My Cat Took A Hair Tie

Cats may seem low maintenance animals, but there are numerous things they require their owners to be wary of. A good example is hair ties which can cause serious harm when swallowed by cats who like playing with or chewing them on purpose. A pet owner named Ramphasto recently shared images on Imgur of Ollie the cat who underwent a very painful surgical procedure after indulging too many hair ties which ultimately caused him to experience gastrointestinal blockage.

Imgur post went viral after publication, prompting many readers to share how similar experiences had occurred with their own cats. Many also shared stories of how their cats behaved after eating certain items – some stories were quite frightening! While most people understand they should keep pets away from sharp objects such as nails and screws, hearing of cats consuming things other than food such as hair ties or rubber bands is uncommon.

Hair ties can be very hazardous to cats’ health as non-edible objects and potential choke points, yet many don’t think about how dangerous they really can be. Hair ties are made out of elastic material coated in soft fabric that may or may not contain metal pieces to secure fabric over elastic. A clump of 37 hair ties could create enough blockage in a cat’s intestines to cause complete obstruction resulting in either suffocation or death.

Cats’ small size makes them vulnerable to choking on objects such as hair ties, especially if they get caught between their teeth and tongue. If ingested completely, the hair tie could lodge itself somewhere within their gastrointestinal system – such as their esophagus, stomach or intestines.

Hair ties may pass out of your cat’s system and into their stool, though this could take several days before showing up there. Therefore, it’s wise to regularly inspect their feces in case there’s a clump present that needs finding.

If you notice hair ties in your cat’s stool, contact your veterinarian immediately and inform them what has occurred. An induce vomiting procedure could help eliminate further complications that could develop from this incident.

Your vet may conduct radiographs or x-rays to check for hair ties clumping up in your cat’s digestive tract or whether they have moved further down their intestinal tract. They may suggest changing his/her diet to a wet food diet in order to lubricate this area and help the hair ties pass out of his system more quickly.

After the hair ties have passed, your cat should begin to feel better and recover fully from any damage or obstruction to their gastrointestinal tract. If any other symptoms emerge, please call your veterinarian immediately as immediate emergency care may be required.