My cat ate hair ties. What signs of obstruction should I watch for?

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!

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

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.

If Atlas seems OK, I would keep an eye on him while you continue to search for the item. Signs to look out for of a possible obstruction include vomiting, diarrhea, attempting to vomit without being able to, loss of appetite, lethargy or pain in the abdomen. A cat that isn't feeling well may also try to hide or become less social. If you do see these signs, or suspect that the item was ingested, it is best to bring Atlas into your vet for care.

There is no average time for an obstruction to happen. It can happen within hours after ingestion of a foreign body, or even weeks after. The fact that she is acting, eating and drinking normal indicates that she is not obstructed. Obstructed cats will vomit profusely, not eat and act very lethargic/painful. Paper towels are less concerning that towels or other materials, because these can be broken down and passed, so hopefully this won't be a concern. For now, I do not recommend giving any special treatment. Giving laxatives is actually contraindicated in these cases and can actually make things worse, so it's best not to give any more of that. Make sure that she has plenty for water and feed normally. Monitor for signs of obstruction for the next 3-5 days. After a week, it's likely that she will be all clear of the paper towels. If you do happen to see signs of an obstruction, then take her to the vet immediately. I hope that helps and all is well with Marigold.

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.