I'm pretty sure one of my cats ate almost 2 feet of string! *update on pg 2*

[noel]

I am just so sick this morning.

I woke up and walked out of our bedroom and found my work ID on the floor in the living room. One of our cats chewed through the lanyard string on my work ID and probably ate it. We've looked everywhere for the string and it's nowhere to be found.

DH and I are pretty confident that it was our younger cat Daisy, as she will chew on or eat any fuzz or crumbs on the ground and is only 2 years old - our other cat is 11 and doesn't bother with stuff like this. It's made out of black cord/string that's about the same size as a piece of spaghetti. I figure it's at least 18-24 inches that's gone!

Pugsley ate several feet of red yarn when he was only 3 mos old and almost died, so we know what to watch for as far signs that the cat is in trouble. We've been extra careful ever since then as far as things w/strings on them.

So DH called the vet and for now there's nothing we can do. If she doesn't start acting sick over the next 24 hours or so, she'll be fine.

So til then, I'm hoping and praying that she'll be ok.
Thanks for reading!

 

[SetzKitten]

I'm sorry for your poor kitty. My cat once ate the string that you use to tie up a turkey. I'd guess it was about a foot and half long. We didn't even know he ate it until it came out the other end. Keep us posted on how she's doing.

 

[ducklite]

Pump a tube of Cat Lax down her throat over the next four or five hours to try to move things along, and keep a close eye on the litter pan. If things start showing up, you might be OK, if not, get her to the vet!!!

Anne

 

[Pete's Mom]

I'm sorry, but it's going to be okay, just a tummy ache. Please keep us posted.

 

[Serena]

Poor thing. I hope your kitty will be alright.

 

[Pooh67_68]

Here's hoping she will be fine.

 

[Tinkerbelle739]

Our cat once ate tinsel from our Christmas Tree. I wont even bother telling you what we had to do, it was

He was fine, we were not!

 

[MinnieMe2]

Just remember, if the string does start to show up, but the cat doesn't expel all of it don't pull the rest of it out! . Give it a chance to work out on its own, and if it doesn't, go to the vet's.

I hope your little girl is okay. Being a mom is never easy, we try so hard to do the right thing, and then -- BANG! -- stuff happens anyway.

Hugs to you, hubby, and the cat.

 

[noel]

Thank you so much everyone...it helps a lot since I'm at work and now the cats are home alone.

DH had to leave the house to do a few things for work but should be able to go home before noon.
I may leave work a few hours early today so I can go home and check on her.

More than anything I just don't want her to hurt.

I guess she really could have taken the sting and hid it in a good spot, but I guess I should stop obsessing about it and just wait and see what happens.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[chrissyk]

I thought that a cat eating string was a veternary emergency. It can really mess them up inside! At least call the vet and see what they say. I hope that she passes it with no problems.

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

YIKES!!!! I hope everything comes out okay

Our persian once swallowed a long piece of dental floss. It is scary when your just left to wait and see . . .

 

[dvcfamily41801]

Hope your cat is okay, please let us know.

 

[noel]

DH called the vet's office at 7am and they said for now the best thing is to watch her and wait.

The vet said unless she starts to throw up, act sick/different or stops going to the bathroom, there's no reason to bring her in.

I guess for now I agree with that. It's just the waiting that I can't stand!

 

[Elwood Blues]

Hope the little bugger is ok.

But look on the bright side, if the output is of the right texture, maybe you could make a necklace as a keepsake.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Eating string can be very dangerous.

The reason that string is more dangerous than other foriegn substances is because it can get wrapped around the intestines. However, if your cat continues to go to the bathroom normally, she will probably be okay. Just keep a very close watch on her litterbox and what lands in it. If you do see any string starting to pass, do not tug on it. If it won't pass on it's own, you'll want to check with your vet. Tugging on the string , if there is more inside the cats body, could hurt her more by causing a lot of tension on the intestines.

My dog has gotten a hold of string before and has always been able to pass it.

So I'm not trying to scare you. But any linear foriegn object, over 2 inches long, yarn, string, tinsel, twine can be very serious. Please keep us posted.

Sheri

 

[noel]

Sheri I know you're not trying to scare me!
I appreciate everyone's suggestions and honesty.

Again, I know exactly how awful this can be, because I've already been through this before. In my original post, my 11 year old cat ate several feet of red yarn when he was just a tiny kitten. The vet said it was nothing short of a miracle that he suddenly began to eat and pass the yarn after 2 days of him being lethargic.

The vet said that there is no point in rushing her to the vet until we know for sure that she really did eat the string - and believe me I'll know - the awfuls sounds Pugs made when he was sick is something I'll never be able to forget.

Again...thank you so much everyone. I feel so dumb sometimes getting wrapped up in what my cats do, but I know this is one place where people will truly understand me.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

:hug I do hope she recovers very quickly.

 

[stacilee]

My suggestion goes along with a previous poster that recommends cat lax,although I'd be afraid to give a whole tube because it might cause stomach cramping.

You might also want to bulk up his/her stool (sorry to be gross- former vet tech here) you can go the route of a high fiber food OR you can get a can of pumpkin pie filling at the store. **Just the plain kind NOT the one that has all the extra ingredients in it.

Most cats and dogs really like it and it is a grat way to increase their fiber intake if they tend to have loose stools anyway. That AND cat lax (or other fur ball remedy) should push whatever is in there along to a sucessful end. (couldn't resist)

** note- for dogs. If your dog eats something sharp, like rocks, lightbulbs, lego....... the doc I used to work with prescribed:

Vasaline sandwiches on squishy wheat bread!

It worked like a charm too.

The fiber added bulk and the vasaline provided the lubrication (so to speak).

Although eating string IS potentially dangerous, most animals pass it sucessfully.

One thing to keep in mind is that IF you start seeing it coming out that end, the earier poster is correct in stating DO NOT PULL ON IT, but do not just leave it hangin' there in the wind either.

Have someone hold the furbaby wrapped in a bathtowel while you inspect for it's appearance a few times a day and IF there is some protruding from their heiny-hole, snip it off as close as you can get it (safely of course) with a pair of scissors.

Some animals will go bonkers trying to get it out themselves and do one or more of a couple of things; Start a skin, or in males- a urinary tract infection from all that licking and cleaning, hurt there colon pulling at it or Heaven forbid! eat it all over again!

I say, these pets of ours, sometimes they are WORSE than kids!

 

[noel]

It just after 6pm here and so far Daisy seems fine - she's drinking, eating and playing like she normally does...I'm not sure that she's pooped yet, so DH and I are watching her very closely tonight to see if she goes.
I searched again and didn't find the string....

So hopefully our night will be very uneventful, again thanks everyone for your kind words and suggestions.

 

[noel]

Daisy is still doing fine....she had a "movement" at around 1030 this morning but no sign of any string in her litter box or coming from her, um, rear - not even as of an hour ago.

DH did said she let out 2 meows when she was in her box and was afraid of what he'd find, but she was fine afterwards.
She's eating, drinking, playing and cuddling like normal, so that's good at least.

We did feed her some PLAIN canned pumpkin, and much to our shock she chowed it down. She won't eat the majority of people food that most cats love like tuna or cheese, so I didn't think there was any way she'd even try it, so thanks for the suggestion stacilee!

Even if she's totally fine tomorrow, she's going to the vet just so I can be sure that she's ok. We were supposed to go out of town for the weekend and planned on leaving tomorrow afternoon, but we aren't going to leave until Sat morning. My best friend is a huge cat lover, THANK GOD, and will check on her several times Sat & Sun afternoon.

Sorry to post such a gross update, but posting here helps take my mind of things.