Cats love to eat Christmas tree tinsel, and especially rain and snow. If your cat has eaten this, you may start to panic. In a small number of cases, everything goes away without consequences for the cat’s health. And then, only when there was little rain and a lot of food. If the cat has had a good meal of rain, this means that it will soon end up in the veterinary clinic, and, most likely, on the operating table. We don’t want to scare you, but this is exactly how it is. Although, of course, there are cases when the rain comes out on its own without consequences for health.
Why is rain dangerous for cats? Christmas tree tinsel is a thin metal that, like a blade, cuts the internal organs, or more precisely, the esophagus, stomach and intestines of your pet. As a result, internal bleeding will develop, possibly blood poisoning and peritonitis - and the animal will die. These are the sad consequences of eating tinsel.
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Why do cats eat rain from the Christmas tree and other New Year's tinsel?
Many owners wonder if their cat eats rain from the Christmas tree, is he the stupidest person in the world? No, not the stupidest. Cats love everything shiny and rustling. For them it is a toy, an imaginary prey. What do they do with the spoils? Right! Some cats purposefully eat it. Some people do this by accident during the game. In any case, if a cat eats rain and you see it, you need to take immediate action. After all, cats, if they get something in their mouth, cannot spit it out because of the scales on their tongues directed towards the inside. So help your pet. But only if the rain is not yet inside the esophagus.
If you see that your cat has just started playing with the rain and eating it, the tinsel must be taken away urgently. But this must be done carefully, because... Rough movements can damage the oral cavity. First you need to fix the animal so that it does not shake its head. Ideally, this should be done by two people: one person holds, the other pulls out. If this is not possible, the cat will have to be restrained with your legs and manipulated with your hands.
First, open the cat's mouth and look inside. If you see that the rain is sticking out of the cat, but has not yet entered the esophagus, you can carefully pull it out. The situation is completely different if the other end of the tinsel goes into the esophagus. If the cat has already swallowed the rain, i.e. the object is in the stomach or esophagus, but sticks out of the mouth; removing the jewelry yourself will only cause harm - you will cut the cat’s mucous membranes. Injury to the esophagus is even worse than to the intestines: it is difficult to operate and it heals poorly.
Therefore, if a cat ate the rain from the Christmas tree, it is best to go to the veterinary clinic. The clinic will order an examination, which will most likely include an x-ray, after which the doctor will determine where to cut. We are talking about abdominal surgery, which will be followed by long-term rehabilitation.
Why is it dangerous?
Cats are distinguished by their curiosity, so they often eat objects that are not intended for consumption. On the tongue of pets there are hard villi, the direction of which does not allow the animal to spit out the thing that has entered the oral cavity, so pets have to swallow it. If a cat has eaten too much tinsel or rain, owners should absolutely not ignore the problem. Such an addiction to shining threads can cause intestinal obstruction, peritonitis and sepsis.
These pathological conditions can even lead to death.
What to do yourself if the cat swallowed the rain?
If the cat has just swallowed tinsel, you can pour a concentrated salt solution down his throat, which will cause vomiting - and then the rain can come out on its own. The solution is poured either from a syringe or with a teaspoon. Saline solution doesn't always work. A more effective method is to inject a solution of hydrogen peroxide. However, it is easy to burn mucous membranes, which are already at risk. Of course, peroxide must be diluted with water. If you doubt that you can cope with the task yourself, go to a clinic where a doctor will induce vomiting.
If time has passed since eating the tinsel, then the rain has most likely reached the intestines. Then you won’t help the cat with vomit solution. Here we need another remedy. Take a syringe without a needle, fill it with regular Vaseline and squeeze it into the mouth, making sure that the cat swallows everything. Vaseline will soften the passage of rain through the intestines - and, perhaps, the tinsel will not damage the walls of the mucous membrane. Typically, 1 cube of Vaseline is given per 1 kg of cat weight. For example, if a cat weighs 4 kg, she needs to be given 4 ml at a time. The procedure can be repeated after a few hours.
In some cases, there is a blockage of the intestines due to rain. Then the animal refuses food and water or tries to drink and eat, but then vomits. The cat will also be depressed and have a bloated stomach. If you observe at least one of these phenomena, you should immediately contact your veterinarian.
This is what a foreign metal object inside an animal looks like on an x-ray.
Self help
The percentage of rain that gets into a cat’s body will come out naturally without causing harm to it is small. The faster the foreign body is removed, the better. This can be done in two ways.
- Make the cat vomit. Dilute 1-2 teaspoons of salt in 1 liter of boiled water and give your pet this solution. This measure is effective if the tinsel was recently swallowed.
