My cat ate string and floor cleaner. Is she poisoned or blocked?

A two inch long fluffy string likely will not cause a foreign body obstruction. It willl ikely pass the natural way. Should your cat start vomiting, get lethargic or get diarrhea within the next week then you should have her examined by your vet.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could have been due to a partial obstruction. If she vomited all the obstructing material (string) then she may be ok. However, if she continues to vomit, this may be due to an obstruction and further therapy may be needed. If the issue continues, I recommend that you have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Best of luck!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If Juna is obsessed with anything stringy, you will have to be vigilant about ensuring that she does not have access to anything she could possibly chew and ingest. When cats eat anything linear or stringy, they are at a HUGE risk of a linear foreign body obstruction, which is a surgical emergency and is life threatening. This occurs when a piece of the string/ribbon/yarn gets anchored in one part of their GI tract (ie under their tongue, in the stomach, etc) and the rest of the intestines end up scrunching up around it as they try to contract and move it along. The string can ultimately saw through and perforate the intestines, causing a septic abdomen. I recommend purchasing cat toys that are very durable and do not have any sort of fabric/string/yarn associated with them, and encourage Juna to play with those. If you ever notice that she is vomiting, hiding, uninterested in eating, and you believe she may have ingested any string, please have Juna seen by a veterinarian immediately so diagnostics (abdominal x-rays) can be done to evaluate for a foreign body obstruction in her intestines. I hope this is helpful, and good luck!

Once he threw up the balloon and the entire length of string, he should be fine. The offending foreign body has left his gastrointestinal system. However you should really check your house for any more items like that including string, as a linear foreign body (string causing an intestinal blockage) is a serious problem and would need surgery to remove. So since your kitty regurgitated the entire string and balloon he should be okay.

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.

String foreign bodies can become entangled in the bowel and cause significant complications. I would monitor her very closely for any signs of pain, discomfort, vomiting or altered stools and also contact your vets office to discuss the option of removal before they have a chance to become an obstruction

Luckily is was only a short piece of fringe. Usually when cats eat strings and yarn that cause intestinal perforations the length is longer than two inches. If there is a medical problem she will become painful, stop eating and may not poop regularly. She should be out of the woods in another day or two. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Maisy.