Human hair hanging out of my cat's behind...

lmao

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I picked up my cat earlier to cuddle her and to my great bemusement noticed a little clod of poo sticking to the fur of her behind. I grabbed a facecloth and pulled it off, which is when I realized it was in fact still connected to her insides by a strand of hair. I know that it's VERY bad to pull on anything hanging out out of your cat's behind...how dangerous is a strand of hair? Is it as bad as if they swallow a ribbon or other linear foreign body?
 

katgoddess

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I'm not sure, but this happens to my dog all the time and I've never thought much of it. She just loves vacuuming the floor.
 

greenvillegal

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The hair probably will be ok... can someone please confirm this?

Amadeus eats EVERYTHING that's on the floor. One day DBF brushed him and he started eating the fur off of the brush!
 

emeraldsongbird

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I'm sure it will be okay. My brother used to pull it out of his dog when she would whine because the hair wouldn't come out. Bella often has my hair (it's long and I shed a LOT) in her excrement, but it's never been hanging out of her... I imagine either she would end up grooming herself or I would end up pulling it out. Just hair...
 

katgoddess

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Originally Posted by greenvillegal

One day DBF brushed him and he started eating the fur off of the brush!
That's what Mango does, too. He will eat ANYTHING that has fur, including his own tail.
 

strange_wings

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Don't pull it out, you still risk causing damage even if it is "just" hair. Cut what is hanging out off and let the cat pass the rest later.
 

xocats

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Originally Posted by lmao

I know that it's VERY bad to pull on anything hanging out out of your cat's behind...how dangerous is a strand of hair? Is it as bad as if they swallow a ribbon or other linear foreign body?
Did she poop it out yet?


If she has not...
just in case it is tangled with something else, you might want to cut the hair shorter and let it pass on it's own.
I would watch it closely and if you suspect any problems, get your sweetie to a vet right away.
 

badmunkee

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Hi!
Just now, my kitty was running around, freaked out about a poo that was hanging by one of my hairs... Unfortunately I was trying so hard to keep him from hiding that I pulled the poo off and didn't think: I know I should have cut it after the fact and now I'm really worried: what should I watch for if I accidentally hurt him?
 

wildeoscar

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Hey badmunkee, was everything okay in the end? I just did the same thing by accident (late night and groggy, thought I could just grab the poo off... didn't connect that I'd pull the hair too.)

He gave a sharp little noise which jerked me awake and I stopped right away. Really worried now that I've hurt him. He seemed agitated for a few minutes afterwards and is now back to his calmer self, lying on the rug...
 

roxy_loves_cj

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How did it turn out. The exact thing happened here. I thought it was stuck to her fur, turns it was hanging by a human hair inside her rectum. I didn't realize it until I pulled it off and she took off breaking the hair strand. She is walking like it bothers her. If she still seems bit here'd by it in the morning I will take her to the vet.

Will it dissolve internally? Could it cut her intestine like ribbons or dental floss? How could they even tell with out doing surgery? I doubt hair would show up on an X-ray.

Thanks!
 

wildeoscar

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Hi Roxy, in our case it seems to have turned out okay. Oscar was up and playing soon afterwards and has not shown any signs of discomfort since. I know cats are famously good at hiding their pain, but I'm taking it as a good sign that he's really shown no difference in behaviour since before the incident.

That said, I think it is a good call to take yours to the vet if she still seems discomforted in the morning. I don't believe the hair will dissolve (it is rather solid, if minute) but your cat should pass it eventually. If she seems to strain in the litterbox, it could be a sign that it's hurting her insides, but that isn't 100% necessarily the case either.

From what I've read, the real danger would be if the hair is wrapped around her intestine and then gets pulled, either by human hands or when she's trying to pass it. The hair would need to be rather long or bunched up for this to happen, I would imagine. I would guess not quite as dangerous as a long, sturdy, and relatively thick piece of yarn or dental floss, but not completely harmless.

With all that said however, I am patently NOT a vet. Once again, you're right to make sure she is okay if she isn't better by morning. I only hope that my report on Oscar can make you feel better until that time.
 
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