String Tail on Toy - Gone!

I am trying not to panic. I came home from work tonight and was picking up the toys I always find strewn around the place from my baby playing all day. I picked up a little cloth mouse that had a string tail (sturdy I thought) and noticed the toy is soaking wet and the tail is GONE...I think my cat ate it! She is running around fine, and very playful and doesn't seem to be in any distress.

I have heard terrible things about animals ingesting string - I never thought this tail would be dangerous and she isn't the type to chew on stuff like that. Before I freak out what would the symptoms be if she swallowed it and had a problem? She will hopefully pass it without a problem, but if not...

Like I said I am trying not to panic. Has anyone else been through this OK?

Originally Posted by Forget-Me-Not

I am trying not to panic. I came home from work tonight and was picking up the toys I always find strewn around the place from my baby playing all day. I picked up a little cloth mouse that had a string tail (sturdy I thought) and noticed the toy is soaking wet and the tail is GONE...I think my cat ate it! She is running around fine, and very playful and doesn't seem to be in any distress.

I have heard terrible things about animals ingesting string - I never thought this tail would be dangerous and she isn't the type to chew on stuff like that. Before I freak out what would the symptoms be if she swallowed it and had a problem? She will hopefully pass it without a problem, but if not...

Like I said I am trying not to panic. Has anyone else been through this OK?

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Well Polly ate a rubber band once. I called my vet's office and they said to keep an eye on her and watch for diarrhea or vomiting. If she has any diarrhea of vomiting then I would take her in right away. But as long as she eats and poos normally, she should be fine.

I would call your vet for advice first, but my kitty Sydney ate the tail off of her mouse on the weekend too, and the vet told me to just give it a day or 2 to come out the other end

To be on the safe side though, you should cut the tails off all of the other toys.

I agree! Definitely check with your vet, but she's probably OK. The tails on the mousies are usually pretty small, so not as bad as eating a length of thread or yarn. She'll probably pass it, but should be watched to be sure she is OK.

Good idea - because she LOVES to toss her toys by the tail and chase them. And I am super careful about choosing toys that are well made and safe - I guess she was determined to get this tail and she did. I am so paranoid when I buy her toys to make sure that there is nothing that can come off (like eyes and ears) and won't buy her any toys will jingle bells in case they come off and she swallows them. I have to say the tail didn't come off the toy - she chewed through it!

It looks like I am going to be clipping some mouse tails tonight. I will keep an eye on her. She has eaten and is having water and is frisky. I guess if she passes the bright orange string (a halloween mouse) I will find in the litter box - icky, but at least I will know she is OK.

20 +Years ago I had a cat that ate an elastic string from a toy and he had a 7 hour operation to get it out!! It had entwined in his intestines when they contracted and expanded and it had a bell on the end. When I took him to the vet the vet said nothing is wrong, take him home...So my Dad took him and he demanded an x-ray immediately, sure enough, he was right. He ended up fine by the way! I wrote to Hartz to tell them and they wrote me back and said I must have an overly aggressive cat because that never should have happened!

The mouse tail is probably too short to cause a problem. I've had cats swallow things like that occasionally and pass them just fine, though it's always worrying. One time, though, a kitten swallowed a long piece of thread that got caught on her tongue - the only symptom was vomiting. The poor thing suffered through several days of treatments that didn't help, getting sicker and sicker, because we didn't know what was wrong. Finally a vet tech noticed the string, and they did the surgery to remove it so she could recover. She bounced back pretty quickly after that.

Originally Posted by momto3cats

The mouse tail is probably too short to cause a problem. I've had cats swallow things like that occasionally and pass them just fine, though it's always worrying. One time, though, a kitten swallowed a long piece of thread that got caught on her tongue - the only symptom was vomiting. The poor thing suffered through several days of treatments that didn't help, getting sicker and sicker, because we didn't know what was wrong. Finally a vet tech noticed the string, and they did the surgery to remove it so she could recover. She bounced back pretty quickly after that.

