Cats sometimes play with and eat the strangest things! Have you ever found your cat playing with a necklace? True story—we once had a cat who loves to play with necklaces. She would carry the chain to a sink and then push the chain down the drain a little at a time. For some reason, our cat found this extremely entertaining! Thankfully, she never ate a necklace but continued to play with chains even when she became a senior cat!
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While that’s a cute story, what happens if a cat decides to swallow a necklace?
Has your cat swallowed a necklace? Are you worried the necklace will make your cat sick? If so, then you’ve come to the right place. We understand it’s scary when your cat eats something she shouldn’t.
In this article, we’ll take a look at necklaces and whether or not they can make a cat sick. Let’s get started!
Necklaces & Cats
Why on earth would a cat eat a necklace? Well, a cat might mistake the necklace for a treat. It’s happened! Then there are cats who have pica, which is a behavioral issue that causes cats (dogs and humans!) to eat non-food items. A cat with pica may eat just about anything—from necklaces to fabric, cardboard, and more.
Can a necklace make a cat sick? The answer is yes. The reason is that the necklace can become lodged somewhere in the digestive tract and create an intestinal blockage.
Another danger is that the necklace can become a linear foreign object. This means one end of the necklace is caught somewhere in the intestines, while the other end may be coming out of the cat’s rear end. This can cause the intestines to become bunched up, which is another type of intestinal blockage.
If your cat has eaten the necklace, and part of the chain is coming out of your cat’s tail end, do not pull the chain. This will cause the intestines to become bunched or even tear.
No matter how you look at it, an intestinal blockage is a very dangerous condition. If not treated, it can even lead to death.
Symptoms of an Intestinal Blockage in Cats
You may notice these symptoms if your cat has ingested a necklace:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Lack of appetite
- Abdominal pain and/or swelling
- Cold body temperature
- Crying
- Unwilling to lie down
If your cat is showing any of these symptoms, then call the vet immediately. This is a medical emergency.
Treatment of an intestinal blockage may involve an endoscopic procedure or emergency abdominal surgery. The surgery is done to remove the blockage and repair any damage the necklace has caused.
The prognosis is excellent for cats when they receive prompt medical treatment for an intestinal blockage. If your cat has eaten a necklace, then get her to the vet right away. Don’t wait for symptoms to appear. The sooner she receives treatment, the sooner she will be feeling better.
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Kyoko
Kyoko is from a family of 3 and moved to New York with her parents and siblings when she was 13. Kyoko is fond of spending a great amount of time with pets, specifically her beagle Luna and cat Missy. Her boyfriend often complains that she spends too much time giving attention to their animals. Kyoko has written dozens of articles concerning pets and is aiming at owning a pet shop one day!
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