Cat ate string, not pooping. Can I give laxatives or petroleum jelly?

Question

About 1am last night my cat ate a piece of string. He has not pooped but is showing normal behavior. Would giving him laxatives and petroleum jelly help the string pass? I plan to take him to the vet tomorrow if he hasn't pooped by then since it takes a max of 24 hours for string to pass through and it hasn't been that long yet. The picture is about how long the string is. Also when I checked his mouth I didn't see any of the string. Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 12 years and 5 months old | 15 lbs

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

Good job checking Scamper's mouth for the string; oftentimes, the string can get caught in the cat's teeth. I'd hold off on laxatives, it's never safe to give them to cats unless specifically prescribed by a vet, and legally I cannot advise doing it. Don't give him petroleum jelly either, it will make him sick. Just keep an eye on him, and have him seen by a vet tomorrow if the string hasn't passed. Best of luck.

Cat ate string, not pooping. Can I give laxatives or petroleum jelly?

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