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Prego ate ribbon off a Christmas present once. In hindsight, I was pretty dumb to leave it out, but I wasn't thinking. Anyway, he threw up the ribbon and was fine. Silly boy will eat anything

I agree that mouse tails are very short and shouldn't cause a problem. I wouldn't cut them off the other toys; it's not necessary and it might spoil the fun.

Update - I was worried so I came home today during my lunch hour and sure enough, she had thrown up and there was 2 inch piece of orange, string mouse tail in it. I am relieved that it is out of her, and believe me, all the string type tails are gone (she doesn't want to eat the furry ones, though) and any blankets with fringes, etc. are put away. I don't know how I would have coped if something went seriously wrong. She is bugging me for some playtime so I guess she is fine.

I have a day off tomorrow to do some housekeeping for guests I have coming this weekend; I am going to be extra thorough and make sure to get up any strings, strips, or anything that might look like a snack to a naughty kitty.

(And one last thing I hope is OK to post here - she had previously chewed up the plastic casing around the feathers on a wand toy and I caught her just in time before she swallowed a piece. I replaced the feather wand toy with one from Plain Brown Tabby and I really recommend them - the feathers are attached wrapped in tape and she can't get it off. I was really impressed with the quality of the toys, the service and prices and highly recommend purchasing from them. )

Stoli had done this when we first got him, but he threw up his toy and after a couple days he was fine. thank god!

yeah I wouldn't cut the tails off the mice because my cats stop playing with the mice once the tail is gone. I think the fun for them is getting the tails off!!! I have never had a problem with them just throwing them up or pooing them out!

One thing though!!! be really really careful when you are sewing ( if you sew) I was fixing a button for my BF when Princess was a kitten and I swear I no more than blinked and she was chewing on a piece of thread about a foot long. I tried to get it away from her in time but I didn't get it there was a needle attatched to the end and down it went!!!! It was midnight and I was leaving on a plane to AZ at 4 am. We rushed her to the emergency vet who took x-rays and told us to wait through the night and take her and the xrays to our regular vet and they would have to do surgery. So while I was in the air they did surgery and also went ahead and spayed her when they were in there and it ended up costing $600 and a TON of worry on my part since I was gone for 3 weeks and missed her surgery and her recovery!!!

Needle + Tummy = Sad Kitty and Mommy

Originally Posted by Bella713

20 +Years ago I had a cat that ate an elastic string from a toy and he had a 7 hour operation to get it out!! It had entwined in his intestines when they contracted and expanded and it had a bell on the end. When I took him to the vet the vet said nothing is wrong, take him home...So my Dad took him and he demanded an x-ray immediately, sure enough, he was right. He ended up fine by the way! I wrote to Hartz to tell them and they wrote me back and said I must have an overly aggressive cat because that never should have happened!

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We keep Radar's toys in the bedroom for this simply reason- he will go through a strong string in a matter of minutes. It's a constant worry as both Epona and I have long hair and I'm forever finding my hair-ties on the floor
I'm sure that FMN's cat will be fine but I try to cut down any anxieties by closely monitoring Radar with toys when I'm there, otherwise they are in the other room

Originally Posted by Forget-Me-Not

I am trying not to panic. I came home from work tonight and was picking up the toys I always find strewn around the place from my baby playing all day. I picked up a little cloth mouse that had a string tail (sturdy I thought) and noticed the toy is soaking wet and the tail is GONE...I think my cat ate it! She is running around fine, and very playful and doesn't seem to be in any distress.

I have heard terrible things about animals ingesting string - I never thought this tail would be dangerous and she isn't the type to chew on stuff like that. Before I freak out what would the symptoms be if she swallowed it and had a problem? She will hopefully pass it without a problem, but if not...

Like I said I am trying not to panic. Has anyone else been through this OK?

Click to expand...

I told my wife last night that I was going to devote all morning tomorrow going ALL through the house I mean every nook and cranny until I find everything that we THINK is missing. Oh yes, we know very well the cat has something to do with all these missing things and I believe this would hold up in a court of law, but I am guessing that your worse fears are not a reality, that someday missing things will show up when you are not even looking for them.