My cat ate felt from a toy. Is he okay? What signs should I watch for?

I certainly hope that Jolly didn't eat the ball! It can take up to a couple of days for signs to show that she may have eaten the ball. These signs include vomiting, anorexia, diarrhea, lethargy, and constipation. Those indicate an obstruction, which can occur if the ball is too big to pass through the intestines. Because it is a small ball ,there is a chance Jolly can defecate it, and it can take up to 72 hours for that to happen. I would monitor her for the next 72 hours, and if you see any signs of obstruction that I mentioned above, then you need to find a vet to see her right away, even if it means traveling with her. That's because an obstruction is fatal without treatment. Hopefully though, it will pass without problem :-)

Poor girl. Unfortunately the only thing you can do now is to monitor her for any signs of a foreign body obstruction, which includes excessive vomiting, lethargy, lack of appetite, or small stool size. If you see these symptoms then a vet visit is recommended to have testing done and determine if she will need surgery to remove the cloth that she ingested. I hope that she will be ok. Best of luck to you moving forward with Nala, and keep a close eye on her in the next few days for any changes. Take care.

You should be looking for vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and anorexia. Those are signs of a foreign body ingestion causing an obstruction. You can also take PJ into a vet now to get x-rays to look for them. Best of luck.

Oh no, Snow! Tinsel and feathers run the risk of causing an intestinal obstruction/blockage by means of a linear foreign body. In these cases, the material gets stuck in the stomach or intestines and essentially causes the intestines to bunch together like an accordion. Sometimes this material can also get stuck under the tongue, so if you can safely open her mouth to look under the tongue, that would be helpful. If you see material under the tongue or if it has been less than two hours since Snow ate the feathers and tinsel, consider taking her to the vet to have vomiting induced. If it has been longer than two hours since the time of ingestion, you can closely monitor her for signs of vomiting, lethargy, and inappetence, as these can indicate an obstruction. If you do see any of these signs, Snow should be seen by her vet immediately because obstructions are a surgical emergency. That said, it is also quite possible that she passes this material in her stool.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Ingestion of cotton stuffing from toys and such can be an issue if it causes an obstruction in the intestines. This can be extremely uncomfortable and even result in a torsion or perforation. Fortunately, if it a small enough amount, it will typically pass. I recommend keeping a close eye on Jasper for vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, or lethargy as these may be signs of an obstruction. I’m happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern. If Chester is acting normal and there is no vomiting, abdominal pain, lethargy or inappetance then I would monitor for now. If you do start to notice any of these changes, I would get Chester in to see a veterinarian to have an examination and abdominal x-rays or abdominal ultrasound to see if there is an intestinal obstruction due to the ingested toy. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

What you are describing does fit with an intestinal obstruction. The only other thing that we also commonly see is vomiting. The most concerning thing is that you report that he is acting extremely lethargic. Cats are very good at hiding their pain, so when they get this depressed, it indicates a severe problem. If you also think that he may have eaten a small toy, then I would recommend taking him to the vet as soon as possible. It would be less concerning if he was still active and eating, but a bowel obstruction can cause severe pain and quickly lead to life-threatening complications. I hope that helps and Binx gets better soon.