Help...ideas? Cat ate string-thing

[TheRedQueen]

Saw Booth messing with a cat toy last night...then after about an hour, I was passing by that way, and realized that he ate the entire long fleece string part (or part of it...but it's all missing). He was making horrendous meowing cries last night, and had part of it hanging out of his mouth. I went to him, to see if I could pull it out...and he ran off. He's semi-feral, and won't let me pick him up. He threw up twice last night, and once this morning (I found it by the table this morning...I didn't see him throw up the last time.

He won't let me near him, and I honestly haven't seen him since last night. He hides in the upstairs, which is the cat area, but is kind of a finished attic...lots and lots and lots of boxes, furniture and stuff to hide away in...so mom can't find him.

Getting him into a carrier, EVEN if I can catch him...is gonna be quite dangerous, as I said, he's semi-feral. He acts normal now for the most part, but it's taken a year for me to be able to PET him...and we're still working on the picking up.

This is EVEN if I can find him! I put out catnip downstairs this morning...hoping to lure him, but no such luck.

I worry... The other cats would let me grab them and check them out and help them...this one, no way. And this is why I worry about him anyway...

Any ideas? if not...please just send good thoughts...

[PoodleMaMaKat]

Good thoughts for Booth!!

[PetieMarie22]

Oh no! I would try to capture him and bring him to the vet. Be careful about pulling it out. I had a cat with easter grass hanging out the other end and I pulled it out. I was told that could have been bad. Someone (not a vet, a lady with a bunch of cats) told me pulling it out could perferate something in their digestive tract.

[TheRedQueen]

Oh no! I would try to capture him and bring him to the vet. Be careful about pulling it out. I had a cat with easter grass hanging out the other end and I pulled it out. I was told that could have been bad. Someone (not a vet, a lady with a bunch of cats) told me pulling it out could perferate something in their digestive tract.

It's all inside as of last night...so there's no chance of pulling it out anymore. I went upstairs, and no sign of him at all...he's REALLY good at hiding... I hate cats...why do they do such stupid things?

[amalie79]

One of my cats is very NOT ok with being handled, especially if there's any inkling of a vet visit. So I keep paper boxes around-- as in, the boxes that reams of paper come in because they have handles, and most importantly, A LID. If you can pick the cat up, even by the scruff, you can drop it into the box, or corner it with the box, etc., and put the lid on FAST. I know it sounds traumatic, but I try to reserve this tactic for emergencies. If I know I'm taking her in, I try to leave the the box out for a day or two so that she gets in on her own and I just have to put the lid on. And the handles make little windows.

At the vet, I ask for a closed room or the surgery (they have little stalls where I go) and warn them she's a bit wild. She's really calm for them, usually (so I look like an idiot ), but if they have to do anything more than give her a quick shot, they see what I mean. They sometimes have to sedate her just a little-- she's not totally out, but she's not putting up a fight.

Cats will make you crazy. I'm thinking good thoughts for you guys!!

[TheRedQueen]

One of my cats is very NOT ok with being handled, especially if there's any inkling of a vet visit. So I keep paper boxes around-- as in, the boxes that reams of paper come in because they have handles, and most importantly, A LID. If you can pick the cat up, even by the scruff, you can drop it into the box, or corner it with the box, etc., and put the lid on FAST. I know it sounds traumatic, but I try to reserve this tactic for emergencies. If I know I'm taking her in, I try to leave the the box out for a day or two so that she gets in on her own and I just have to put the lid on. And the handles make little windows.

At the vet, I ask for a closed room or the surgery (they have little stalls where I go) and warn them she's a bit wild. She's really calm for them, usually (so I look like an idiot ), but if they have to do anything more than give her a quick shot, they see what I mean. They sometimes have to sedate her just a little-- she's not totally out, but she's not putting up a fight.

Cats will make you crazy. I'm thinking good thoughts for you guys!!

Good thought...I do have a cardboard carrier upstairs...I've worked for years in vet offices and boarding kennels...so I can wrangle a cat into one of those...thanks for the idea! I'll pull that out and keep it handy!

First and last time that I tried to pick him up, he clawed the crap out of me... This is why he stayed instead of finding a new home like he was supposed to do!

[pitbullmamaliz]

Oh no! Lots of good thoughts for Mr. Booth, and for you too, should you manage to snag him.

