At a routine check up, vets discovered an extremely worrying large mass in black-and-white cat Garry. The two-year-old cat, from Hove, England was admitted for further tests, and worried owner Ana Barbosa was told to prepare for the worst as a life-threatening tumour was suspected.
But during emergency exploratory surgery, PDSA vet Jess Maguire was stunned to discover shoe laces and hair bands, along with bits of plastic, in Garry’s stomach.
PDSA vets saved the life of Garry the cat after he ate shoelaces and hairbands
It seems Garry had been snacking on these items over a long period of time! If left undetected, the items could have caused a potentially fatal blockage.
Garry the cat, with owner Ana Barbosa and PDSA vet Jess Maguire – and the items removed from Garry’s stomach
Garry’s owner, Ana Barbosa, said: “Garry is a very cheeky little chap who has always preferred playing with human things instead of cat toys. But we had no idea he was actually eating them.
“I’d washed some laces from my trainers, which went missing. I never for one moment thought that Garry was the reason why!“
Garry the cat at Brighton PDSA Pet Hospital where he had surgery to remove the shoelaces he had eaten
“When I first heard it may be a tumour, I was devastated. My two boys and I all adore him. So although I was absolutely shocked to find out what the mass was, we were relieved to hear the good news that it wasn’t a tumour.”
Commenting on this case of ‘curiosity nearly killed the cat’, PDSA vet Jess Maguire urged owners to be vigilant where peckish pets are concerned:
“We often see dogs who have eaten odd things, but it is quite unusual for a cat to eat so many different items,” she said.
PDSA advises owners to speak to their vet at once if they suspect their pets have eaten something they shouldn’t.
Ana added: “We’re so grateful to PDSA for saving Garry’s life – he’s a big part of our family and we’d be heart-broken if we’d have lost him so young. Now we know how mischievous he can be, we’ll definitely be keeping a closer eye on him in future.”
For more pet health advice, visit www.pdsa.org.uk
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