- Speed up the exit of Christmas tree decorations through the anus. Vaseline oil will help here: it will soften the stomach and intestines, which will minimize the risk of damage to the mucous membranes. The dosage of oil is calculated simply: 1 milliliter per 1 kilogram of the cat’s weight.
Having given the cat liquid paraffin, all that remains is to wait for the rain to come out through the anus. Once the process has begun, do not try to speed it up, do not pull the tape out of the animal. There is still a risk of injury. Just cut off the part that has already come out with scissors.
These measures should be taken when it is not possible to show your pet to a veterinarian. As soon as it appears, immediately go to see a specialist. As already mentioned, rain can clog the intestines or tighten them, which threatens necrosis. Therefore, delay is unacceptable.
At the clinic, the cat will be examined and an x-ray will be taken, which will clearly show the decoration. If the worst fears are confirmed, the animal will undergo abdominal surgery, during which the surgeon will remove the foreign body.
The cat ate the rain - it sticks out from under its tail: your actions
Some time after the cat has had its fill of rain, events may develop in four directions. First, he will vomit it himself or with your help. Secondly, the rain will get stuck in the intestines and create a blockage, then surgery is required. Third, the rain will pass through the digestive tract and damage it, resulting in internal bleeding. Fourth, the rain will come out of the intestines naturally, and the cat will remain unharmed. If, thanks to the preventive measures taken in the form of taking Vaseline, you saw that the situation is developing according to the fourth scenario and rain is visible from the cat’s butt, this is not bad. There may be a chance that there is no internal damage. But we must not ruin everything at the last moment with an unsuccessful intervention.
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If for some reason you did not go to the veterinarian, you need to monitor how the cat goes to the toilet. When the rain starts to fall, do not pull it under any circumstances. But you need to cut it off, leaving in the cat what does not come out on its own. And be sure to check the stool for rain, even if it is not visible. And if the rain comes out on its own, you still need to show the cat to a doctor so that he can rule out the presence of internal injuries.
One more question: what to do if you didn’t see if the cat ate the rain, but you have suspicions? In this case, observe the behavior of the animal. If he has vomiting, loss of appetite, lack of stool, lethargy, aloof behavior, fever, this is a reason to run to the veterinarian to find out through an examination whether there are foreign objects in the body or not. One of the listed symptoms is enough to sound the alarm.
How to understand: symptoms
If a cat has eaten enough rain, obstruction of the digestive organ is often observed. The owner can recognize it by the following signs:
If there is an intestinal obstruction, the animal stops eating any food.
- anxiety;
- weakness;
- apathy;
- loss of appetite;
- vomit;
- small amount of feces;
- inappropriate behavior when trying to touch the peritoneum;
- increased body temperature;
- weight loss;
- dehydration of the body.
Sometimes the rain wraps around the tongue, causing necrosis. In this situation, the following symptoms are observed:
- increased secretion of saliva, in which impurities of blood and pus are noticeable;
- unpleasant odor from the mouth;
- Constant scratching of lips with paws.
Survival prognosis
There are no reliable statistics on the survival rate of cats after eating tinsel. After all, some are saved by veterinarians, while the owners of others do not even seek help. But we can say that if a cat ate the rain, then its chances of survival if it contacts a good veterinarian in a timely manner are high. The chances of survival without contacting a veterinarian using traditional methods such as Vaseline are 50 to 50. No one knows which way the rain will literally come. Perhaps it will not hit anything, but perhaps it will cause a blockage in the small intestine or rupture the intestine.
There is only one conclusion here. If a cat swallows rain, you need to take first aid measures and still not be too lazy to go to the veterinarian.
Main rules
If your pet suddenly swallows rain, you should immediately take him to the veterinarian. Only he knows what exactly needs to be done. Any delay in decision can lead to dire consequences. You need to act quickly, and in this case you cannot hesitate. One of the most dangerous complications that can occur is intestinal necrosis, which will lead to the death of the pet.
In this situation, as a rule, surgical treatment is used. Under general anesthesia, abdominal surgery is performed to remove rain from the intestines. The operation is not difficult, it is not very difficult, so you should not worry too much about your pet. All this is carried out in a veterinary clinic. Next, the doctor will write out a certain list of rules that will need to be followed after the operation. All prescriptions indicated by the doctor will be aimed at improving the cat’s condition.
If the situation is not critical, and the rain has not yet had time to fall into the intestines, then you can do without surgery. With the help of an endoscopic device, a professional veterinarian can easily help the animal. It is not dangerous and will take a little time. The main thing is to react in time, and then perhaps the doctor will have time to use the endoscope.
