Tobi’s Lucky Escape, a Cat Toy Emergency

Originally published in the Nelson Weekly, August 2026

Tobi is only four months old, so getting into mischief is pretty much part of the job as an energetic kitten.

But one evening recently, a seemingly harmless cat toy turned into a late-night emergency when his owners spotted a piece of sparkly plastic foil ribbon hanging from his mouth. “When we tried to grab it, he swallowed it before we could,” they said.

“At first, we actually weren’t sure how serious it was. We spent a little while wondering if he’d just pass it.”

Thankfully, they decided to check. A quick online search suggested that string and ribbon could be dangerous, so they called the Nelson Vets after-hours service. Dr Kelly Phillips took the call and advised them to bring Tobi in.

That decision saved him from a much more serious problem. He arrived looking completely well, was bright, had eaten normally and had no obvious abdominal pain. The tricky thing with swallowed objects is that pets may show few signs at first, with problems developing later.

Why are string and ribbon such a problem? String, ribbon, wool, thread and tinsel are known as linear foreign bodies, and they can be especially dangerous. Rather than simply passing through the gut, one end can become caught while the intestines continue trying to move the rest along.

The intestines can then bunch up like a concertina causing a blockage. In severe cases, the material can cut into the intestinal wall, causing leakage, infection and a life-threatening emergency. That is why “wait and see” is not always a good option.

In Tobi’s case, medication was initially given to induce vomiting, but he didn’t bring the ribbon back up. Dr Kelly then discussed the next options with his owners, including endoscopy. This involves passing a small camera into the stomach under an anaesthetic, allowing us to look for and potentially remove swallowed objects without needing to perform major abdominal surgery.

Nurse Teigan assisted Kelly with Tobi’s procedure and monitored his anaesthetic. What they found was quite a surprise. Eight separate pieces of plastic foil
ribbon were removed from Tobi’s stomach. The longest measured 19cm, with others measuring 17cm and 13cm. Fortunately, they were all still in the stomach and could be removed before they caused trouble further down.

Tobi is far from the only pet with questionable taste. In the last few months, we have removed multiple fish hooks, a small plastic cocktail stick, underwear, stones, a sock, a button, pieces of plastic toys and various other interesting choices from pets’ stomachs.

Tobi’s owners were disappointed the toy was sold for cats. “We bought the toy because it was being sold for cats to play with, so we never thought it could be that dangerous,” they said. “It really made us realise that just because something is made for pets doesn’t always mean it’s safe.” From now on they will regularly check toys for damage and test how easily strings, feathers or parts can be pulled off.

Tobi’s owners had already arranged pet insurance, but unfortunately he was still in the stand-down period when this happened, so his treatment wasn’t covered. They now encourage others, especially those bringing home a new kitten or puppy, to look at insurance early.

Thankfully, Tobi is now doing brilliantly and his owners are very happy to have their mischievous kitten home. “We’re just so grateful to the after-hours team and everyone who looked after Tobi. If sharing his story helps another cat owner recognise the risk and get help quickly, then it’s definitely worth sharing.”

- Dr Kelly Phillips