# Beware of Peanuts--the Styrofoam Kind, not the Comic Strip



## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

I received a package in the mail today. In fact, it was the Litter Lifters I ordered based on Susan's recommendation in another thread. The Lifters look fine, but they came packed in those blasted styrofoam peanuts. And not the large kind, the smaller kind, which are as small as peanuts. A number of them fell on the kitchen floor, and as I scooped them up, Hershey (why is it always Hershey?) grabbed one in his mouth and started walking to his favorite "stolen food" spot to enjoy it. I was able to pry it from his mouth--he growled but has never done anything remotely retaliatory towards me since I adopted him.

I feel like I dodged a bullet again. These things have sticky surfaces, and cats' sandpapery tongues make it hard for objects that go in to come out. I was able to gather up all the other peanuts and hide them out of harm's way until the trash men come Thursday.

Imagine my surprise, then, when later this afternoon I finally picked up the Sunday comics to read, and there in the front panel, in a strip called Pickles that features a cat and dog and elderly couple, the story was about the cat's having gotten into some styrofoam peanuts, which were sticking all over her fur. Maybe I would have found that amusing under other circumstances--not sure--but it sure wasn't funny given what I had just experienced.

Those things are a real choking hazard. So I thought I would just mention it, since we all get far too many packages that still use those things--and a Natural Pet Store was the guilty party in this case!


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## Ducman69 (Aug 28, 2010)

Might be ok with some kitties, depending on their level of pica. Wesley always wants to taste everything, so he's a no-no for sure.

This cat seems mostly fine though (looks like he just ate one or two by accident):





(edit: oh wow, I wonder if Wesley can recognize cats. on playing that video he's continuously scratching where the cat is in the vid.... hmmm.)


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

Ducman69 said:


> Might be ok with some kitties, depending on their level of pica.


Maybe so, but I guess I should have said these peanuts were actually a little larger than real peanuts, the right size to swallow and get stuck in the throat. And clearly larger than the beanbag fill in the YouTube video you so quickly found!
And my Little Hersh is fascinated by the cursor on the laptop screen as it moves, more than whatever is on the screen itself--he tries to touch it and looks on the other side of the laptop to see if it is sticking out!


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

Good thread, I definitely need to keep this in mind since Nutmeg seems to have a crazy case of Pica.


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## SlightChanceOfFurries (Oct 1, 2010)

I believe it should also be noted that cats are not particularly fond of the comic strip Peanuts either. My youngest, Che, treated Mr. Shultz's piece of work with general indifference.


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## Janis (Aug 26, 2010)

When you say these peanuts stick together, my bet is that they are the eco friendly kind made of cornstarch. This allows them to stick together when moistened, and are great to entertain kids cause they can build unlimited stuff with them simply by moistening an end. But thinking now, that may mean that they would stick more easily to the cat's throat? I can't remember if they actually dissolve in water or not. Test one, ok? Do they get slimy or sticky on human skin. I know they stick to each other. If slimy, they would probably scoot on down the throat...?


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## NRD (Mar 31, 2010)

Good question, Janis, but I'll never know for sure, as they went with the trashman on Thursday, to the Great Landfill. I didn't perceive any dissolving in Hersh's mouth when I took it from him, but he'd only had it for about 10 seconds (thinking back, I really do trust him, as I can't believe I just reached into his mouth and got him to let go, even while growling (he was, I was probably telling him to "let go")). The only slime I felt was his saliva, but I wouldn't risk it. I let him play with lots of things, but this just looked to me too much like he could think it was food of some kind.


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