Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Cat in surgery after swallowing ribbon

40 replies

NameChangedForCatPics · 03/10/2023 13:16

My cat has been vomitting over the last few days, phoned the vets yesterday and got him booked in for this morning. Scooping the litter tray last night and found he's passed some ribbon and realised we'd taken ribbon off him on Wednesday that he was trying to chew. Hes had xrays done and the vet has just called, it doesnt look good. They are now going to operate straight away, leaving it any longer could be too late. I'm absolutely dreading the bill, we do have insurance but it only covers £1000 per illness. My boy is worth it though. I never really thought how badly my cat could be hurt by us getting some balloons for my sons birthday 😭.

Has anyone else had this happen and their cat made a full recovery?

OP posts:
TheSpottedZebra · 03/10/2023 13:21

Oh gosh, you poor things.
Fingers crossed for you both.

I've not had experience of this, but one of mine is a chewer, and as much as I think I've got rid of all dangers, he will find something else toxic or dangerous to eye up.

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 03/10/2023 13:43

Not happened to me but best of luck for him. It happens, when I was little black bags came with a little pink ribbon to tie them with and my dm was always sure to make sure she removed it from the seam and binned it before the cats got hold of it.

For some reason chewing ribbons is an elite experience for cats. God knows what they think a ribbon is.

Clarich007 · 03/10/2023 13:59

So sorry to hear about your boy.Poor lad Hope he's ok and recovers soon

PinkFootstool · 03/10/2023 14:02

I'm sorry, I hope he's OK! Have they given an indication of costs?

My puss swallowed a HUGE darning needle on the end of some thread once....I'd sewn a button on the day before so I must have dropped it out the box. She'd probably played with the thread and the needle ended up side to side in her throat.

My only cue was her coughing a few times in the night, then coughing up blood in the morning before I was supposed to go to work.

They sedated her and removed it, fortunately without surgery or serious injuries but I'm now neurotic about all needles etc being in a sealed tub well away from animals.

margotrose · 03/10/2023 14:44

Oh gosh, that's scary - I hope he's okay.

I have no direct experience but I know a lot of dogs who have had surgeries for various blockages and they've all made a full recovery.

Original poster
NameChangedForCatPics · 03/10/2023 15:52

He's ok. They opened him up and there's no 'crimping' which is what the x-ray indicated. He's still quite poorly, and weak but currently on a drip for fluids, had antisickness and antibiotics. I have to pick him up later, and in my relief i forgot to ask for an idea of the cost. When i left him there they had said the antisickness meds, sedation and xray were estimated at around £400. Plus then hes had exploratory surgery on top, fluids and other meds it's definitely not going to be cheap. I'm glad i have insurance, but i think I'm definitely going to be looking for ones with a higher limit per illness.

I'll be on at the kids to make sure there's nothing left on the floor in future. I have no idea how he managed to get the ribbon, the cats were not allowed in the room where the balloons were if we weren't in there, the door would be shut at night or if we went out. He's a sneaky one, but I'm so glad he's ok. I honestly thought i was going to be telling my boys something different this evening.

@PinkFootstool I'm glad your cat was ok! They somehow manage to things they shouldn't don't they.

OP posts:
margotrose · 03/10/2023 15:53

Oh bless him, paws crossed for a swift recovery.

Cats can get hold of all sorts, honestly - it happens! Our kitten is always playing with things and I never have a single clue where he gets them from Grin

Plump82 · 03/10/2023 18:03

My old cat swallowed Christmas ribbon. She obviously had to do it on Hogmanay when the vets were shut so she ended up in the animal hospital. She was really ill, with the vet telling us we'd have to make a decision on whether to let her go the next morning. Miraculously she pulled through over night and lived to see another 9 years!
The sad side of this story was, I wasn't insured 😭 and it cost well over £1000. Hopefully yours won't be as much as you're at a normal vet. Hope wee puss comes back fighting fit.

theides · 03/10/2023 18:08

NameChangedForCatPics · 03/10/2023 13:16

My cat has been vomitting over the last few days, phoned the vets yesterday and got him booked in for this morning. Scooping the litter tray last night and found he's passed some ribbon and realised we'd taken ribbon off him on Wednesday that he was trying to chew. Hes had xrays done and the vet has just called, it doesnt look good. They are now going to operate straight away, leaving it any longer could be too late. I'm absolutely dreading the bill, we do have insurance but it only covers £1000 per illness. My boy is worth it though. I never really thought how badly my cat could be hurt by us getting some balloons for my sons birthday 😭.

Has anyone else had this happen and their cat made a full recovery?

