Cat ate a dryer sheet

shannonc

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For some god awful reason my cat LOVES dryer sheets..we always try to keep them away and throw them away after a load of laundry. Threw one in the bathroom trash can without thinking about it and I'm pretty sure he has eaten the entire thing...we usually catch him in the act and are able to take it away from him.

So now he is vomiting..he did just use the kitty box so I don't think its been very long since he ingested it. Got him hairball relief and gave it to him along with a can of wet food(read online). When hes throwing up its like its still stuck in his throat so I'm hoping it hasnt gone too far. If all isnt better by tomorrow morning, we will take him to the vet but until then is there anything anyone can suggest to help him get it out of him? He's not the brightest kitty but we love him to death anyways
 

brokenheart

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I wouldn't wait with something that might be poisonous and might even be killing him.
 

strange_wings

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I agree, the chemicals on it are going to make him ill and the texture (even if not wadded up in the stomach) would make it hard for any food to pass. Your kitty needs to go ASAP.
 

nekomania

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I agree, your cat should see a vet today if it's possible for you, at the very least please give your regular vet a call to see what he/she suggests that you do.

You shouldn't trust information that you read online, it's best to consult a professional. Giving him food if something is stuck in his throat might not be the best idea.
 

carolina

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Worst than the chemicals in it, the biggest problem in eating the whole thing, is abdominal blockage - If he had just eaten a little piece, I would just watch... In fact, this happened to my cat a week or so ago, but it was a piece of it... But the whole thing? I would take this kitty to the ER vet pronto - I would not risk it. BTW - take the box of the dryer sheet with you (mine (bounce) was not toxic, BUT THERE IS A RISK OF BLOCKAGE. A different sheet might have different chemicals and be toxic.
 

catsknowme

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Sending mega prayers and vibes that your boy is okay
Maybe you can add a little vinegar to your laundry instead of using laundry sheets - it's a trick that I learned when running a laundromat for my sister. The vinegar makes cloth a similar pH to our skin's, so the clothes feel softer
 

gloriajh

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ahh - your cat looks like a female to me - only females have three colors (from what I've read), and the picture that I'm looking at in this thread looks like a 3-color cat ????
help me here


I'm now trying to remember the information I read on the colors and genes ... ??
g
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by GloriaJH

ahh - your cat looks like a female to me - only females have three colors (from what I've read), and the picture that I'm looking at in this thread looks like a 3-color cat ????
help me here


I'm now trying to remember the information I read on the colors and genes ... ??
g
I cannot help you but I can say I have a white, grey and black cat who is DEFINATELY male
 

strange_wings

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I'm sure the poster knows what their adult cat is. Besides that's is either a very large and robust female, or a typical male - look at the face (broad nose and space between eyes) and feet. Females, at least moggies, tend to look a bit more petite in those areas as well as body shape. The color pattern is called tabby and white - I have a couple of them myself, both boys. There's a lot more than "three" colors in their fur if you count all of the shades.


To the OP: Please update and let us know how he's doing.
 

gloriajh

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I don't want to hijack this thread - maybe I'll start a new one while I try to find the gene study I read - and, maybe it only was on Calicos ?? Thanks Sharky, and strange_wings!

On Topic: I hope you were able to get him into the ER - please let us know.
 
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shannonc

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we actually found the soggy wadded up dryer sheet in the bathtub. He stopped vomiting and has been acting fine. Going to continue monitoring him and see what the vet says tomorrow.

And HE definitely is a male!! A very handsome one at that!

 

strange_wings

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Looks like a big goofy kitty in those pics.


I'm glad to find out that the dryer sheet was in the tub!
I hope the stuff on it didn't make him ill. While a lot of stuff says "non-toxic" they don't mean that it couldn't make a small animal sick - they're referring to people. Cats livers are different than many other animals livers - which makes them a lot easier to poison.
I've also remember reading of someone's cat getting into laundry detergent a few years ago - that didn't go so well.
 
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shannonc

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Yes he is a scottish fold. Such a loyal and mellow cat.

I'm going to start using one of those dryer balls instead of sheets. Don't even want to risk hit with how much he loves them.
 
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shannonc

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Originally Posted by carolinalima

So Cute!!! Is he a Scottish Fold? Or his ears are just folded by coincidence?
My mother has a cat identical to your lucky...except one of her eyes is crossed lol.
 

carolina

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Originally Posted by strange_wings

Looks like a big goofy kitty in those pics.


I'm glad to find out that the dryer sheet was in the tub!
I hope the stuff on it didn't make him ill. While a lot of stuff says "non-toxic" they don't mean that it couldn't make a small animal sick - they're referring to people. Cats livers are different than many other animals livers - which makes them a lot easier to poison.
I've also remember reading of someone's cat getting into laundry detergent a few years ago - that didn't go so well.
Bounce is non-toxic to cats and dogs - http://www.fsafood.com/msds/vault/001/001949.pdf but there is a risk of intestinal blockage - the link is for the safety data sheet. The ingestion can cause mild vomiting and diarrhea, which was the case on this kitty... thank goodness he vomited - BUT this is for BOUNCE, which is what my kitty Hope ingested (a piece of it about a week ago) - I am not sure about other brands.
Hope was so proud showing me the left overs
 

gloriajh

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Originally Posted by shannonc

we actually found the soggy wadded up dryer sheet in the bathtub. He stopped vomiting and has been acting fine. Going to continue monitoring him and see what the vet says tomorrow.

And HE definitely is a male!! A very handsome one at that!

What great news!! whew!
RE: my inquiry - I thought I had the color thing nailed down - ha! - I'll be going back for a "refresher course"
- I've been looking for the link that talked about the gene and colors of males/females - I think what I was reading was information about Calicos, and that it is rare to have a male Calico ---

Please apologize to him for me - loved the Pics! He's just beautiful! I guess HE sure showed me!!
 

wellingtoncats

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that's not three colours on the cat - just different shades and warmths of brown.

Why do people use drier sheets in their driers? I've never heard of them
 

carolina

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Originally Posted by WellingtonCats

that's not three colours on the cat - just different shades and warmths of brown.

Why do people use drier sheets in their driers? I've never heard of them
Really? Here in the US we use them instead of adding softener into the washer machine... In Brasil we use Softener in the washer, in the rinse cycle. I guess it is because here a lot of people don't have washer and dryers at home - we have common areas in buildings, so we can't really watch for the rinse cycle - so it is easier to just put a sheet (softener) inside of the dryer instead... They do the same thing.
 
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