My cat swallowed a long string. What are the signs of danger?

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.

You can ask as many questions you like! I would take her into a vet to be safe, as these strings can often get caught in a cat's mouth around the tongue. The other problem with strings is that they can cause a linear foreign body. If you can get her into a vet now to induce vomiting, then you can prevent an obstruction from happening. The vet can also check her mouth to see if it's stuck in there.

It would be best to seek veterinary care in person ASAP as linear foreign bodies can cause a lot of GI issues if left untreated. Your vet can help monitor Silence, and let you know if he requires surgery or if it looks like things are passing.

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.

1.5 " of a string should not really be a problem and will likely come out the natural way. It is too short to cause a linear foreign body obstruction. If you check her poo for the next 3-4 days you should be able to find it eventually. Apart from that I would monitor her for diarrhea and possibly retching/vomiting. If that occurs, please see your vet right away.

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.

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.