The Problem With This Toy

  

This is a very simple and recognizable toy. Ask any cat lover and they will tell you that this toy offers cats hours of fun and is one of my cat's favorite toys. But there is a reason why I won't let my cat play with them anymore.

This toy is a dream for cat lovers: It's cheap, great exercise, and entertaining to watch your cat play with it. But perhaps the best thing about this toy is it takes you no effort, you just put on the ground and watch your cat pounce, play, kick, and bite it.

The problem arises in the biting and kicking. The cats will often ingest the shiny pieces of tinsel that makes it attractive to cats in the first place. 

When cats ingest tinsel in the best case a few days later it will pass through your cat will and you may find some strands in the cat's feces. 

But what can also happen is the tinsel can get stuck along the way, for example, in the stomach, or in the intestinal tract. This is called a "Foreign Body" by many veterinarians.

If the tinsel gets stuck a large problem arises, This includes many tests such as an exam, radiographs, and sometimes an ultrasound. Most times, surgery is required to remove it. 

The worst part of all is on chewy.com, the description for this product reads "...puur-fect for rubbing and nibbling" 

I find it irresponsible to promote nibbling in the description of an item that can injure or kill a pet and rack up medical bills.

It was also demonstrated by kats'N Us that some brands have tinsel that can be pulled out easier than others.

For more information on the dangers of tinsel go to: https://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/common-emergencies/holiday-pet-safety-hazard-tinsel

Sources: Dr. Sandra Michelle, Chewy.com

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A cat chews on a tinsel toy in a chewy.com box