My cat ate a shoelace. Can I help him at home without a vet?

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.

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!

Oh no, that's not good that Boone ate your laces. Hopefully these will pass without problem, but there is a chance they could become stuck in his GI tract and cause a linear foreign body. I would monitor him for signs of obstruction, which include vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, and lethargy. Should you see any of those signs, I would take Boone into the vet right away. If the laces becomes stuck, he will need surgery to remove them.

If the X-rays are still looking ok at this point, and he is eating, no vomiting, not painful, and is active and happy, its reasonable to just keep monitoring him. That is very concerning, and you do need to watch him very very closely. If he does start to show a decrease in appetite, or starts vomiting or straining to defecate or having diarrhea, take him back to your vet, and X-rays will need to be repeated. In the meantime, just ensure that he has plenty of water available to drink; put multiple water dishes throughout the house, and maybe offer him some canned food as well. The better hydrated he is, the healthier his bowel will be to function and tolerate the foreign material. Again, do watch him very closely. If he did ingest that large a piece of ribbon, he will be very lucky if he's able to pass that without incident. (but its possible!) My fingers are crossed for you!

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your question about Franklin. I'd just keep an eye on him for now. Since it is fabric, it may pass without problems. Monitor him for signs such as vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, or lethargy. If you see any of those signs, then he will need to see a vet. I hope this helps!

Hello, sorry to hear about Yin. I would recommend having your veterinarian assess Yin. String foreign material can be a cause of severe intestinal obstruction and damage. There is also the possibility that the string will pass on its own, but you would be taking a big risk. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I would have Charlie seen by a vet right away for this. A piece of shirt this long can easily cause a linear foreign body, and if it does create an obstruction, he would need surgery to remove it. It's best to avoid that completely, and the vet can determine if it's safe to give him a shot to induce vomiting to get it out of his stomach. Good luck!