Phone Cord Hair Ties - Safe for cats that eat hair ties or no?

[TacosAndPurritos]

Hey everyone - my sweet, sweet calico Padma had to go in for surgery today. She had a clump of hair ties in her stomach. Had no idea she was swallowing them until the other night when my partner caught her in the act. We elected to monitor her for symptoms, and two days later (yesterday) she started vomiting clear fluid. Immediately took her to emergency and got an x-ray done. They confirmed that there were multiple hair ties in her stomach. I didn't even know this was a thing! More awareness needs to be spread about this issue.

Anyways, the surgery went very well today and was uncomplicated... yay! Was worth every penny and can't wait to bring her back and take care of her. Before I pick her up, either tomorrow or the next day, I'm going through my house and ridding any and all objects that could be swallowed. Hair ties are now banned from the household.

My question is about these spiral phone cord ties. I purchased some like these from the store and love to use them since I have big thick hair that looks horrible short and almost always needs to be tied away. I have considered using only clips from now on, but I'm wondering if these would be safe? So far she has never eaten one, but I certainly don't want to take my chances. I could keep it either on the head, arm, or inside a drawer, but I would be too paranoid that I might slip up and she would eat it.

What do you guys think? Any experience with any of this stuff? I would assume since they are slippery plastic objects that tend to hold their fairly large shape well, that there would be very little risk of swallowing? Maybe it's best not to risk it, but if they are safe then I would love to know since I'm crazy about these spiral ties.

 

[Remi&RiRi]

So sorry that this happened to you and your cat. I have caught my boy with my hair ties as well but luckily he has coughed them up. I clicked on the link you provided and did the search function under the product and found some people reviewing it in regards to their cats lol. I will leave the picture here but one person said - “Very durable (even after my cat stole one and chewed it a little).” I would definitely try to keep it out of your cats reach but if your cat does happen to play with it I think she would have a hard time ingesting/swallowing it. I have a few of them myself and they seem pretty sturdy. It’s totally up to you and what your comfortable with regarding your cat. Best of luck

 

[fionasmom]

It is good to read that Padma made it through the surgery successfully and that the hair ties did not do more damage. Any animal who eats non edible items is in a lot of danger and plastics and rubber can be deadly. Those bouncy super balls made of solid rubber are "popular" with some dogs and can be fatal. They disintegrate in the intestinal tract and bind to it making any surgery extensive, if they get that far.

You have a cat who is a chewer and not adverse to eating what she is chewing. While Padma is recovering, you need to cat proof the whole house.

Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips – TheCatSite Articles

This includes other items in the article like plants, Q Tips, shoe laces, and anything of that sort. I can't say that those other hair ties would be safe to have around your cat if she were to be intent on replacing the old hair ties that were just extracted from her stomach with the newer ones. Cats who chew can also have choking hazards along with intestinal problems.

 

[TacosAndPurritos]

Thanks for your reply! The review that says "cats have lost/hidden all 4" is a bit concerning... I think I'll just get some hair sticks - they're a lot cooler anyways.

 

[fionasmom]

Just be cautious....your baby is a chewer. This is not your fault that she likes that sort of activity, but they can still pick out the strangest things to try to eat.

 

[TacosAndPurritos]

It is good to read that Padma made it through the surgery successfully and that the hair ties did not do more damage. Any animal who eats non edible items is in a lot of danger and plastics and rubber can be deadly. Those bouncy super balls made of solid rubber are "popular" with some dogs and can be fatal. They disintegrate in the intestinal tract and bind to it making any surgery extensive, if they get that far.

You have a cat who is a chewer and not adverse to eating what she is chewing. While Padma is recovering, you need to cat proof the whole house.

Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips – TheCatSite Articles

This includes other items in the article like plants, Q Tips, shoe laces, and anything of that sort. I can't say that those other hair ties would be safe to have around your cat if she were to be intent on replacing the old hair ties that were just extracted from her stomach with the newer ones. Cats who chew can also have choking hazards along with intestinal problems.

Thanks for that link! I didn't think of shoelaces at all - I will be quarantining those into their own place from now on.

