Habits to Practice for a Cat-Safe Home

Make it a habit to store away all string-type interactive toys after play sessions, including fabric "teasers," such as the popular Cat Charmer toy. I recently received an email from a reader whose cat managed to rip off and swallow pieces of the fabric of that toy, necessitating emergency surgery to the tune of four figures. An inexpensive way to store them is in a heavy cardboard mailing tube with caps on each end, in a closet, for good measure.

If you knit or crochet, curb the impulse to leave your yarn and uncompleted projects in a wicker basket. Yarn is irresistable to cats, and they can easily become tangled up in it and strangle, or swallow lengths of it. By the same token, put away your sewing supplies, including needles and pins, after sewing.

Caution:Never attempt to pull string out of a cat's throat. You can cause severe damage by doing so. Swallowed string is an emergency and indicates an immediate trip to a veterinary clinic.

Dr. Janet Crosby, DMV has posted an excellent article on her site. She says that swallowed string-like objects is technically referred to as "linear foreign body." She also gives the first clear description of the reason swallowing string-like objects is so dangerous. Read Holiday Hazards - String Things for more information.