Calvin ate a piece of string

[stephanietx]

Woohoo for string in the poop!!

I think this is the only place one can be happy about such things!

We put all "dangerous" toys away in a drawer. Any bag, feather type toy, anything with a string goes in the drawer after playtime.

As for eating random stuff off the floor, good luck!! Tumbleweed is a HOOVER when it comes to junk on the floor. A couple of weeks ago, he nibbled on a piece of magnet I use for my cross stitching (one of those magnets that comes on a roll) that had fallen off my magnet board and I missed picking it up. I was on poop patrol. He'll eat ANYTHING!!! Vacuuming daily seems to help, but honestly, that doesn't happen often in our home.

 

[calvin&i]

I thought I was kitty proofing enough but guess not

I keep no strings out and this was an exception but I do keep his feather toys out. I do not trust him around much anymore. He does use his scratching post (the cardboard ones) and eats the shavings. Have not seen him do that with the sisal yet.

The issue is when we are not home for long hours I want him to have some stuff to play with . I can see potential danger with nearly everything. Any safe toys you can suggest? Maybe another kitten?

 

[ldg]

I second that - YAY for string in the poop!

Flowerbelle tears paper, Ming Loy eats plastic, Spooky eats string. The only solution we've found is to not leave any out.

But the random hair on the floor... I had REALLY long hair until last year, and while they didn't eat it intentionally, cat tongues are covered with little "hooks" that when something like that touches the tongue, it pretty much can only go one way. I took to brushing my hair only in the bathroom and using a hand vac right away, and putting my hair up in a pony tail while just around the house.

Not much more you can do than that (at least not that I could think of).

 

[strange_wings]

Stuffed toys with no eyes/nose/easy to eat ears. Balls too large for him to swallow. Pillow type toys, again too large to be swallowed. Toys with small feathers. Larger fur mice toys instead of the small ones as there can be the occasional cat that will choke on one. Knitted toys that are well made are good, too.

Pretty much anything much anything that just can't be swallowed and won't be harmful if it is. If you're the crafty type at all you can try making some safe toys. I have some pillow cat nip toys I've made that I put some plastic-foil wrappers inside of to make them crinkle (they're sewn well) that my cats love. I've also made some small stuffed square and triangle pillow toys just large enough not to be swallowed that the cats like to bat around - the toys are easily lost, though.

Walmart has a braided raffeta and fleece toy with feathers that I make a similar version to - I use undyed raffeta, no cloth or string, and to hold the feathers in a tiny amount of white elmers glue. All safe if small amounts are torn off and eaten during play vs something that might not be (store version). You can actually do this with a lot of toys that you like the idea of but don't agree with a couple safe features they may have.

Take the vacuum cleaner hose to the cardboard scratcher daily. I have a couple that eat the pieces, too.

 

[calvin&i]

I am not good at crafting so will have to depend on store bought toys for Calvin but those are really good suggestion for toys and keeping things clean. We try to keep the house clean, and not just for Calvin, but always have, though the work has become manifold since his arrival. We bought a new handvac a few weeks ago and try to use it often. I do "shed" hair and tying is not an option all the time since I may get migraine sometimes when my hair is tied. I do only brush in the bathroom and clean up after and if I see hair anywhere, I immediately pick it up. I do need a haircut, maybe will go shorter.
Calvin does not play with any stuffed toys or knit toys. He only likes paper balls (crumbled paper is his favorite toy to play with), one other ball - stuffed, a thick rope that he has (we dont keep this out when we are not home but I dont think he can injest it), a couple of feather toys, the laser and Da Bird (which met with an early demise). Paper is something that I will probably have the hardest time keeping away from him but he does not chew/ eat the moment he sees them (since they are everywhere) but on rare occasions he will.
This was a huge scare - so will have to be way more vigilant from now on.

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

I would definitely hide all the plastic bags. Cats love to play with them because of the crinkle, but they are easily torn too. I am glad Calvin pooped the string.

 

[stephanietx]

Early on with Tumbles, he ate a piece of leftover embroidery floss. I had to watch his poop for a few days. That was enough to make me extremely diligent about putting the ends in a glass jar with lid or in the trash every single time I walked away from my stitching spot.

 

[calvin&i]

Originally Posted by blueyedgirl5946

I would definitely hide all the plastic bags. Cats love to play with them because of the crinkle, but they are easily torn too. I am glad Calvin pooped the string.

I was really surprised to see the little piece of plastic since I keep all plastic bags hidden and use them only to scoop litter. That's when I remembered he pounced on some grocery while I was putting them away and I was able to shoo him immediately but I guess not fast enough.

yay for the poopy string or stringy poop - however we see it!

 

[calvin&i]

Originally Posted by stephanietx

Early on with Tumbles, he ate a piece of leftover embroidery floss. I had to watch his poop for a few days. That was enough to make me extremely diligent about putting the ends in a glass jar with lid or in the trash every single time I walked away from my stitching spot.

There are things that you never realize these kittens will be interested in till they show their interest - in the worst kind of ways. Am glad Tumbles was ok