Help! I think my cat ate a tiny piece of cling wrap.

[TeaMatcha]

Hi all,

As I was looking back at my house camera recording, I noticed that my cat was licking and chewing on the cling wrap that was wrapped around a parcel on 20th June 2023 around 6.30pm. I'm not too sure if she swallowed it as when I zoomed in into the video, the resolution wasn't clear. All I can see was her licking her mouth after she's chased away from the parcel by my mom. There seems to be some white stuff hanging on her mouth but once again, I'm not too sure as the resolution is so low and that she's a tuxedo cat, it might just be her chest fur.

She's behaving normally, eating and drinking normally, she pooped this morning as well. No sign of plastic or etc.

I texted her vet for advice and they prescribed my cat lactulose and stomach protectant. Lactulose to be taken twice a day, for two days, and stomach protectant to be taken twice a day as well, for five days. Vet said that hopefully the cling wrap will pass on it own.

No sign of pooping after she took lactulose. Will keep a lookout tomorrow if she poops. Not too sure if I did the right thing by giving her laxative as I'm not even sure if she did or did not eat the cling wrap as the video wasn't clear.

Do you think I should continue giving her laxative for two days if her appetite and poop is normal?

Also, what will happen if the cling wrap wasn't able to pass out? Once again, I'm not too sure if she did ate the cling wrap or no. As I don't believe my own eyes while I rewatch the video multiple times. If she really does consumed it, the size should be about the same as a coin.

 

[daftcat75]

Lactulose is more like a stool softener than a laxative. Laxatives stimulate pooping. Lactulose, on the other paw, retains water in the stool making it easier to pass. Laxative is active while lactulose is passive. I don't see anything wrong with continuing the lactulose.

Cats can pass ingested fur and bone of their prey. She should be able to pass the cling wrap if she ate it. If it is getting stuck along the way, I would expect her to have cramping, pain, and reduced appetite. If you see any sort of distress from her, take her to the emergency hospital for an X-ray.

This is the sort of thing that should resolve on its own. But it could become life threatening if it doesn't. Keep following the vet's advice and take her into the ER without delay at the first signs of distress.

 

[TeaMatcha]

Lactulose is more like a stool softener than a laxative. Laxatives stimulate pooping. Lactulose, on the other paw, retains water in the stool making it easier to pass. Laxative is active while lactulose is passive. I don't see anything wrong with continuing the lactulose.

Cats can pass ingested fur and bone of their prey. She should be able to pass the cling wrap if she ate it. If it is getting stuck along the way, I would expect her to have cramping, pain, and reduced appetite. If you see any sort of distress from her, take her to the emergency hospital for an X-ray.

This is the sort of thing that should resolve on its own. But it could become life threatening if it doesn't. Keep following the vet's advice and take her into the ER without delay at the first signs of distress.

Will lactulose cause any tummy ache or loss of appetite? Now it's 22nd June 2023 at 6.35am (SG time). It'll be 48 hours soon once it hit 6.30pm. Do you think it's safe to say that the cling wrap by now should have already move it way onto the large intestine with poop? And that the danger time is over?

 

[daftcat75]

Will lactulose cause any tummy ache or loss of appetite? Now it's 22nd June 2023 at 6.35am (SG time). It'll be 48 hours soon once it hit 6.30pm. Do you think it's safe to say that the cling wrap by now should have already move it way onto the large intestine with poop? And that the danger time is over?

Lactulose shouldn’t cause discomfort. I would continue to give it as many days as the vet recommended. I can’t tell you for sure how long it might take to pass because it’s not a standard food item. Hair can remain in a cat’s belly for days sometimes before it passes or comes back up. I imagine the same thing can happen with a non-hair foreign substance—especially if it’s something that can get caught up in a developing hairball.

If it were my cat, I would have gone in for an X-Ray. But that not withstanding, I would follow the vet’s advice and give the lactulose for the scheduled period.

 

[TeaMatcha]

Lactulose shouldn’t cause discomfort. I would continue to give it as many days as the vet recommended. I can’t tell you for sure how long it might take to pass because it’s not a standard food item. Hair can remain in a cat’s belly for days sometimes before it passes or comes back up. I imagine the same thing can happen with a non-hair foreign substance—especially if it’s something that can get caught up in a developing hairball.

If it were my cat, I would have gone in for an X-Ray. But that not withstanding, I would follow the vet’s advice and give the lactulose for the scheduled period.

My cat will be going in on Sunday for her annual check up. Will monitor her and see how it goes. Perhaps I should let her get an xray on Sunday too. Thanks for your advice

 

[jmichaelp]

My first cat often ate rubber bands. I'd find them after he pooped them out. He finally ate some thread that he found after I'd moved. It balled up, got stuck & had to be surgically removed.
My fourth cat ate an 18" piece of string. He pooped it out 2-3 days later without taking any meds. He was fine & still is 10 years later.

 

[TeaMatcha]

My first cat often ate rubber bands. I'd find them after he pooped them out. He finally ate some thread that he found after I'd moved. It balled up, got stuck & had to be surgically removed.
My fourth cat ate an 18" piece of string. He pooped it out 2-3 days later without taking any meds. He was fine & still is 10 years later.

Glad that your fourth cat and first cat are fine. Hopefully mine will be fine too. Praying hard that it's my eyes that saw wrongly and that she didn't ate any wrapper at all.

 

[jmichaelp]

Glad that your fourth cat and first cat are fine. Hopefully mine will be fine too. Praying hard that it's my eyes that saw wrongly and that she didn't ate any wrapper at all.

Thread is what is bad because it can get caught & while trying to move it out, the intestines push/pull the thread until they finally get cut open.

 

[jmichaelp]

Hopefully all is well with your cat. I forgot to mention that my 3rd cat used to lick/eat plastic bags. Since he grew up indoors I think he did this as a purgative instead of grass. I assume he sometimes passed some plastic but most often threw it up. Of course I did make plastic hard him to get & took any away from him, but he'd always find some.

 

[TeaMatcha]

Hopefully all is well with your cat. I forgot to mention that my 3rd cat used to lick/eat plastic bags. Since he grew up indoors I think he did this as a purgative instead of grass. I assume he sometimes passed some plastic but most often threw it up. Of course I did make plastic hard him to get & took any away from him, but he'd always find some.

After the 2nd dose of lactulose, my cat poop on the 23rd June afternoon. I look through her poop and there's no sign of plastic wrap. There's only lots of her own fur. Vet say to continue monitor and if there's any changes, let them know straight away.

Her appetite is normal. She haven't poop since 23rd June but I wasn't quite concern as she will usually poop once every other day or once every two days. Hopefully she will poop tomorrow morning. Will look through her poop again. I'm thinking of asking the vet for an xray for in case as she will be having her checkup tomorrow. But not too sure will plastic show up on xray.

I think the tricky part is that I'm not too sure if she ate it.

Mine too omg!! I always hid all the plastics away but somehow she will manage to find some. Not sure why cats seems to like licking or chewing on plastics.