cat ate tinsel is it safe?

peepy

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jan 9, 2002
Messages
2
Purraise
0
new years day my cat ate a small bunch of tinsel. he threw up some of it, but after for a day or two did not eat and did nothing but sleep. now its been a week later and he ate today for the first time and is much more lively. could he be well now? did the tinsel pass? a trip to the vet is going to cost about 200 dollars i dont have extra money in the house. someone told me tinsel can be poisonous to cats, is this true?? thanks
 

hissy

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 19, 2001
Messages
34,872
Purraise
76
Usually a vet visit runs anywhere from $25.00-40.00 but unless surgery or an overnight stay on an extensive test is needed, that should be all. I would start giving kitty a little bit of mineral oil in his wet food, not much, just a bit. If you see any tinsel hanging out of his rear- please do not pull it out for him, this could cut him badly internally depending on how long the strand is. The problem with tinsel and kitty is that the strands can seperate once kitty has swallowed them and do internal damage, and you would not see the end result for awhile. Push liquids on kitty, start dropping tuna juice into the water to encourage him to drink and just monitor his litterbox. If it were my kitty, I would take it into the vet some vets are good about payment arrangements, and some aren't. But I don't know your financial situation so it is your call. Look for the danger signs which would be lethargic or slow moving, not eating or drinking or showing much signs of doing much else.

Next year try stringing popcorn and cranberries instead of using tinsel, it is so much safer for the animals.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

peepy

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Jan 9, 2002
Messages
2
Purraise
0
its 40 for the vet visit, but he would do an exray and that he said is 100 dollars, and im sure he would add some other cost to it for medicine or whatever. he doesnt do payment plans. right now the cat seems fine, he ate today and drank my cereal milk and had some water. the only thing different with him now is he doesnt want to play with his brother. i threw a ball to test out how he is and he did go after it, i cant find anything in his poop. this kitty is 2 yrs old and has a history of eating everything. hes like a goat, hes eaten barbie shoes, polly pocket doll clothes, crayons, i found barbie doll feet in his vomit. with a child in the house its been a little hard to keep things from him, but i threw out all the barbie stuff and my daughter is limited to the kinds of toys she can have. i didnt even put up an xmas tree, my daughter came home from a new years eve party we went to with a rattle type party favor with a bunch of tinsel on the end for decoration. i didnt think he would touch it, but then i saw it, the rattle with a crew cut, he ate all the tinsel and left a shaved looking stub. if he doesnt play with his brother tomorrow and act his normal hyper self i will have to take money out of the rent and bring him to the vets. with about 12 more years to go with him how can i break him of this puppy like chewing habbit?
 

catskate

TCS Member
Kitten
Joined
Jan 5, 2002
Messages
10
Purraise
0
my aunt's cats did the same thing and they threw some of it up and passed the rest of it. They do this every year and I'm not sure how old they are but they are VERY healthy.
 
Top