Cat Ate Fake Grass

[smosmosmo]

So one of my idiot neighbors left a fake plant in the foyer area they're not supposed to access - it's just for my cat Smo. It has a bunch of long fake grass and some flowers, all some sort of tough fiber/plastic material. I wasn't aware they put this there until Smo vomited this evening around 10pm (it's now midnight) - first she vomited a hairball, then a pile of liquid, then another pile of liquid with a blade of fake grass.

I'm not sure why she ate the grass at all since I doubt it smells anything like real grass (which she enjoys eating), but there were at least seven 1-2 inch long pieces of it mixed in with a hairball. I'm hoping she got most of it out because the bulk of it was tangled up in her hairball, but I can't be sure. It's been a couple hours since she threw up and she's been acting normal the whole time. I fed her a hairball treat, saw her eat some dry food and drink some water. She's now asleep in bed.

Does she need to see a vet for this? And what concerning behaviors do I need to look out for?

Pic of the fake grass:

 

[Leomc123]

i would keep a close eye on your cat, but since the fake grass is made up of some material plastic object you would want to make sure that it has all came out as it may cause intesinal blockage, i would take her to the vet and have a vet examine her just incase. The peice of grass in the photo looks undigested so it would be of a worry to me if there is anything still left inside Smo. Stupid neighbour .

 

[Kflowers]

I would also spray the fake plant with something strong smelling like bitter apple.

 

[smosmosmo]

Leomc123 Yes, it's some sort of material I couldn't pull apart with my fingers - it's pretty tough. Would it be okay to wait and monitor Smo or does this count as an emergency? She hasn't pooped yet but she's behaving normally - she slept through the night and she's eating and drinking. The only out of the ordinary thing she's done is that she meowed at me a couple times from the other room, and she's normally a very quiet cat.

K Kflowers I'm going to talk to my neighbor and have her move her plant and all the rest of the stuff from the foyer tonight - she keeps piling stuff in there and it's not okay. Also planning on seeing if I can move my landlord's four fake plants in the foyer, though Smo's never eaten those. Better safe than sorry.

 

[nunnc84]

If it is wire it could be a problem. I spent $500 on x ray and labs due to wire cat objects possibly injested.

 

[smosmosmo]

Not wire. I think it's tough plastic based fiber, but no wires inside the grass.

 

[Kflowers]

I think you could use the term 'fire hazard'

 

[smosmosmo]

K Kflowers Good point. I'll narc to my landlord if I have to. It's definitely against fire code because she's blocking two exits with her abundant amount of crap.

 

[smosmosmo]

I've been thinking about a comment above mentioning obstruction - Smo is a little late with her poop (about 12 hours or so), but she does this periodically as she isn't always on a 24-hour schedule. She also wasn't drinking as much in the daytime, before she ate the plant.

Is it okay to keep monitoring her at home if she's not acting differently from usual? I've looked up the symptoms for obstruction - she's not lethargic, able to eat and drink, and she's not vomiting.

 

[Leomc123]

i would take your cat to the vet now if she hasnt pooped in 12 hours, and if she is meowing there may be tiny peices that she may have eaten and is not able to pass a stool properly. If she uses a litter box is she wanting to go but cant ? are you able to observe this or catch her in the act /

 

[di and bob]

Since they are short pieces and plastic, I would continue to monitor her. If it starts to really bother her she will quit eating/drinking/using the litter box and hide. Cats eat things that we never see too, I bet we would be amazed at what gets into their systems. One of the most troublesome is dental floss, ribbon, or even plastic 'tinsel' on the Christmas tree, things that are long and tough and can bind the intestines. A cat's tongue is so rough that once these enter the mouth, it is one way action with all that roughness to go down the throat. That is what a cat's tongue is 'designed' for, to help direct prey down it's throat. Because your ingested items are flexible and short they should pass right through.

 

[smosmosmo]

Leomc123 She ended up pooping about 12 hours after I made that most - the stool was normal and had no grass in it, so I do think she vomited most of it up. Since then she's been acting completely normal, and did another poop 24 hours after her last one. Appetite is good, behavior is normal, and she's drinking a healthy amount.

di and bob Thanks, this is exactly what I was thinking. I got overly worried because the constipation coincided with her eating the fake grass, but she's pooped twice since I made this post and is doing great. Smo never shows interest in eating anything but her food and treats, so this threw me for a loop. She's getting cat grass as soon as the Petcos in my area refresh their supply - I went yesterday for some but it was all sad and dead looking.