We all love playing with our cats and often they love the simplest toys, such as a box or a ball of string. There is however a risk to your cat playing with any form of string or thread.
Dr. Parlak said in his article: “Gastrointestinal foreign bodies are common in animals and may present with various clinical manifestations depending on the location, severity, and duration of the obstruction. Linear foreign body (LFB) obstructions are more common in cats compared to dogs, and the foreign body causing the obstruction is usually thread or threaded needle.”
Content:
- Why Do Cats Eat String
- What Happens If a Cat Eats String
- What to Do If Your Cat Eats String
- Conclusion
Why Do Cats Eat String
Cats are carnivorous animals, and are born with the instinct to hunt rats, mice, birds and other small creatures. Most rodents that they would hunt in the wild have a tail, like a piece of string. They are curious creatures by nature and often bat, pounce or play with household items to see if they get a reaction.
When cats play with balls or strings, they are mimicking hunting behaviour as if they were in the wild. If they play with a ball of wool they can end up stuck in the wool from all the twisting and turning they do while playing. Often, they chew on string and rope while playing with it and can swallow small, or even long pieces. All of this is natural behaviour, even though it isn’t safe for any cat to swallow string.
String is most often made from fibrous material which your cat cannot digest. The safest thing to do for your feline friend is to ensure that they do not have access to string, yarn, ribbon or wool. When buying toys for your cat choose ones that do not have string or rope attached that can be removed or chewed on.
What Happens If a Cat Eats String
Unfortunately, accidents do happen, and cats do land up at the veterinarian after swallowing string or thread. If you know your cat has swallowed a piece of string it is very important to take him to the vet as soon as possible and not try and induce vomiting. Even if it seems like the string is only under your cat’s tongue it can be just the tip of the iceberg with most of it already having travelled into the stomach and intestines. Pulling at the end that is visible in the mouth can cause more damage to the organs.
String that becomes stuck in your cat’s stomach or intestines is a serious risk to their health. If left untreated and not removed surgically it can be fatal for your cat.
If you spend periods of time away from home (such as for work) it is always recommended to have a pet camera so that you can check in on your feline friend and make sure they are not getting up to mischief in your absence.
Dr. Hunt says: “Linear foreign bodies, however, present particular problems for surgeons. String, cords, fabric and tape are capable of passing through the gastrointestinal tract uneventfully, but create problems when one end becomes lodged and the remainder of the foreign body is propelled along the intestine by peristalsis.”
What to Do If Your Cat Eats String
A question many parents ask is how can they tell if their cat ate string if they did not see it happening?
Symptoms to look out for are:
- Continuously licking lips or trying to get something out of their mouth
- Abdominal pain
- Vomiting up food
- Decreased appetite
- Lethargy
- Straining to defecate
- Unusual hiding behaviour
- Aggression when handled
- Diarrhoea that may be blood tinged
- Or there may be a piece of string hanging out of the mouth
If you suspect your cat ingested a string, then that is considered an emergency. You will need to take your cat to your veterinarian as soon as possible. Your vet may want to sedate your cat, take x-rays, do an endoscopy examination and possibly an ultrasound. If there is string or yarn stuck in the stomach or intestines that would require Emergency Fund to remove. At times like this you will wish you invested in an emergency fund so that money does not limit your treatment options.
Dr. Bebchuk said: “Cats may demonstrate vague mild signs of a chronic nature, they may have acute or severe vomiting and diarrhea, or they may be in hypovolemic or septic shock. The clinical signs vary depending on the location of the obstruction, the degree of obstruction, the foreign body causing the obstruction, and the chronicity of obstruction.”
Conclusion
If you know that your cat has swallowed a piece of string don’t wait for symptoms to appear, rather take them to the vet straight away to prevent any serious damage to organs. The best thing you can do for your cat is to ‘cat-proof’ your home and prevent any possibility of foreign body ingestion.
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