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Cat ate 8-9 inches thread in a knot. Advice needed, please!

oilyanimalhuman

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Hi, my cat ate 8-9 inches thread tied in a knot around over 12 hours ago. I was using the thread while he was sleeping as I know not to leave things like that around. The thread got knotted so I pulled it off and placed it down. I was just finishing using the thread as he woke up and I heard chewing beside me. I knew that he had just ate the thread and I started to panic as I know eating non food items are not good. He seemed fine afterwards although he made a few sounds as if he was trying to digest the knotted thread. I give him his last raw meat meal of the day to try and help the digestion of the knotted thread with the food and he ate it. I also give him some coconut oil to help with his stool coming quicker. It's been over 12 hours now and he still seems fine, purring as usual. I just give him his morning raw meat meal and he ate it all. A few hours ago it sounded as though he was hiccuping for around 2 minutes, does anybody know why? I have emailed a local vet for some advice and any advice off anybody would be very much appreciated! Has anybody been through the same thing? Or used petroleum jelly? Is there anything I can do to help him and help him poop quicker? Please do reply with any advice! Thank you!
 

oilyanimalhuman

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He just had his first poop and there was no knotted thread in it. He is acting his usual self and playing. Should I wait for the second poop? Should I try and feed him a little bit more food to help him poop quicker? Thank you!
 

oilyanimalhuman

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It was ethier cotton or polyester. You could easy snap it. It came on a cardboard thing. Please let me know what you think with your advice! Thank you!
 

Catzzzmeow

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If it was cotton it can often pass. Most vets will always say keep a very close eye on them look for vomiting, no eating etc.

I found this for you if a cat swallows thread/yarn:


Step 1: Approach the cat carefully. If your cat is nervous or anxious, restrain the cat if necessary.

Step 2: If nothing is visible, proceed to Step 3. If thread, string, or yarn is hanging out of the cat's mouth or rectum:

Step 2a: Pull on the material lightly. If you feel resistance, stop. Do not continue to pull the material.

Step 2b: Cut off the material as short as possible and proceed to Step 3.

Step 3: Give the cat one tablespoon of white petroleum jelly. Using a small amount each time, rub the jelly on the cat's mouth and paws. The cat will lick it off. Do not give the cat mineral oil.

Step 4: If vomiting occurs or the cat stops eating, transport to the veterinarian immediately.


You might never see the thread in the poop, but if no issues in a couple of days, hopefully you will be in the clear. It’s great they already pooped and is eating like a champ. Keep us updated.
 

oilyanimalhuman

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Maybe the poop he had before was from Friday and early Saturdays food and the next poop may contain yesterday nights thread and food and today's food. He's acting his usual self and has just had his next raw meat feed and ate it all. I am just worried in case he doesn't show any symptoms and the thread is stuck or has got tangled. I am hoping it comes out in his next poop as it says online some things could take longer to go through. Is petroleum jelly safe to consume for a Sphynx cat? Let me know please! If I don't see the thread in the poop, where do you think it will be? I just don't want to worry him by taking him to the vet if it's going to come out in his poop. I will keep you updated! Thank you!
 

Catzzzmeow

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Everything I read says it is safe...but you can call and check with your vet. You may never find the thread so don’t assume you will. It can breakdown and not be visible etc. the biggest things is to keep an eye on your baby’s behavior and no blood in poop etc.
 
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Cleopatra Beers

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Hi
About all that I can say about your situation is to hang in there. If he isn’t vomiting and is eating normally, he will probably be okay. The fact that the thread was knotted up is probably working in your favor. He probably literally slurped it up as a knot or wad, and hopefully it will work its way through.
What I can tell you is about what happened when Cleo ate 32 inches of acrylic yarn. It was a Sunday morning, and she apparently ate it in the middle of the night, because she woke us up vomiting. She vomited twice between 3 and 5 AM, and when we gave her breakfast, she vomited it up almost immediately. Then she kept vomiting, about 5 times in all by the time we got her to the emergency vet. Her x-rays showed her intestines were folded up on themselves like an accordion, so she had immediate surgery.
All of this happened 7 years ago, when she was 11 months old. Since then, both cats have eaten small pieces of yarn and bits of wool fiber with no problems. Like you, I am extremely careful to keep thread and yarn put away from them, but they are really fast, and seem to be determined to eat things that are not edible.
 

Catzzzmeow

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No idea how long. We had one of ours eat part of the curling ribbon from a balloon once and I freaked as that is extremely dangerous as is it known to be sharp and can cut internally. I knew how dangerous so the balloon was in a closet and hubby didn’t notice the string slipped out when he grabbed something from the closet. I looked for 4 days and never saw a piece of it in poop so I knew we were safe. Needless to say no more balloons with strings are allowed in the house.
 