Prevention
Cat owners should remember that the Christmas tree is an unwelcome guest in their apartment. But if you can’t do without it, you definitely shouldn’t hang dangerous tinsel: you can come up with a much more interesting and non-dangerous design.
When I got my first cat at home, we stopped decorating the Christmas tree. But I once wrapped gifts using rain ribbon and even chased the cat out of the room. But she made her way, and before I could blink an eye, she was already playing with the rain, which somehow fell on the floor. Don’t expect that you will attach the tinsel higher up so that the cat won’t reach it. He will get there. Or the tinsel will fall off on its own. Therefore, make sure that there is no rain, snowballs or anything like that in the house at all! Today there are many other beautiful Christmas decorations that are safe for cats.
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Is it possible to foresee the danger?
Absolutely yes. Of course, I wouldn’t want to give up decorating my home, so we’ve put together key recommendations.
The first rule that all owners of purrs should follow is maximum attention to the design of their home. If your cat has been living with you for a long time, you probably already know his likes and dislikes and are able to clearly assess the risks and provide safety measures. For example, if you know for sure that the animal is partial to bright decorative items, seasonal decorations should be hung so that the cat has minimal access to them.
The second rule - try, if possible, to protect your pets from rooms with dangers: close the doors to the room where the Christmas tree is located, do not leave the fluffies alone with the decor.
Third rule : if you are decorating a house according to the “set it and forget it” principle, it is better to take photos of those objects that pose a particular danger to pets. So, even if you suspect that the cat ate the tinsel , you can compare the current appearance of the room with how it was originally decorated.
Fourth rule: Many people firmly associate the New Year with tangerines. And this may be your salvation. More precisely, rescuing a pet. Place citrus fruits around the tree, spray citrus oil near it, on decorations - cats do not have a deep sympathy for these New Year's eating habits. But their interest in tinsel and other decorations will decrease.
Firecrackers and epilepsy
A sharp loud sound of unknown origin will make even a person flinch. But the person will know that he will be followed by a flash of beautiful lights in the sky, whose purpose is to please the eye.
The dog doesn't know what's going on. Fear or even phobia of firecrackers and fireworks is a common problem for dog owners. In a fit of panic, the dog may begin to break free and even run away from the owner: finding it is still a challenge.
On the Internet you can find videos on how to behave with a dog during attacks of fear of explosions. Cynologist-blogger of the Dog-nvrsk channel suggests training your pet to freeze at the command “stop” when they hear frightening explosions. He mentions that you shouldn't baby your dog at these moments and try to calm him down - by doing so, you let him know that something scary is indeed happening. The best solution is not to change your behavior or get nervous yourself to show that everything is okay.
Andrei, the host of the Konura channel, suggests preparing in advance by accustoming the dog to the sound of explosions using the same system that wean people from phobias: start with a small firecracker, exploding it at a great distance from the dog, so that it does not evoke frightening associations in the dog.
Veterinarian Ruslan Akhmedov suggests taking the dog away from the place where firecrackers and fireworks are set off as quickly as possible, in case the dog has an epileptic attack and needs the help of a specialist.
When a spruce tree will not arouse interest in a cat
Pets, in particular cats, are cunning and at the same time can accumulate some experience.
Therefore, to prevent the New Year's tree from arousing the animal's interest in the future, you can spray the spruce branches with something bitter.
For example, a decoction of hot pepper or its powder diluted in water is suitable. Once a cat has bitten a bitter branch, it will no longer do so.
If the spruce is in a pot, then it must be closed so that the pet does not have access to it. This will prevent:
- spillage of filler;
- poisoning an animal with water poured into a pot;
- will reduce the likelihood of the tree falling.
You can do the same with your holiday decor - spray it with something spicy or with a distinct citrus scent. In this case, it is better to choose artificial Christmas trees, as they are easier to process.
So once is enough for several years and the pet will definitely remember that he did not like to “attack” the tree in the past. You can also make a foil “skirt” under the tree or glue it with double-sided tape - cats don’t really like it when something sticks to their paws.
New Year holidays
With the January holidays approaching, the cat owner should take care of the food supply in advance. Nearby stores will likely be closed for a few days, so stop by early or order delivery. Then check the veterinary first aid kit; it should contain disinfectants, dressings, essential drugs for poisoning, and more. If your cat has a chronic illness, check to see if any medications are running low. And, of course, find out the opening hours of the nearest veterinary clinics during the holidays, write down the phone numbers and keep this information at hand.
