Help, cat ate a string...what do I do

[CJ2008]

It's not the first time he does it...he's constantly looking for any strings he can find. As much as we try to hide them he always manages to find one.

Thankfully, nothing bad has happened yet out of all the times he has eaten strings and shoelaces...but I know this is really dangerous.

Well, I just noticed my Nordstrom bag with the long red string handle has one handle missing not sure when he ate it...may have been yesterday...he's acting OK, he's eating, he's drinking, and I know it can take a while to see if the string will pass.

I did some research and one preventative measure I've seen people and vets recommend is feeding either olive oil or petroleum jelly, to help the string pass.

Have any of you ever done this / think it's safe to do this?

Or would you just take him to the vet, in case?

 

[momhappy]

Call your vet if your concerned, but most likely your cat is fine. I would not feed your cat petroleum jelly unless instructed to by your vet.

 

[amc80]

My cat ate a big piece of ribbon one year. It was over a foot long. Some of it came out on it's own, which is when I found out she had eaten it. I had to pull the rest out. So gross.

 

[ruby59]

I went through this with my cat when he ate a piece of tinsel from the Christmas tree. Keep an eye on him to make sure he is eating and drinking. Also that he is able to urinate and deficate. My vet told me sometimes string and tinsel, etc. can wrap around the intestines, strangling it. To be absolutely sure, I brought mine in for an x-ray. I would not feed him anything out of the ordinary unless authorized by your vet. It could do more harm than good.

 

[kindred]

DON'T PULL IT! If any comes out, use a scissors to snip it off. If string comes out and you pull on it you may kill the cat if it has wrapped around the intestines. I would call a vet and get an x-ray right away if it were me. Your cat may be fine but why chance it?

 

[sonnyjane]

My cat ate a big piece of ribbon one year. It was over a foot long. Some of it came out on it's own, which is when I found out she had eaten it. I had to pull the rest out. So gross.

Had to do this before with gift ribbon also so I completely relate! I also agree with the grossness lol! I didn't pull it out because I was afraid of hurting something inside him... just would cut it with scissors in increments as it came out on its own so it wasn't dangling out of his butt. How's that for delightful?

OP... just monitor it. Don't feed your cat anything to help it along. It might do more harm than good. He might hack it up or poop it out. Just keep an eye out.

 

[JulieN]

just watch him. If there is blockage he will show distress.

 

[movie zombie]

our vet says she's seen some very nasty death's due to such things.
I'd recommend calling our vet if for nothing more than peace of mind [your mind!].

 

[JewelFreak]

Get him to the vet! That can be very dangerous and result in a painful death. He must be x-rayed.

Don't wait to see if he's ok because if he's not, it will be too late by the time you find out.

--- Laurie

 

[CJ2008]

I just realized I never updated this sorry I've been feeling so busy and stressed I haven't been back much.

He is OK thank goodness - that same day he threw up the string.

But it's made me realize that I need a "policy" on shopping bags or anything with strings - like they don't make it inside the house. I don't know how practical this is but I need to do something more drastic. As careful as we are, I feel like it's enough.

 

[CJ2008]

My cat ate a big piece of ribbon one year. It was over a foot long. Some of it came out on it's own, which is when I found out she had eaten it. I had to pull the rest out. So gross.

One thing amc80 that I found out through research that day...never pull on a string...you don't know what it's tied to around inside him...supposedly what you're supposed to do is cut it as close to his butt as possible. And hopefully it will keep passing on its own.

 

[JewelFreak]

So glad he's ok, CJ. That stuff is very dangerous. It does take constant supervision, finding anything he shouldn't eat, and quickly. My cat has a thing for rubber bands -- equally dangerous. I am death on the family about throwing them out securely -- not in a wastebasket he can get into & I don't hesitate to holler if anyone is careless. It's life & death (or expensive surgery if you're quick enough). Nice requests are ok for some things, but I want them to remember every single time. They don't if I ask namby pamby.

If an animal swallows something like that & you don't know it, by the time you hit the vet, there can be too much necrotic tissue from where it tangled on something in the innards, and he has to be put down.

Great it worked out this time!!

--- Laurie

 

[OreoRosies86]

I just went through this with my Bear and his fascination with tree tinsel. He got a trip to the vet and ended up leaving sparkly gifts in the litter but was otherwise fine

 

[innerkitten]

He may throw it up. When did it happen? My cat eats string handles from shopping bags once and a while and it usually comes back up an hour later. But I would call your vet just to be on the safe side.

 

[innerkitten]

Oh just saw your update. Glad he's okay! Yes I try not to leave bags with string where my cat can get it but sometimes he does. It's a good idea of yours not to bring then in the house in the first place. I should try that.

I have another cat that eats wool. So we have to be very careful not to leave wool sweaters or scarves laying around. Not just because I worry about my cat but also because I don't want to lose anymore sweaters.

 

[JewelFreak]

Ha! IK, I have a similar problem with my dog. She eats buttons -- rips them off shirts, usually taking some fabric with them. She has even unwrapped new shirts before I get them out of the packaging, and eaten all the buttons on them. Have to hang blouses up or lose them -- can't count the number she's wrecked. At least buttons come out the other end pretty quickly.

--- Laurie

 

[innerkitten]

Ha! IK, I have a similar problem with my dog. She eats buttons -- rips them off shirts, usually taking some fabric with them. She has even unwrapped new shirts before I get them out of the packaging, and eaten all the buttons on them. Have to hang blouses up or lose them -- can't count the number she's wrecked. At least buttons come out the other end pretty quickly.

--- Laurie

Oh dear! Animals get the weirdest obsessions! My old roommates cat used to collect black socks from the rooms of various roommates, and carry them around the house like they were her babies. Then she would eventually deposit them in a pile on her owners rug. Only dark colored socks. We called them sock kittens!

 

[JewelFreak]

Sock kittens, hahaha, cute. I wonder what they think when they do things like that? I had a sock-loving Siberian who often brought one sock downstairs -- any color, any kind -- but just one at a time. She dropped it in the middle of the living room & arranged it just perfectly (to her) with her nose, then backed away & lay down a few feet away, staring at it. A few minutes later she'd get up & nose it into a better position, back up & evaluate it, then nudge again -- it was just a lump of sock, but she saw art -- and lie down again with an expression of such satisfaction, you'd think she created the Mona Lisa. After about 10 minutes she was bored & walked off. She did this whether or not anybody was in the room or even home -- it was for her own creative impulse alone. Cracked us up when we found her sock sculpture on the rug every few days.

--- Laurie