Story By: Delano Langras, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
This cute cat has nearly died after eating the Christmas tinsel off the family tree when its owners were not looking.
Family members only realised what happened when the cat became ill, and was taken to the vets where the obstruction in the animal’s digestive system was removed.
The cat, named Rudy, from the village of Oudheusden in the Dutch province of North Brabant, was taken to the Heusden & Altena Veterinary Clinic in nearby Heesbeen by its owner because he was continually being sick.
Veterinarian Rimi Koch said he felt the cat’s stomach and immediately realised there was something wrong.
He said: “The cat had severe pain in its stomach, and after enquiring as to what he could possibly have eaten, the owner mentioned that the cat had been very interested in the Christmas tree once it had been put up.”
The vet then made the connection and an X-ray confirmed it.
He said: “The X-ray showed that the intestine was completely blocked by tinsel. It was a life-threatening situation. If you pull the threads, you damage the intestine. So the only option was surgery.
“I had to cut the intestine in four different places to get the tinsel out.”
Afterwards, the cat spent five days recovering from the operation before finally regaining its strength. Its owner was allowed to visit and Rudy also started eating again.
The cat has since returned home, but tinsel and other decorations have been removed from the lower branches of the Christmas tree.
The vet warned that it was actually not uncommon for animals to eat Christmas decorations, adding that a colleague recently had to remove a Christmas Garland from a dog’s intestines.
He said: “Check if the animal seems interested in the decorations, and if they are, take precautions.”
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