What if my cat ate a small piece of plastic fork? Should I worry?

As long as she is comfortable and has no pain or discomfort eating or breathing I would watch and wait, monitoring closely for any signs or symptoms of GI upset or obstruction. Most small pieces of soft plastic will be vomited or passed uneentfully; small frequent meals can encourage bowel movement and the addition of some laxative hairball paste may help also

A small piece should be able to pass sometime in the next 12-36 hours. Monitor for lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite or abdominal pain. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian.

Hi there and thank you for using Boop by Petco to address your concern. Depending on the size of Koda and how big the piece of fork was that she ate, will determine if she will potentially have problems or not. She will most likely be fine. At this point, I would just monitor. What you will want to monitor Koda for are decreased appetite / activity, lethargy, diarrhea, vomiting or abdominal pain. These symptoms would indicate a potential problem from ingesting the piece of fork. Problems would include an intestinal obstruction or some type of laceration / puncture to the intestines as it passes through the GI tract. Koda will most likely pass this in her stool. I would watch her bowel movements for the next 24-48 hours to ensure that it has passed. If she is completely normal in 48 hours still, I would bet that she will be ok! I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

I’m guessing it was a plastic wrapper - if it was small then it would probably pass without any problems. If it is larger then it might cause vomiting, diarrhea or even an obstruction. I’d recommend seeing your veterinarian if Ozzy vomits, develops diarrhea or has a decrease in appetite.

Hello, I am so sorry for your concerns with Romeo possibly eating the tip of the plastic fork. If this tiny piece is all that might have been ingested, then you should have no worries of this causing any problems at all. It will pass easily & should not cause any issues. Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco.

Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! If the piece was small he will likely pass it. Watch for vomiting, lethargy and not wanting to eat. check his stools with gloves for the piece of bag so you know when to not worry. If he gets sick then he should be seen by a Vet. Good luck

I can certainly understand being worried about your cat eating plastic! The problem with plastic is that is can get caught in the GI tract, causing an obstruction. The best thing to do is to take him into a vet on call or an ER vet to get a shot to induce vomiting now. That will get the plastic out of him, and prevent any chance of obstruction. If it did cause an obstruction, he would need surgery to remove it, so it's better to avoid a big surgery bill now by having him induced to vomit to remove it. There is a chance it could pass on it's own, and you can chose to monitor him over the next 72 hours. Signs of obstruction including vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, lethargy, and constipation, and should you see any of those signs, he would need to see a vet immediately. In my opinion, it's best to be safe, so I would recommend taking him into a vet now.

Thank you for contacting Boop by Petco with your question about Lani. If she did eat this plastic handle, yes it can cause problems, but given that she is acting normally, I would keep an eye on her for now. If you see vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, or lethargy, then I would be worried and have her seen by a vet. I hope this helps!

This is small enough that it has a good chance of passing with any major concerns. Keep an eye on Cheeky for any signs of trouble which includes: excessive vomiting, little to no appetite, little to no stool +/- lethargy. I would then feed her some canned food to help bind the wrapper and hopefully help it pass along. Monitor the stools daily until it is found. If you happen to see any symptoms develop, then a trip to your vet is warranted. I do hope that Cheeky does well and has no issues with this wrapper ingestion. As mentioned earlier it is rather small and flimsy, so it should be able to pass on its own. Best wishes and take care.

Luckily is was only a short piece of fringe. Usually when cats eat strings and yarn that cause intestinal perforations the length is longer than two inches. If there is a medical problem she will become painful, stop eating and may not poop regularly. She should be out of the woods in another day or two. Thanks for using Boop by Petco to help you care for Maisy.