Catzzzmeow

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I knew to wait and watch. No symptoms what so ever. Lucky for you a short thread and no needle. Keeping positive thoughts and have a good feeling your baby will be fine. The slightest issue get them in.
 

oilyanimalhuman

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Hi
About all that I can say about your situation is to hang in there. If he isn’t vomiting and is eating normally, he will probably be okay. The fact that the thread was knotted up is probably working in your favor. He probably literally slurped it up as a knot or wad, and hopefully it will work its way through.
What I can tell you is about what happened when Cleo ate 32 inches of acrylic yarn. It was a Sunday morning, and she apparently ate it in the middle of the night, because she woke us up vomiting. She vomited twice between 3 and 5 AM, and when we gave her breakfast, she vomited it up almost immediately. Then she kept vomiting, about 5 times in all by the time we got her to the emergency vet. Her x-rays showed her intestines were folded up on themselves like an accordion, so she had immediate surgery.
All of this happened 7 years ago, when she was 11 months old. Since then, both cats have eaten small pieces of yarn and bits of wool fiber with no problems. Like you, I am extremely careful to keep thread and yarn put away from them, but they are really fast, and seem to be determined to eat things that are not edible.
Hi! Thank you for your message! I really hope so and that it comes out in his next poop or it isn't stuck somewhere. If it were stuck, I'm sure he would be getting some sort of symptoms though. He is acting his usual self and is playing. I am still waiting for the vet to contact me back with some advice as I worry and need to make sure it will come out in his poop and not be stuck anywhere. I am glad that you got it sorted and your Cleo is fine now! I know, he knows not to eat stuff like that but he likes to lick things thinking it is a toy and it probably got stuck on his tongue and the only other option was to eat it. All the best to you and your lovely cats!
 

oilyanimalhuman

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I knew to wait and watch. No symptoms what so ever. Lucky for you a short thread and no needle. Keeping positive thoughts and have a good feeling your baby will be fine. The slightest issue get them in.
Thank you for your advice and message! I am very grateful for every message! Positive thoughts always! I definitely will! Thank you again and take care, you and your lovely cats!
 

CathyO

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@oilyanimalhuman my sphynx accidentally ate a thicker “garterized” rope around 2-3mm thick, also with a small knot, but much shorter around 2-3 inches. I tied and hung her “chew bone” supervised once but I blinked and it was too late when I saw her bite off and swallow the tip of the bone along with the rope.

She was acting fine and normal through out so I didn’t really do anything special but I cleaned out all litter boxes right away and sort of separated the cats so I can monitor the right poop. Online it says it takes 24 hrs but in my cat’s case it took 48 hrs.

Since hers was a thicker rope, it looked like digested fibrous brown thread-poop, 1-2mm thick, connecting two firmer than usual stool by about a centimetre. It definitely didn’t look like rope but it also didn’t look like her usual poop as it was drier. To make sure it’s rope I had to use gloves to actually feel it and it was solid enough that it didn’t easily crumble like everything else surrounding it. The first 24 hrs was similar but it wasn’t rope.

Hope this helps. Boy, that was the scariest moment I had and u betcha I never ever used rope of any kind anymore around my sphynx as in my case I was actually supervising her. I also knew I can easily to go my vet drop in had she acted weird in any way those two days.
 

oilyanimalhuman

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@oilyanimalhuman my sphynx accidentally ate a thicker “garterized” rope around 2-3mm thick, also with a small knot, but much shorter around 2-3 inches. I tied and hung her “chew bone” supervised once but I blinked and it was too late when I saw her bite off and swallow the tip of the bone along with the rope.

She was acting fine and normal through out so I didn’t really do anything special but I cleaned out all litter boxes right away and sort of separated the cats so I can monitor the right poop. Online it says it takes 24 hrs but in my cat’s case it took 48 hrs.

Since hers was a thicker rope, it looked like digested fibrous brown thread-poop, 1-2mm thick, connecting two firmer than usual stool by about a centimetre. It definitely didn’t look like rope but it also didn’t look like her usual poop as it was drier. To make sure it’s rope I had to use gloves to actually feel it and it was solid enough that it didn’t easily crumble like everything else surrounding it. The first 24 hrs was similar but it wasn’t rope.

Hope this helps. Boy, that was the scariest moment I had and u betcha I never ever used rope of any kind anymore around my sphynx as in my case I was actually supervising her. I also knew I can easily to go my vet drop in had she acted weird in any way those two days.
I am glad that she pooped it out! So do you think I should wait for the second poop or around 48 hours? Rope is thicker than thread so it would probably take longer but with him eating raw meat, he poops less so it could take around that time for it to come out. I know, it freaked me out when I realised it was the thread he was eating as I read beforehand about cats eating thread as I do a lot of research and always know not to leave stuff like that lying around but thought I could use the thread when he was sleeping as I didn't expect him to wake up until I was done using the thread. The first poop that he had today, I pulled it all apart and tried to find the thread but couldn't. I am hoping the vet contact us tomorrow with some advice! I have fed him a little extra today but not enough to constipate him just so I can help him poop quicker. Thank you for telling me your experience!
 
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oilyanimalhuman

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The vet rang us and told us as long as he has no symptoms, there's no need to bring him to the vet as all they could do is analyze him and feel his stomach which i could do anyway. and they said the x-ray wouldn't pick up the thread so they couldn't do anything until there is symptoms. I asked her if the thread would disappear in his stomach over time and she said that it would go somewhere but wouldn't cause anything to happen. But i read online that sometimes it could take months for a item or object to go through and then it may cause obstruction. but there would be symptoms leading up to that, right? I am just waiting for his next poop and hoping it comes out then or even his third poop! He is still acting his usual lovely self and is eating good. I hope the thread will be in his next poop!
 
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