately need our help.”

According to Dr. Ward, the main focus when helping our cats should be on what they eat. A whopping 90% of a cat’s weight loss journey is directly related to its diet. The rest comes down to getting enough physical activity.

“That's what it's so important cat owners precisely feed the correct number of calories each day. I recommend having your veterinarian assess your cat's current Body Condition Score (BCS), setting a target of an ideal weight, and calculating the number of calories you should feed each meal,” Dr. Ward said.

“I strongly encourage cat owners to weigh the food using a kitchen scale. We've done experiments with cat owners and veterinary professionals and have consistently observed that using a measuring cup isn't as accurate as needed to achieve weight loss in many cases,” he told us.

“Even feeding as few as ten extra kibbles each day can add up to a pound of weight gain in a year for a cat. Once you get the hang of it, weighing the food takes no more time than using a measuring cup. Finally, work with your vet to adjust the diet or calories every three months if your cat isn't losing weight,” the specialist encouraged pet owners to work closely with their vets.

“I've seen too many cats who were being fed the same food for months without losing weight. When I ask them why, the pet parent shrugs, ‘I'm feeding the special food my vet prescribed.’ Weight loss is a journey with many unexpected turns and hills; you must stay alert and be willing to take a different path if you're not reaching your objective,” he said that owners have a responsibility to be more aware of what’s going on.

In Dr. Ward’s experience, all cats really need is 3 play sessions, each 5 minutes long, each day, to stay fit. You can use laser pointers, feather dusters, or bring a new cardboard box to keep them engaged.

“I also like using ‘hunter feeders’ and food puzzles to engage a cat's ‘inner predator.’ Use vertical surfaces, climbing towers, and other perches to allow your cat to climb and ‘stalk’ as much as possible. Environmental enrichment and exercise are essential for emotional and behavioral health as well as maintaining a lean body mass,” he suggested.

Though staying slim might help your pets avoid getting stuck in some cases, it won't protect them all the time: after all, they're still bound to be curious, playful, and sometimes even clumsy!