Yeah, it is kind of unfortunate that she has such a fixation on non-edible items. I did some cat-proofing before I ever adopted them and I wish I had read a proper guide on which items were dangerous. I was also not using hair ties at the time, since I have just grown out a buzzcut, so they are a recent addition to the home. I suspect that she had been consuming hair ties at her foster home, based on the fact that she has, ever since I've had her, eaten very very tiny amounts of food, seeming to get full quickly, and has always excessively vocalized.

So happy that we caught it at this stage and it was treated without any complications, and I'm glad that she will be feeling so much better from now on. My finances took a crazy hit, but I don't have a single regret.

As a side note, I'm wondering if she would enjoy cat grass?

 

[TacosAndPurritos]

Also, I should note regarding the excessive vocalization and eating tiny amounts - I did take her to the vet for these issues, and after getting a physical, they were focused more on the fact that she has feline herpes virus and related, chronic symptoms from that, which we treat with lysine supplements. I think they thought the vocalization was related to the sinus congestion (which, despite multiple rounds of steriods and antibiotics, never truly went away). It has gotten wayyy better since getting her on a lysine supplement, though.

 

[Kflowers]

you might try hair barretts instead, they are hard plastic, not as chewable. they have a press and secure clip inside so work to do a twist or at the nape.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FT6WYDZ/?tag=thecatsite

 

[TacosAndPurritos]

you might try hair barretts instead, they are hard plastic, not as chewable. they have a press and secure clip inside so work to do a twist or at the nape.


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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FT6WYDZ/?tag=thecatsite

Not a bad idea. Could maybe even secure a braid with it. Braiding is like my #1 choice (when it's actually long enough), and I have no idea how to secure a braid without a tie.

 

[Kflowers]

yes, I would often make the long braid starting at the nape, pull it up and fold down, use the barrette at the top of the fold, then tuck the end behind the bottom piece closest to your head. A couple of hair pins if it's windy.
Hair pins come in black, brown and sort of gold brown and are useful for a lot of things. If you haven't used them, push them in the opposite of the way you would think to put them in. I know, try it anyway.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08M3FKPZG/?tag=thecatsite

 

[Juniper_Junebug]

It is good to read that Padma made it through the surgery successfully and that the hair ties did not do more damage. Any animal who eats non edible items is in a lot of danger and plastics and rubber can be deadly. Those bouncy super balls made of solid rubber are "popular" with some dogs and can be fatal. They disintegrate in the intestinal tract and bind to it making any surgery extensive, if they get that far.

You have a cat who is a chewer and not adverse to eating what she is chewing. While Padma is recovering, you need to cat proof the whole house.

Kitten Proofing Your Home: 13 Practical Tips – TheCatSite Articles

This includes other items in the article like plants, Q Tips, shoe laces, and anything of that sort. I can't say that those other hair ties would be safe to have around your cat if she were to be intent on replacing the old hair ties that were just extracted from her stomach with the newer ones. Cats who chew can also have choking hazards along with intestinal problems.

One more thing to watch out for, which I learned from experience: face masks. I left one out on the table for only a short while, as I was unloading groceries, and my kitty went to town on the elastic. Luckily I was there to catch her. It's obviously not something I can eliminate, so now all face masks go in the closet after washing or get hung up on my key holder thingy (affixed to the wall way too high for her to reach) immediately after I get home. I'm surprised there haven't been more warnings (at least that I've seen) about face masks and kitties.

 

[Remi&RiRi]

Thanks for your reply! The review that says "cats have lost/hidden all 4" is a bit concerning... I think I'll just get some hair sticks - they're a lot cooler anyways.

Yes I would always err on the side of caution but I just wanted to provide you with those perspectives who had the product. You know your cat best and reading above that she is a frequent chewer it would be best to avoid things not safe for ingestion. Good idea to ask around though. Hope your girl has a safe recovery!

