EMERGENCY, CAT ATE STRING RAFFIA

[Black Cats Abundant]

JM SORRY BUT THIS IS A RUSHED MESSAGE, I CANNOT INCLUDE A TON OF DETAILS AND WORDS, IM SORRY IF THIS MAKES ME SOUND FRANTIC, I JSUT DO NOT HAVE A TON OF TIME (DUE TO SOMETHING UNRELATED) SO MY POST MAY SOUND RUSHED.

I was sitting here on my bed, I opened a package of raffia for a project on the BYC website, and I was careful to kick my cats out of the room when I opened it so that they would not eat it. The package had a long very thin strand of raffia, attached to it. And when I needed to clear my desk I put the empty package behind my desk organizer to make space for the project, but I did not detach the long strand of raffia. I cleaned up every last bit of raffia on the floor, but I forgot about the package apparently, because a week later (today) I found my cat behind the organizer chewing on the long strand of raffia! I was very concerned and upset, I didn’t know what to do, I was only VERY relieved that it was clearly chewed in bits, not swallowed as one whole strand- HOWEVER I’m still scared that maybe she swallowed a large enough strand to do damage- I don’t know how the raffia can damage her insides, I just know this “don’t let your cat eat string, raffia, yarn, or ribbon” I don’t know why, but I really do hope I can get help, I want to know if I need to monitor her, to make sure she is ok. She is now running around tearing up a role of paper towels, she swallowed the chewed bits fine, I’m just concerned maybe one of the bits was long enough to do whatever it does to her insides. The raffia strand she ate was VERY thin, barley even call it raffia (it is though), I think it’s what ties the raffia bundles together. Anyway, it’s about the thickness of a sewing needle at its thinnest, and a toothpick at its thickest.

Should I be concerned? When I am not so busy I will come back to this to see if there are any reply’s

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REPLY. I have had TERRIBLE luck on TCS with being replied to, and I find situations like this to be slight-emergency’s, where I need answers, and I also need them quickly! PLEASE reply if you can help.

Please let me know if I’m overreacting to!

 

[Willowy]

If it's real raffia, made of leaves and nothing else, it should be digested, or at least softened enough by digestive juices to not be dangerous anymore. Maybe to test that particular string, try soaking some in a bit of vinegar to see how much it softens, and it it doesn't soften enough to easily come apart, then call the vet.

 

[Black Cats Abundant]

If it's real raffia, made of leaves and nothing else, it should be digested, or at least softened enough by digestive juices to not be dangerous anymore. Maybe to test that particular string, try soaking some in a bit of vinegar to see how much it softens, and it it doesn't soften enough to easily come apart, then call the vet.

I put the remaining strand of the raffia she ingested in water. The package is useless and doesn’t tell me what it’s made out of, all it says is “raffia” and instructions on raffia Pom Pom making on the back. Anyway, I did not have a way to find out if it truly is natural, however when I placed it in water (for about 10) minutes it softened and I would compare the original form of it to a bread tie, stiff, but still kind of flexible, and after placing it in the water, I’d say it is more closely compared it to a spaghetti noodle after it cooked. (Sorry my comparisons are not the best, I’m not using my brain power at this time of night) I would say it probably is natural, it LOOKS natural, and as I said this certain piece of raffia was very thin, and she easily chewed pieces off of the remaining string (which I used to test if it would soften enough) so I don’t think any pieces that she ingested where long enough to damage her insides, BUT if they where long enough, I think maybe it is safe to say it will digest ok

 

[P+P's Meom]

If she begins to have/show ANY abdominal discomfort in the next day or so, get her to an Emergency Vet ASAP.

 

[LTS3]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REPLY. I have had TERRIBLE luck on TCS with being replied to, and I find situations like this to be slight-emergency’s, where I need answers, and I also need them quickly! PLEASE reply if you can help.

Please let me know if I’m overreacting to!

Calling the vet would be the best thing to do in such situations instead of posting online and waiting for who knows how long for an answer from a regular pet owner who at best can only tell you to call the vet. Even if the vet is closed, the office should have an after hours voice mail message with info on who to call for emergencies. Give that number a call. It would be best to call the vet during regular hours and ask how after hours emergencies are handled as well.

