# My cat ate some ribbon and vomited on sofa! HELP!



## lrbarton (Jan 21, 2007)

Hello...I need some help. My cat had thrown up on my new sofa...I wiped it with water first and got out the stain...then I used a little dish soap...the smell was still there...like old stinky socks....yuck 8O....and then I used some Zero Odor that I had left over...and still the smell was there...then I sprayed on some Febreze pet odor...and then I tried some Nature's Miracle. I sprayed it on and them wiped it down...it is STILL THERE! I know it says to saturate the stain on the bottle..but I was worried it would harm my sofa...but since I sprayed it on and it seems to be fine..should I go ahead and saturate it now? Please help! Thanks!


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## Lisa 216 (Oct 25, 2004)

Yikes...my cat ate ribbon recently 8O Have you brought your cat to the vet to make sure there is no ribbon left inside him/her? Ribbon is very dangerous because it can get tangled inside the intestines and cause a blockage -- vomiting indicates a possible blockage  

You should have your cat x-rayed and examined by your vet ASAP.

If you've already confirmed that your cat is OK, then we can talk about the sofa :wink: What kind of fabric is it?


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## lrbarton (Jan 21, 2007)

*Thanks!*

I just had the cat to the vet...I hate to sound cold...but I can't afford to take the cat right now...he has ate ribbon before...and has vomited...but I haven't had any problems from it...I just need help with the sofa...if I notice any problems...I will take him back. Thanks for your prompt reply!  I will make sure there is no ribbon where he can ever get to it again!


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## Lisa 216 (Oct 25, 2004)

Has your cat passed the ribbon or vomited it up? Just because it has happened in the past with no problems doesn't mean it is OK this time :? 

Here's an article on ingesting foreign objects to help you watch for other symptoms:

http://www.petplace.com/cats/gastric-st ... page1.aspx

You should at the least call the vet and discuss the situation to make sure your cat is OK. Do you not have a credit card to pay for a visit if needed?

As far as the sofa, it would be helpful to know what fabric it is.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

Lisa, I doubt that a ribbon will show up on an x-ray. In that case a vet will just advise watchful waiting for the object to come out the other end.


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## jennifer2 (Mar 5, 2005)

For the sofa.
Try natures miracle or some other enzymatic cleaner.


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## lrbarton (Jan 21, 2007)

The sofa fabric is like a corduroy. It is ribbed-like...I went ahead and sprayed it again with the Nature's Miracle..this time spraying more heavily. Hope this works! I will keep an eye on Toby...he seems perfectly fine! Thanks to all!


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## jennifer2 (Mar 5, 2005)

With natures miracle, you really need to apply it a lot. It should be wet to the touch. Also, the smell won't disappear until it has dried, so don't be discouraged if you can still smell it while it's wet.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Irbarton, may I ask how long the piece of ribbon was? My concern is that it might get tangled in your cat's intestines...if it gets through his stomach. My thoughts will be with your kitty. Please let us know how Toby is in the next few days.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

Turn the nozzle to "stream" and just soak that sucker.


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## lrbarton (Jan 21, 2007)

The ribbon wasn't much...there was most of it left where he got it from so I am not really that concerned. He is eating and drinking normally and sleeping like usual. :lol: I will eventually just soak the couch...hubby is an OTR truckdriver and he is lounging watching the game at present..so will wait till he leaves tomorrow. Thanks so much for all of your help and concern!


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## Lisa 216 (Oct 25, 2004)

coaster said:


> Lisa, I doubt that a ribbon will show up on an x-ray. In that case a vet will just advise watchful waiting for the object to come out the other end.


I thought that, too, until Pumpkin went to the vet after eating a ribbon. The vet showed me another cat's x-ray showing a bunched ribbon inside. It looked like a string of pearls.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

Hmmm....that's interesting. Perhaps if there's enough bunched up, it will offer enough opacity to show up. Or maybe it contained metallized thread, which would be opaque to x-rays. (In fact your remark about a "string of pearls" makes me think it was more than just fabric.) It was my understanding that string, ribbon and the like don't, but I guess when in doubt it's best to take the x-ray. I'm sure in that case they were glad they did. :wink:

BTW - did your vet take an x-ray of pumpkin on that occasion?


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## manitu22 (Apr 25, 2003)

You had mentioned that your cat has eaten ribbon before. There is another thread going that mentions catproofing your home (their cat was eating plastic bags). I would recommend making sure that the kitty does not have access to ribbon. That way you don't have to deal with this again.


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## Lisa 216 (Oct 25, 2004)

coaster said:


> BTW - did your vet take an x-ray of pumpkin on that occasion?


Yes, she did. There were two spots that looked a bit questionable in Pumpkin's x-ray, but nothing that looked like an obstruction  She had passed a little of the ribbon before we got to the vet, and the rest came out in the office 8O


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

That was convenient. :lol:


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