My cat ate a fabric hair tie and is acting normal. What should I do?

Oh no, Nina! Fortunately it was a small piece, but yes, this could still be a cause for concern for causing an intestinal obstruction. Closely monitor Nina for signs of vomiting, lethargy or a loss of appetite. If you observe anything abnormal, you will need to take Nina to a vet immediately for evaluation. Also monitor her stool to watch for signs of the hair tie passing. You may not see it, but it doesn't hurt to look to be sure that it passes. I hope that all goes well!

I would keep an eye on her for now. If she starts acting lethargic, vomiting, having diarrhea, becomes anorexic, or doesn't pass any feces at all, then I would take her into the vet immediately. Hopefully, this hair tie will pass without problem, but you can give her a teaspoon of canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) to add more fiber to her diet to see if that helps her pass feces. I hope this helps!

If Chewy is acting normal so far, I wouldn't be concerned just yet - the hair tie could possibly cause an obstruction, but there's a good chance that it will pass through without causing any problems. Signs of a possible obstruction would include repeated episodes of vomiting, not wanting to eat, and acting lethargic - if he develops any of these symptoms, I would have him seen by a vet right away. But as long as he is acting normal, eating and drinking with no vomiting, I wouldn't worry. In most cases, objects like this will pass through within 2-3 days of being swallowed; you can look for it in his stool so that you'll know once it's safely out :)

If he ate the shoe-lace within the past 90 minutes, take your cat to a PetER where they can make him vomit and hopefully bring up the lace. If it has been longer, then you need to monitor him for diarrhea and vomiting and if this occurs, take him to a PetER for an exam as he then may have an obstruction of his intestine. Should the lace pass naturally and you see it sticking out from his anus, do NOT pull on it. It needs to be pushed out naturally. Pulling on it may damage your cat's intestine.

Yes you always have to be worried with potential foreign body ingestions. Hair ties are pretty small so the chance that they can cause blockages are slim, but they can still get stuck in the intestines and cause problems There are two possibilities at this point: 1) There is another hair tie still in there ( this will take some deductive reasoning in your part) that is stuck. 2) All hair ties have been expelled and your pet now just has an upset stomach due to dietary indiscretion. The odds are good because it is very small and had no sharp edges. With small foreign bodies it is recommended feed the pet a bulking agent like 1/2-1 loaf of bread or canned food that will help bind any additional objects within the GI tract and potentially help expel them out of the system. Good luck with your kitty and I hope that things will progress uneventful in the next couple of days. - Dr.H

Tape should not cause a problem, and it should pass in time. To be safe, monitor him for vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, and/or lethargy. If you see any of those signs, take him into the vet. Best of luck.

Luckily is was only a short piece of fringe. Usually when cats eat strings and yarn that cause intestinal perforations the length is longer than two inches. If there is a medical problem she will become painful, stop eating and may not poop regularly. She should be out of the woods in another day or two. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Maisy.