Call the vet today and ask for further advice. The vet may say to just keep an eye on the cat for the next few days and make sure the cat is eating and using the litter box normally.

 

[Black Cats Abundant]

Calling the vet would be the best thing to do in such situations instead of posting online and waiting for who knows how long for an answer from a regular pet owner who at best can only tell you to call the vet. Even if the vet is closed, the office should have an after hours voice mail message with info on who to call for emergencies. Give that number a call. It would be best to call the vet during regular hours and ask how after hours emergencies are handled as well.

Call the vet today and ask for further advice. The vet may say to just keep an eye on the cat for the next few days and make sure the cat is eating and using the litter box normally.

It’s been about 20 hours. I’ve watched her, and she is absolutely fine. Going to the litter box. She ate her breakfast and dinner, and she’s scampering around the kitchen playing with a roll of paper towels.

unfortunatly I didn’t see your post until now. If she shows any signs of discomfort, she will be in the car on her way to the vet. She has a lot of anxiety and taking her to the vet really would not help her stress to stay on a safe level- things like this cause her aggression towards the other 2 cats to spike for a week, so I would not want to cause anything like that to happen, unless she really is showing signs of discomfort

 

[P+P's Meom]

It’s been about 20 hours. I’ve watched her, and she is absolutely fine. Going to the litter box. She ate her breakfast and dinner, and she’s scampering around the kitchen playing with a roll of paper towels.

I don't see that anyone has mentioned this:
SWALLOWING STRING, YARN, RAFFIA, ETC, ETC,
CAN. KILL. A. CAT.

If a string (etc) has been swallowed and is stuck, it may not be immediately noticable. You still need to pay close attention to your cat for a couple days. Watch for pieces of undigested raffia in your cat's poop and litter box.

IF some raffia starts to come out of his anus or mouth and a VERY GENTLE tug doesn't bring it all it: STOP PULLING!VERY CAREFULLY snip the visible string close to the cat's anus/mouth.
GET CAT TO VET IMMEDIATELY!


From www.vetstreet.com/
How to Tell If Your Cat Is Sick
Is he acting differently?
The most common sign of illness in some cats is hiding in a quiet, out-of-the-way place. Sick cats often lie quietly in a hunched position.

They might neglect grooming. They may be purring, which cats do not only when they’re happy, but also when they’re sick or in pain. A cat with breathing difficulties may refuse to lie on his side and may keep his head raised. [ ... ]

Is he eating, drinking, urinating or defecating more or less than normal?
Cats who don’t feel well usually don’t want to eat. Some illnesses, however, can cause increased appetite, so don’t ignore your suddenly ravenous cat. [ ... ]

Is he regurgitating or vomiting?
If your cat regurgitates food soon after eating, he may have a problem. Vomiting food after it’s been in the stomach can indicate poisoning, blockage or a host of other problems. If your cat vomits for more than a few hours or vomits repeatedly for more than a day, she [ ... ] needs to see a vet. And if any vomiting episode is accompanied by lethargy, diarrhea or reluctance to move, you should seek medical attention.

Does he have diarrhea or constipation?
Diarrhea can result from nervousness, a change in diet or water, food sensitivities, intestinal parasites, infections, poisoning or many illnesses. Watery diarrhea, diarrhea with blood, or diarrhea accompanied by vomiting or other signs of illness warrants a call to the veterinarian. Cats commonly become constipated. They may strain to defecate; cry or meow in the litterbox; pass only small, hard feces; or pass small amounts of watery feces. Examine your cat’s litterbox to make sure he’s defecating as he should be.

Is he coughing?
Coughing can be caused by a variety of conditions, including foreign bodies, [ ...] If coughing persists for more than a day, don’t wait — contact your veterinarian. If your cat is coughing over and over, has difficulty breathing or has bluish gums, he needs to see his veterinarian immediately.

When in doubt, call your veterinarian. A false alarm is better than ignoring the symptoms of a sick cat.