[PetieMarie22]

I have a very shy 8 year old cat that ususally just hides. But even when she is sick, that cat can scurry! If you miss grabbing her that first time, IT'S ON!
I tip laundry baskets on their sides, boxes, what ever I can find that may stop her just for a friggin second! After I finally catch her, I look around my house and it looks like a war zone! Couch on it's side, chairs up side down, cat hair everywhere, sweat all over me.
It helps if you have a second (3rd or 4th!) person, but that usually not possible for me.

I hope everything works out ok for you Erin!

[madremissy]

Don't know much about cats but good thoughts to Mr. Booth.

[TheRedQueen]

I have a very shy 8 year old cat that ususally just hides. But even when she is sick, that cat can scurry! If you miss grabbing her that first time, IT'S ON!
I tip laundry baskets on their sides, boxes, what ever I can find that may stop her just for a friggin second! After I finally catch her, I look around my house and it looks like a war zone! Couch on it's side, chairs up side down, cat hair everywhere, sweat all over me.
It helps if you have a second (3rd or 4th!) person, but that usually not possible for me.

I hope everything works out ok for you Erin!

Yeah, no extra person for me...John can't get into the upstairs...and even if he could, he'd tip out of his scooter trying to catch him. If he wasn't upstairs in the giant piles of boxes and stuff, it wouldn't be so hard...sigh.

Off to see if I can locate him...

[Malli]

yeah. I have little help to offer, but I admit it doesn't sound good I just wanted to re-iterate the "don't pull on it" sentiment, I know he's already swallowed it, but if it comes out the other end, cut it off, don't pull on it. If it does come out and you do cut it, you might want to save it to sort of add up what you have and compare it to your memory.
Careful of panicky cats and cardboard boxes, they can push and claw their way out of them - I have seen it. It all depends on the cat, some just accept it and don't freak, too.

[Ino]

My one cat that is more skittish (Hop-a-long) broke out of a card board box once when I tried to use it after the 2 kitties broke out of a plastic crate together...so I tried a box but he pushed his head out through an air hole on the box, tucked it back in and came all the way out with full force. Now, I use Ino's puppy crate since it does not have the freaky plastic sides that minimize their view and seem to freak them out more. They still freak out once I lock the door, but since it is one of the wire/cage style crates, he doesn't break nails like he did on the grid door of the plastic crate since his paws fit through the bars and there are not a lot of horizontal bars. He used to have broken nails and a bloody nose from fighting with the front of one of the plastic crates. I think it works better also because it is bigger and they do have a 360 degree view. Once, Punkin did reach out and drag my kitchen chair over to the crate, but that was the worst of it. Usually I wait until they settle some before I move the crate (I crate them 20-30 min before we have to leave) otherwise I get clawed up. I also use utility gloves so I don't get clawed. I started leaving the crate out with a blanket and pillow so now they go in it more often and since we don't go out much, they don't expect me to close it on them. I put it on top of Ino's crate for a while to attract them since cats love heights. If clawing is an issue, you can *try* to capture/wrap him in a towel to minimize damage. Throw it over him and just grab him...it freaked Hoppy out, but after the trauma was over (we returned from the vet), he forgave me. That worked once for me, but I found some chicken in the crate gets them to go right in. I wish you luck!! I've been defeated many times and had my share of battle wounds from attempting. Hoppy actually had to have his neuter date postponed because I couldn't get both of them crated- he broke out of the box and hid so Punkin went alone and Hoppy got done the next week! Hoppy also has an issue with urinating/pooping in the crate, but I usually only have a cheap pillow in there for the trip and toss is when we get there.

[TheRedQueen]

After all of the time I've spent looking upstairs for him...Booth just sauntered out from the bedroom after being gone for almost 24 hours. I caught him, picked him up and ran to the room with the big crate (going to stick him in the crate for now)...Oreo jumped up just as he started to scratch me, and he got away from me...DAMN DOG! He's hidden again.

[ArtGypsy]

After all of the time I've spent looking upstairs for him...Booth just sauntered out from the bedroom after being gone for almost 24 hours. I caught him, picked him up and ran to the room with the big crate (going to stick him in the crate for now)...Oreo jumped up just as he started to scratch me, and he got away from me...DAMN DOG! He's hidden again.