My Kitten Ate And Passed A Hair Tie!

Worriedmama

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A few days ago I noticed a little bit of bright red blood in my cats stool and I kept an eye on it , yesterday I found 3 different piles of poop outside the litter box (there’s 2 other cats but I’m certain it’s the same one I’m talking about ) They still had a tiny bit of blood but one of them had a hair tie in it , the hair tie was cut so it was one long tie instead of round. My cat is about 2.5-3 months old so it baffles be that he would have been able to injest this in the first place . But ever since I found those 3 piles and cleaned them he keeps trying to go outside the litter box in the same area he did before.


I assume he’s going to be fine because he passed the object and he’s pooping plenty , he drinks his water, he still has an appetite and plays and purrs and acts completely normal other than going outside his box .


ive also pressed all around on his abnominal area and he showed no signs of it hurting .

Bottom line is I’m broke and he definitely acts normal and happy and he passed the foreign object so I’m not sure if there’s really reason to take him tot he vet because I don’t want to be charged for a bunch of tests he doesn’t need .

On the other hand I’m not sure what to do about his litter box issue , is it possible that his insides are just still irritated from passing the object . If so will he start using the litter box again once he’s feeling better. Or is this reason enough to have to take him to the vet. I don’t want to make a big deal out of something small if he’s okay but I don’t want to miss something important either if he needs medical attention
 

catsknowme

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:alright: Hallelujah that he passed the hair tie successfully :angel3: Ingested hair ties, strings, rubber bands, feathers (I don't know why they still sell cat toys with them attached :argh:) can really make problems.
He likely is associating the litterbox with pain because when he first went to pass the darn thing, he was likely in the box. You could try moving the box after scrubbing it out and adding fresh litter. If finances would allow it, a new box might be a good idea.
It sounds like you are already carefully monitoring him which is excellent & there is no more blood. Sending prayers and vibes that he is fine & that he realizes that the litterbox will no longer be hurting him.
:vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes::vibes:
 
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Worriedmama

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Thanks for the response ! He actually passed the hair tie outside of the litter box in the kitchen, and then pooped twice in the living room behind the chair . I found Everything at the same time so I’m not sure what happened first . But the pain and discomfort from passing it probably did freak him out and confuse him and I’m sure the other two bowel movements came quickly after passing the tie because he may have been a bit backed up due to the hair tie . I cleaned up everything really well but I caught him in a squat the day after in the same spot in the living room and picked him up and moved him to the litter box where he pottied and pooped immediately. so maybe after having so many “accidents” he’s just a bit confused on where to go . Other than that he’s 100% normal happy kitten. A second opinion makes me feel better though . I worry and stress very easily and tend to think the worst
 

FeebysOwner

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Hi! I sure hope your cat is recovering from his "foreign food" extravaganza!

Try using some enzymatic cleaners where he pooped outside the litter box. He may be going there because he can still smell it. I have used The Equalizer (sold on Amazon) for pee-accidents, and it is great. So, it should also work with poop. I believe it is most effective on carpets/rugs (vs. hard floors), however. Whatever you try, if one doesn't stop his behavior, try a second, and so on. After a few, if he continues to poop outside the litterbox, a vet visit might be in order - especially if any other health/behavioral issues arise.
 
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Worriedmama

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Update: he still has blood in his stool . It’s bright red and always towards the end of his poo , not throughout the whole thing. Is this just a side affect of Could it be a separate issue? Again he’s still acting 100% normal and happy, plenty of energy, good appetite , shows no signs of being in pain or uncomfortable even when he’s pooping .
 

Margret

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Time to call the vet. If the vet says no visit is needed, fine, but the question must be asked.

The blood probably means that there's an open wound, in a place where it could easily get infected. If it's too big it may need to be repaired surgically, and even if surgery is unnecessary the kitten may need to be on antibiotics while it's healing.

Also, please see this article, which you may find very useful: No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life.

Margret
 
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Worriedmama

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Is he eating corn or wheat in his food? Is the litter scented?
The litter is scented yes, he has the Purina kitten food right now, I just got some soft pate food for him so maybe it will be easier on his digestive tract
 
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Worriedmama

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Time to call the vet. If the vet says no visit is needed, fine, but the question must be asked.

The blood probably means that there's an open wound, in a place where it could easily get infected. If it's too big it may need to be repaired surgically, and even if surgery is unnecessary the kitten may need to be on antibiotics while it's healing.

Also, please see this article, which you may find very useful: No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life.

Margret
Thank you, I will call the emergency vet first thing tomorrow and see what they say.
 

Margret

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Thank you, I will call the emergency vet first thing tomorrow and see what they say.
No-o-o! (she screams!) Just your regular vet! Emergency vets are expensive! The only reason to call the emergency vet is if it's the middle of the night or a weekend and you can't get your regular vet and it's a genuine gotta-be-taken-care-of-right-now! emergency.

Margret
 

Margret

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Margret Margret : excellent point about perhaps an internal wound! I hadn't thought of that.
I had a cat once who swallowed the string that a roast had been tied with. By the time we caught it (cat on the verge of starving to death so the vet did exploratory surgery, since it didn't show up on X-ray) the intestine had been perforated and she had peritonitis. (Yes, she did survive, with a very great deal of nursing.)

OTOH, when I had blood in my stool it meant I had a hemorrhoid. :dunno:

Margret
 

SmileForMe

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Going outside of the litter box usually means that something is wrong. A happy and healthy cat typically does not do this. This by itself is usually cause for concern and a trip to the vet. Add the blood in the stool and its definitely time to go to the vet. Best wishes!
 
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Worriedmama

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No-o-o! (she screams!) Just your regular vet! Emergency vets are expensive! The only reason to call the emergency vet is if it's the middle of the night or a weekend and you can't get your regular vet and it's a genuine gotta-be-taken-care-of-right-now! emergency.

Margret
There’s an emergency vet near me that gives free advice over the phone , I’m only calling them not taking him in lol.
 
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Worriedmama

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UPDATE: no blood in his stool this morning , but I’m still keeping an eye on it ! Also feeding him soft food so it will be easier on his digestive system , and I’ll still be getting a professional opinion
 
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Worriedmama

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There’s an emergency vet near me that gives free advice over the phone , I’m only calling them not taking him in lol.
Not everyone around here will just give advice over the phone, they will do anything to get you in so they can make some money lol
 
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