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My cat ate yarn and is gagging, but eating. Is this an emergency?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 2 years and 4 months old | 5 lbs

My cat swallowed yarn last night. I made an appointment for her tomorrow at 1 to make sure everything is okay. She is eating and drinking like normal, however she is gagging a lot.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Tomasz Wnuk

Veterinarian

Published on May 20th, 2020

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It happens that a longer piece of thread or yarn can tangle around the base of the tongue or gets stuck above the soft palate. It could be the case in Delta. Ife the yarn has tangled up around the tongue, you should be able to see it if Delta lets you open her mouth wide. If it got stuck above the palate, you won't be able to see it. It is not much that you can do at home to help her. She should be seen by a vet for sedation and throat examination.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Delta. Good on you for making her an appointment right away! The yarn may be bothering her causing the gagging. It's good that she is able to eat and drink normally. Since she is doing that, it's fine to wait until tomorrow to have her seen by a vet. Keep feeding her normally until then. Best of luck.

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