Man Issues Warning on Everyday Object That Almost Killed His Cat

A cat owner has shared an urgent warning about the unexpected risk that a simple hair accessory can pose to their beloved pets, after his feline had to be rushed into surgery.

Reddit user u/PoisonWaffle3 noticed one of his cats, named Purple, start vomiting in September last year, and when it showed no signs of stopping, he rushed the poor feline to the emergency vet. Following an X-ray, the Redditor was astounded to learn that Purple had in fact ingested a bunch of hair ties which became lodged in his stomach.

After the shock discovery, u/PoisonWaffle3 told Newsweek that the vet "recognized the hair ties immediately" and knew exactly what to do. "It sounds like they deal with this sort of thing very regularly," he added.

Purple had surgery that same day, costing his owner a staggering $3,000 in unexpected vet fees. But now, he's learnt a valuable lesson, as he added that "we are now a hair tie free house."

On January 4, he shared the public service announcement (PSA) for fellow owners to "keep hair ties away from your cat" because while they may seem harmless, they could be deadly. The shocking post, revealing the image of Purple's X-ray, was horrifying for many to see but they appreciated the caution, and it's gained more than 3,600 votes and 270 comments so far.

Newsweek spoke to veterinarian Dr. Preston Turano, who explained that cats are often "attracted to things that look like insects or worms," so the sight of a hair tie or shoelace might seem thrilling, but could be very harmful.

"Linear foreign bodies such as strings, hair ties, rubber bands, and shoelaces have long been some of the most common causes of gastrointestinal blockages in cats," Turano said. "They can be very dangerous because they not only block the gastrointestinal tract, but they can cause it to fold up on itself like an accordion, causing tissue death that is often irreversible."

In order to prevent any unnecessary trips to the vets, Turano suggests "cat-proofing your home" by keeping any small items out of their way and being vigilant. "If you have a cat that is especially interested in these items, you will need to be on even higher alert," he added.

Purple has recovered well since his surgery in September, and he was back to normal with his brother, Blue, in no time. While he had to learn the hard way about how dangerous hair accessories can be, u/PoisonWaffle3 hopes his post will help other owners be more aware and prevent their cats from going through this.

He said: "We cleared all hair ties, twist ties, toys with tinsel, and rubber bands out of the house while the cat was recovering from surgery.

"I just felt that I needed to share my experience and hopefully save a kitty. I wasn't expecting hundreds of comments, but a lot of people shared similar experiences with items in their homes. They expressed their gratitude so they could protect their own cats, and that's the main thing that I'm really happy to see."

Among the hundreds of comments, one Reddit user wrote: "Your poor baby! She must feel better without all that gunking her up! All ribbons are cut off or only supervised play now."

Another person commented: "Cut ribbons AND the plastic feathers off toys. They can choke on the feathers."

While one owner responded: "Watch out for earplugs too. They're bouncy and colorful and fun to chew."

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