We gave Jack our big ruff and tuff tom a few squirts of castor oil down his throat, when he did more or less the same, was right as rain next day, doesn't use a litter box, does his business when patrolling his territory, we are rural so has lots of it👍

Shopper727 · 03/10/2023 18:11

My cat did this too, we literally had had her a week thankfully she was insured from breeder and cost fortune for op but she was fine such a worry

crimsonlake · 03/10/2023 18:13

My cat is more interested in eating non food stuff than food. Looking it up it may be 'pica' and I watch her like a hawk and make sure nothing is left out for her to chew.
I have had to stop adding lamenta to the Christmas tree as she was gobbling it up. Recently I noticed the plastic handle of my brush was all chewed up...it was her.

Original poster
NameChangedForCatPics · 03/10/2023 19:19

He's home, resting in a quiet room away from children and the other cats.

He is a very lucky cat, they showed me his xray and his intestines were practically in a ball. They are amazed that he had managed to pass the ribbon. Had he not it could have been a completely different story. He has to go back in the morning for the vet to check him over and decide whether he thinks he needs more fluids or meds, with a bill around £1600 I'm now skint (although the majority is covered by insurance thankfully). I'm just relieved he's going to be ok. Its been a stressful day.

OP posts:
theides · 03/10/2023 19:27

Talking of vets, took our Jack for a yearly check and a shot if needed, £96, took our big husky the next week for yearly shot and check-up £41....🤣

TheSpottedZebra · 03/10/2023 20:13

Great that he's home, OP and seemingly doing so well.
Wishing him continued healing, and you both a good night's sleep.

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 03/10/2023 20:52

Plump82 · 03/10/2023 18:03

My old cat swallowed Christmas ribbon. She obviously had to do it on Hogmanay when the vets were shut so she ended up in the animal hospital. She was really ill, with the vet telling us we'd have to make a decision on whether to let her go the next morning. Miraculously she pulled through over night and lived to see another 9 years!
The sad side of this story was, I wasn't insured 😭 and it cost well over £1000. Hopefully yours won't be as much as you're at a normal vet. Hope wee puss comes back fighting fit.

Hogmanay was precisely the right time to do it. She was clearly a professional cat.

baklavagoddess · 03/10/2023 21:35

Hope he's on the mend now OP, my cat had emergency surgery a few months ago after a single tiny blade of grass she had eaten got stuck!

Original poster
NameChangedForCatPics · 03/10/2023 22:20

Thank you all, he's feeling very sorry for himself and crying if he moves too quickly. He still hasn't eaten anything, hes completely turned his nose up at boiled chicken and rice so i out a cat soup down (usually one of his favourites) he has lapped up quite a bit of the liquid so I'm not overly concerned about the food just yet. He's back at the vets in the morning for a check up, and hopefully they'll be happy with how he is. I will be asking about some pain relief for him for a day or 2 though. It's heartbreaking hearing him cry.

OP posts:
Thelmsie · 03/10/2023 22:38

This reply has been deleted

This post has been removed from the site at the user's request.

Thisismynewusername1 · 03/10/2023 22:42

Just to add this is why balloon releases should be banned.

happens to livestock and wildlife far too frequently.

glad your cat is ok.

Original poster
NameChangedForCatPics · 03/10/2023 22:51

@Thelmsie he was given a pain relief injection, but I'm back there in the morning so he will likely have another then. Hes not eating and the pain relief we were given when he was neutered was liquid and had to go on his food, so even if they had given us something he'd most likely not be getting any of it anyway.

@Thisismynewusername1 i completely agree. Our balloons get cut open and put in the bin. I don't understand why people still do it.

OP posts:
spanishviola · 03/10/2023 22:53

I’m glad he’s through the surgery ok. My cat eats ribbons and has also eaten that stretchy gift wrap cord, elastic bands as well. She’s never had any problems so far. I remember the first time she did it I was wrapping presents and the cord was getting shorter and shorter. It took me a few minutes to twig what she was doing. I’m a lot more careful now.

Thelmsie · 03/10/2023 23:05

This reply has been deleted

This post has been removed from the site at the user's request.

TheSpottedZebra · 04/10/2023 12:24

How is he today?

Original poster
NameChangedForCatPics · 04/10/2023 17:02

@TheSpottedZebra he's doing much better. He spent most the day at the vets under observation again today, but hes been eating and is moving around easier. He seems a lot more comfortable and settled at the moment than he did last night. He's tried to lick at his stitches, so hes currently got a collar on, he is not my friend right now.

Cat in surgery after swallowing ribbon
OP posts:
hartof · 04/10/2023 17:22

I'm so glad he's doing better. My cat ate flip flop earlier in the year and had a blockage in his stomach but because of all the faffing with vets he ended up seeing a vet everyday from Monday until Thursday night when he was admitted and then had surgery Friday night, didn't come home until Monday so that was a lovely 4 grand bill!!

It took him a few days to get back to eating and going to the litter tray but being at home is better for them. Definitely hide anything he can swallow, mine is a chewer and it's been a nightmare. Also speak to your insurer about putting the policy amount up!