Ask Dr Claire

My cat ate some elastic from a toy and 3 days later has vomited twice but is happy. Should I be concerned?

Elastic does have the potential to be dangerous when eaten.

The size of your cat, and the size of the object eaten dictates whether the object will become lodged in their intestines, forming a blockage – or whether it will pass through (they can also be vomited up). Linear objects like elastic or string also can cause the intestines to bunch together also causing obstruction.

When something causes an obstruction of the gut, cats get very sick and if left untreated it is sadly, life threatening. In general, symptoms to watch for which may indicate an obstruction are:
*Vomiting,
*Reduced or no appetite,
*Weakness,
*Diarrhoea, and
*Weight loss.

Given you are seeing vomiting, it’s best to head straight to your local bricks and mortar vet for a hands-on assessment. Abdominal imaging (such as radiography and ultrasound) is often used in these cases to assess for where the object is and whether it’s passing through.

If you’d like to chat in person, you can book a live video call or start a chat to discuss in more detail, as soon as possible.

We’re here to help!

Chat soon,
Dr Claire