VIDEO: Lifesaving Surgery Saves Cat Who Swallowed 38 Hair Ties

Gripping video shows surgical extraction of unbelievable blockage from cat at Charleston Animal Society

December 29, 2022 | North Charleston, SC

UPDATE: 6:10pm 12.30.22
Our expert veterinarians and lifesaving team perform what we think are miracles every single day. Unfortunately, even with the best care, not every animal makes it. Even though Juliet was loved and was not suffering during her last days, she did succumb to this tragic accident.

After the removal of 38 hair ties the cat somehow swallowed, Juliet the cat is under watch. “Juliet is in fair condition, but she is being fed very carefully at this time with a feeding tube,” said Charleston Animal Society Associate Director of Veterinary Care Leigh Jamison, DVM. “This blockage has caused a liver condition that we are watching closely.”

Juliet was brought to Charleston Animal Society along with two other cats by a Good Samaritan who said they had been left outside a home when their family moved out of state. Juliet seemed fine at first, but after several weeks, she began not eating and became lethargic. Radiographs showed she had an unusual sort of blockage in her stomach that would kill her if it was not removed.

What Dr. Jamison and the lifesaving team found was simply unbelievable — a seemingly endless bundle of strings that continued to come out as Dr. Jamison surgically removed them. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Dr. Jamison said.  WATCH VIDEO OF LIFESAVING PROCEDURE HERE.

After everything was pulled out, the surgery team counted more than three dozen hair ties blocking Juliet’s stomach, which had prevented her from eating or processing food (SEE PHOTO HERE). No damage was found in Juliet’s intestines, however, a buildup of fat in her liver has caused a serious health condition that she is currently being treated for. “We have to make sure that as we feed her, we keep her electrolytes in balance,” Jamison said.

There is a lesson in all this for cat owners. While cats love to play with bouncy, stringy objects like hair ties and rubber bands, they should never do so unsupervised, because swallowing them may require medical attention.

Donations to Charleston Animal Society help make lifesaving surgeries like this one possible. Through December 31st, all gifts are doubled, up to $20,000, thanks to Hank and Laurel Greer and the McDaniel Family Foundation at CharlestonAnimalSociety.org/HolidayGiving.

SEE MORE PHOTOS AND VIDEOS HERE