Cat food left in refrigerator?

Question

We just moved out of our house into an apartment, so we put most of our belongings (including a refrigerator) into storage. We realized a few hours after everything was put away that we had left an open can of wet cat food in the empty fridge. My main question is: what will happen to this cat food? Will maggots come? Will it become a health hazard? I'm sure after a year in storage, it will stink to high heaven, and I don't even want to think about opening it.

I know someone will say, "Why don't you just open the fridge and take it out?" Well, this thing is in the very back of a 10x30 storage unit with hardly any hope of getting it out. So, we don't know what to do.

Answer 1

It probably wont be edible to your cats.

If it was closed or still sealed, the can that is,

then it would have been fine, and non parishable!

But if it's open,

it's a wet land and open city for germs and all kinds of icky things that can harm your cat.

Throw it away when you get to it,

it's going to smell too.

^___^

Answer 2

Maggots will only get in it if flies are able to get into your fridge (flies lay their eggs on rotten stuff and the maggots hatch out of the eggs).  I'm assuming the door is shut and has a good seal so I don't think maggots will be a problem.

The cat food will be nasty and probably stink up the fridge to high heaven.  When we moved to a new house the fridge smelled horrible and we just soaked everything in bleach water and it is totally usable now.

Good luck!  I wouldn't want to unload a whole storage unit either (been there done that)

Answer 3

In time the bacteria count will grow into the walls of the unit and it will be worthless. You are going to have to "ruff it" and get it out. And a little storage tip for refrigerators, wipe them out with bleach and soapy water before storage, and  shut the door while still damp with the bleachy water. I've done this and months later had no mold or mildew what so ever. (Good luck on getting to the fridge.)

Answer 4

Yeah, you have to get it out. Or abandon the fridge for ever!