Category: Cat Health & Conditions

A pile of glistening, shiny Christmas presents sitting under the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree are charming, heartwarming… and apparently delicious to many unwise cats at this time of year!

Many cats are tempted by long, curly, shiny ribbons and will play with them. A few of those will chew and swallow ribbon or string, resulting in a potentially devastating linear foreign body in the intestine!

A linear foreign body is worse than a rounded foreign body, as it will often thread through the intestines, causing the gut to bunch up around it, like pulling a drawstring through the edge of a pair of pants. The ribbon may then cut through the intestine, and often requires multiple surgical incisions to remove safely.

Symptoms of a linear foreign body include: vomiting, not wanting to eat, lethargy, and generally being severely unwell.

Ribbon, tinsel, string and similar shaped objects can all become linear foreign bodies if eaten. Using broader, thicker ribbon means it is less likely to be eaten by your curious cat, but some cats are simply too tempted to be around ribbon at all.

Does your cat go outside, at all? Do they have up to date FIV protection?

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, the pathogen that causes Feline AIDS, is a relatively common virus of cats, with up to 20% of stray cats in Victoria being infected. It is commonly transmitted by cat bites, so any cat which ventures outside, at all, is at risk of contracting this virus.

While the best protection against FIV is keeping your cat inside, vaccination is available for cats who do venture outside. A simple blood test can be performed in our clinic to determine whether your cat may have already been infected. Please phone us for more information or to schedule an appointment.