 

[LTS3]

One more thing to watch out for, which I learned from experience: face masks. I left one out on the table for only a short while, as I was unloading groceries, and my kitty went to town on the elastic. Luckily I was there to catch her. It's obviously not something I can eliminate, so now all face masks go in the closet after washing or get hung up on my key holder thingy (affixed to the wall way too high for her to reach) immediately after I get home. I'm surprised there haven't been more warnings (at least that I've seen) about face masks and kitties.

Anything string like, even elastic, are very tempting to cats. Cut off the ear loops on disposable masks before throwing it away. Wildlife can get the loops stuck around their necks, legs, etc and that can cause injury.

Can you use scrunchies instead to put up your hair? There's elastic inside the fabric material but I doubt a cat would know that. Still, keep all hair ties of any kind in a drawer / cabinet / storage box inside a closet / etc.

 

[TacosAndPurritos]

Anything string like, even elastic, are very tempting to cats. Cut off the ear loops on disposable masks before throwing it away. Wildlife can get the loops stuck around their necks, legs, etc and that can cause injury.

Can you use scrunchies instead to put up your hair? There's elastic inside the fabric material but I doubt a cat would know that. Still, keep all hair ties of any kind in a drawer / cabinet / storage box inside a closet / etc.

Yeah, scrunchies would be cool. I wonder if it would be less tempting since it isn't a stringy, vaguely tube-shaped entity (that probably looks like some pretty yummy rat guts to a cat).

Also I've seen those hair scrunchies that seem to have an entire yard of fabric sewn over the elastic... I highly doubt she would even be able to eat one of those. Bonus points if it smells like citrus!

 

[kittenmittens84]

You could try scrunchies instead. It’s very hard for a cat to eat a big chunk of fabric! Also scrunchies aren’t generally string-like enough to be exciting to cats anyway

 

[TacosAndPurritos]

You could try scrunchies instead. It’s very hard for a cat to eat a big chunk of fabric! Also scrunchies aren’t generally string-like enough to be exciting to cats anyway

Yep I think I will. She lacks any interest in fabric and always goes for the string/rope-like objects, so this is just a perfect solution.

 

[fionasmom]

Some say that cats do not need to eat cat grass, but I have always grown a pot for my indoor cats. They do not eat a lot, but will look for it and bit off a piece from time to time. You can get organic cat grass seeds on sites like Amazon.

 

[Kflowers]

It's really easy to grow. I'm sort of a disaster with almost all plants, okay, I did in a spider plant, but the cat grass and Boston ferns will grow well for me.

 

[TacosAndPurritos]

I'm okay at growing plants, but I wouldn't say I have a green thumb, so I'm glad to hear it's easy to grow. Will definitely pick some up. Do cats tend to throw up more often if they have access to cat grass? I used to live with someone who had an indoor/outdoor cat, and his cat would throw grass up all the time. We currently have carpet and are moving soon, so I might want to wait until I have hardwood or linoleum if that's the case.

Also, I took my kitty home today, and she has been doing well. Just walking around or sleeping. Ate a few bites of wet food and drank water. I was paranoid that I didn't get all her anti-nausea medication in her - she ate around the pill, the pill got soggy, so I had to place some food + pill in her mouth manually, then some of it fell out into the collar, and I took the remainder and placed it in her mouth and watched her swallow. It's been over 2 hours and at times she looks a bit questionable - maybe nauseous or about to throw up. She could also just be tired and loopy from her pain medication. It's hard to tell. The vet tech said it's important that she doesn't throw up while the stomach wound is healing, so of course, I'm being super paranoid about it now.

I put a Bob Ross video on my phone for her to listen to because I'm too worried to be a calm presence. She pretty immediately laid down near the phone and fell asleep. Thanks, Bob.

 

[Kflowers]

I never found that they throw up more with grass. Most threw up a hairball once a quarter. If you don't get to it before it stains the carpet after you throw away the hairball itself, put some hydrogen peroxide on the stained spot, let it sit for 1-10 minutes (see, it's okay if you sort of forget about it) then scrub up with a paper towel. You might want to test the hydrogen peroxide on an out of the way corner of the carpet first in case it takes some of the rug color too. If it does, just use water and a lot of rubbing.