SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/cat-string-linear

Why can a swallowed piece of string be so dangerous for a cat?

String can bunch up the intestines, usually needing surgery.

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  1. It can make the intestines bunch up ✔
  2. It melts into the blood
  3. It dissolves in the stomach

Why: International Cat Care says string and string-like items, called linear foreign bodies, can bunch up the intestines and make a cat very unwell. Surgery is usually needed to remove them.

Huh, didn't know that: Wool, yarn, thread, needles, tinsel and string around meat all count as string-like items.

The dad joke
Did you hear about the cat who swallowed a ball of yarn? She had a litter of mittens.
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References

Answer: It can make the intestines bunch up. International Cat Care says string and string-like items, called linear foreign bodies, can bunch up the intestines and make a cat very unwell. Surgery is usually needed to remove them.

  1. International Cat Care, Cats and foreign bodies icatcare.org/articles/cats-and-foreign-bodies
    they can cause the intestines to bunch up and make your cat very unwell
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  2. International Cat Care, Cats and foreign bodies icatcare.org/articles/cats-and-foreign-bodies
    usually requiring surgery to remove the item.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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