My cat ate string last week, but seems fine. Should I worry?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The symptoms of linear foreign body are usually evident within a few days (1-3 days) after ingestion. The most consistent symptom is vomiting, which can be persistent (every few hours) or infrequent (for example every other day). As long as Tommy is not vomiting and he is not showing any other worrying symptoms like poor appetite, abdominal pain, difficulties to defecate you should continue monitoring him at home for another few days. If after that time he remains asymptomatic, it will mean that he is out of trouble.

Just monitor her for the moment; unfortunately strings and any type of linear foreign body can sit in the intestine and stomach for ages before coming out!. As long as she eating fine and drinking ok and passing feces and urine normally and being normal in terms of demeanor and activity level she will be ok and she won't need any check up. You could potentially give her some mineral oil (2mls every meal )like paraffin oil to lubricate the gastrointestinal canal and help to get rid of the strings if there. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi there. It's very possible that he ingested multiple pieces of string. It sounds like the one that was causing the blockage was removed during surgery, but this doesn't necessarily mean that there couldn't be other pieces still present that are in the process of passing through. As long as Gib is eating and drinking normally, not vomiting, and having regular bowel movements, this should not be cause for concern.

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could have been due to a partial obstruction. If she vomited all the obstructing material (string) then she may be ok. However, if she continues to vomit, this may be due to an obstruction and further therapy may be needed. If the issue continues, I recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Best of luck!

Poor Dexter! Thank goodness you were able to see the string and get it out safely. As long as there was no major resistance when you were pulling it out and he is acting normal now, he should be just fine. If you see any vomiting, difficulty eating, or if he seems painful or lethargic during the next 24 hours, then I would recommend having him checked by a vet to see if there is any internal damage.

If you're able to pay close attention to Panda's energy, eating, bowel movements and urinations- specifically looking for vomiting, gagging, not eating, not defecating, straining to defecate or diarrhea- then monitoring him would be acceptable! I hope he recovers without problem!!