Conference misery::feline_v1

though 'tis not the season. . .

your problem with the sewing needle is even less probable than the
tinsel-in-the-throat-and-intestines problem. . .kitty munches one
or two strands of silver-colored plastic-based tinsel, and we're
off to a brief stay at the vet's, not-everyday-surgery included,
thank you too much.

cats will forever pursue life-threatening pasttimes, however silly
and totally implausible they may appear to us.

god help me, i don't want to come back a cat.

for further details, see "Carlin at Carnegie Hall, HBO, 4/20/84".

E.

P. S. The Christmas tinsel trauma is seconded by the summertime
plastic wrap of the cold cuts.  Please be careful as to how accessible
you make *wonderful* smelling refuse.

***
**

the fuj

	There are numerous hazards.  One of my cats, Vivianne, *loves* to
eat recording tape, if I give her a chance.  My late Siamese, Angelica, *adored*
eating twine.  My uttrly beloved Morgan, loved running off with electronis
components (he almost swallowed a resistor).  There are _many_ things it's
better you don't leave around the house.  In particular, though, anythin
with string or of string tends to tempt kitties (my Siamese/Manx hybrid,
Merlin, is partial to rubber bands).

	So be careful.

SK

MY CAT HEATHER ATE 11 PENNIES AND A DIME WHICH WAS A VERY COSTLY
TRIP TO THE VET. DON'T ASK HOW BUT SHE MANAGED IT. AND WE DIDN'T EVEN
SEE HER EAT THEM. WE NOTICED SHE WASN'T EATING AND THIS MAY SOUND FUNNY
BUT SHE JUST DIDN'T LOOK HERSELF. THEN WHEN WE FELT HER STOMACH 
YOU COULD FEEL THE OBSTRUCTION. SHE SURVIVED THAT LITTLE TRAGEDY ONLY
TO WALK THRU TRANSMISSION FLUID A COUPLE OF YEARS LATER. AND
THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO FOR THAT. SO PLEASE BE CAREFUL ABOUT 
THOSE LITTLE STAINE THAT APPEAR UNDER YOUR CAR.

Chewing on plugged-in appliance power cords is another thing to watch out
for.

--PSW

Also small models and toys.  A former cat once ate a plastic tree from a HO
train set.  We didn't know what was wrong until the cat stopped eating.
The vet couldn't figure out what was wrong, as nothing showed up on an X-ray.
Luckily, the cat passed the tree before the vet got around to surgery (on
the assumption it MIGHT be a hair ball).

Cats will also eat rubber bands, but will pass them; we never saw our cat
eat one, but found them in the litter box.

Steve

	[RE .3]:  I don't understand what you mean by "walked through trans-
mission fluid."  Could you explain?
#6	<_Jym_>\

I expect that the note referred to a puddle of transmission fluid on
the driveway, or in the garage. I've read that the stuff is utterly
lethal, and a cat who so much as walks through it and licks its paws
later is almost certain to die. Kidney failure or something, isn't it?

(I've heard much the same thing about antifreeze, I think. This one's
more likely to cause trouble, since people refill their radiators more
often than their transmissions, and the antifreeze is more likely to
spill.)

-b

Both of my cats are crazy about threads and strings, they love to
fight and pursue a piece of wool and when the game is over they 
always try to eat their prize. Although wool and cotton are natural
fabrics, my vet has warned me to watch out for them eating it, because
it just might cause a serious obstruction...so be careful of your
knitting and sewing if your cat is a "thread-freak"" too.

It is easy to overlook some things though. A couple of weeks ago
I bought my cats a new toy. It was a little white fur ball with a
long red cotton string attached. Memphis, a little black persian guy,
saw it and fell immediately in love with it. While he was playing I
left the room for a while and when I came back in the ball was hanging
from his mouth just a little above the floor. The other end of the
string was nowhere to be found...right, he had eaten it! I could
easily pull it out and no harm was done. It still is his one and
favorite toy (he drags it all over the house, following me and
mewing for me to play with him, the ball end doesn't interest him, he
just uses the ball to drag along the string!)...but I don't give it
to him unless I'm around.

Marga

A friend of mine would like to thank you for saving her cat. Two days after
I had told her about this warning she retreived a thread from her cats mouth
that sure enough came out complete with needle. She had been watching him
a little more closely after I mentioned it.


							.wIx.

    I'm a year late to this subject, but I also had a cat that swallowed
    a needle with a bit of thread.  We called our vet who (although
    skeptical of this) suggested we feed the cat lots of bread, which we
    proceeded to do. I can't imagine a needle passing through a cat's
    system, but the cat lived for years after this!  I guess our friends
    are tougher than we give them credit for.
    
    -Jim-

    Many years late on this subject... but I think it needs to be
    readdressed....
    
    Last Sunday, Chessie, our 6 yr old, was gagging all morning.  She has a
    tendency to get hairballs stuck in her throat, but has never gagged
    like this before.  I kept telling my husband that something was wrong
    and we needed to get her to the vet.  Finally, I think to shut me up,
    he openned her mouth and there stuck in the roof of her mouth was a
    needle.  It was jammed very tight, with the blunt end going down her
    throat... I tried to get it out, and only managed to get bitten (she is
    not a biter, she licks you when she is irritated [crazy cat]).  We
    called the vet and he worked us in (he has Sunday hours).  It took all
    of 2 seconds for him to remove a 2" sewing needle and 8" of yellow
    thread.  The vet said this is so very common, because cats like to chew
    on just about anything.  He said the needle was the least of the
    worries, it is the thread that is the real killer, it binds the
    insides.  The last time anyone in my house used that needle was over a
    month ago.....  I thought it got put away, but I guess it got dropped
    on the carpet.
    
    Chessie is fine.... she hid for the rest of the day, and I gave her wet
    catfood instead of her normal dry only... thought it would be easier on
    her mouth.
    
    Anyway, I just thought this subject should be reopenned, so that we all
    are aware of the major hazzard of a small household item.
    
    M-L

    Glad to hear that Chessie is fine.  And thanks for the reminder.
      Nancy DC