Cat question

[Orrex]

One of my felines, savvy predator that he is, has developed a taste for string, twine, yarn, and the like. Lately his favorite snack has been the ribbony plastic "sting" used to tie helium balloons, several of which are currently bobbing around our house in the wake of my son's birthday.

My cat continues to snag these delicious strings and chew on them until he liberates a tasty length which he sometimes endeavors to swallow. Most often he simply returns the swallowed string soon thereafter, along with a thick and colorful paste, but recently I found that one bit of string had made it all the way through and out the other side of the cat.

This presents a problem, clearly. We have already eliminated his access to the balloons, so he won't be eating any more strings from them, but what if he already has some inside his foul, stink-producing guts? Is there something I can administer to help him pass the string? Is he in danger in the meantime?

I'm afraid I must say this: an expensive trip to the vet is not an option. My sister-in-law recently unloaded several thousand dollars to get a hambone removed from her dog, and I don't have the means to undertake a similar investment in what has already turned out to be the most expensive "free" cat since ancient Egypt.

And please, let's avoid any witty "CAT scan" jokes.

So what do you recommend? Will this, too, pass? Should I squeeze him like a tube of toothpaste and help things along? Should I feed him more string, still attached to the balloon, and let him float around?

[mike_c]

1. most of the time it will probably pass, especially if it's soft...

...but it's never a good idea for pets to eat indigestible items that could potentially cause intestinal blockage, so I'd be careful to restrict access to any more.

[reyd reid reed]

2. You could always try

giving him some of that hairball paste to try and help it along.

:shrug:

[Orrex]

3. If that works, from which end will the string exit?

If the latter, then I'm reasonably confident that he'll put it in the box.

If the former, then I'm worried that he'll adhere to cat tradition and avoid the linoleum in favor of the carpet.

Not a deal-breaker, but I want to know what I'm in for!

[Critters2]

4. It'll almost certainly exit through the rear. nt

[reyd reid reed]

6. From the latter...

hairball remedies are, essentially, laxatives.

String is dangerous for cats to ingest. I hope that everything *ahem* comes out okay.

[bertha katzenengel]

5. DO NOT PULL IF STRING APPEARS HANGING FROM REAR!

Orrex, I'm sorry -- it could be big trouble. String is about the most dangerous thing a cat can eat. Sometimes -- not always, mind -- it can get so mixed up around inside the gut that the gut gets twined up itself, and it can be fatal, surgery or no surgery.

If you see a string hanging from his rear end, DO NOT PULL IT. It can cut his gut. Get him to a vet immediately.

Just keep a good eye on kitty, Orrex. If he starts getting listless, or straining in the box, get him to the vet.

Sorry to give you such worry. I'm not usually alarmist like this, but really, string can hurt a cat. Good luck, and I'll keep a good thought for him. :hi:

[Orrex]

7. See, the thing is I'm not even sure that he swallowed any more

I'm just trying to brace for possible outcomes.

[sammythecat]

12. That was good advice from bertha katzenengel

There is a product sold to promote the passing of furballs through the gut. Hartz makes one sold over the counter, but I can't remember the name. It looks like a tube of toothpaste and cats will eat it right from the tube. It's a lubricant and might help. It will do no harm and is a health treat as well.

I can't remember the cost, but I know it was inexpensive. A few dollars.

If you've had some dealings with a Vet, I'll bet if you called you could get some free advice. I'd call.

[VenusRising]

10. Good call, bertha katzenengel!!

Don't pull the string. Very dangerous for kitty.

:hi:

[Bake]

15. Not that you'd WANT to pull it, anyway ...

Eeeeeeeeeew.

Bake

[Orrex]

8. Thanks everyone for your input!

I'll report back later about my cat's output.

[China_cat]

9. If you need to 'move' things along

use canned pumpkin. The plain stuff, not the pie filling with eggs and sugar already added. You'll be surprised, but he'll eat it. (A teaspoon full is usually more than enough...make cookies with the rest)

[Orrex]

11. Funny that you should mention that

When we carve jack-o-lanterns, we can't stop him from eating the pumpkin guts. We just figured that he was attempting to recharge his orangeness:

[Richard Steele]

13. We've successfully (mostly) switched our cats' string fixation to edible plants.

Since we got the little pots of oatgrass, and let them
know that it's OK for them to eat it, their interest
in chewing other stringlike things has fallen WAY off.

[ddeclue]

14. So when he meows after inhaling the helium from the balloon..is it really high pitched?

:rofl: