Caution about mini-blind pulls (kittens, eating, kidney, house)

[mawipafl]

Some cats have a fetish for strings and ribbons while others don't. Even if your cat usually has no interest in these things, still take precautions and make sure mini-blind strings are out of reach. Unbeknownst to us, one of our cats who never showed interest in such things ate one more than a month ago, about 5" of string and the plastic knob on the end, and it lodged in her intestine. Multiple visits to the vet and a variety of tests did not diagnose the reason why she had stopped eating. Two days ago she was rushed to emergency where an ultrasound showed a "linear object" blocking her intestine, and when the surgeon removed it, he found the string and knob. The plastic knob had perforated the intestine causing abdominal septicemia. She's still in critical condition, but she has her youth and an overall healthy system (neither her liver nor kidneys were compromised), so the guarded prognosis is good.

We had to go searching throughout the house because we had never even noticed the mini-blind string had been "shortened" - we rarely raise the blinds and had no reason to find it gone. So, I highly recommend that strings be balled up and stored near the top of the blind AND replace the small plastic knobs with much larger ones that cannot be eaten.

[Threestep2]

We went with no-string which come up to a certain length and strings attached to the wall under tension for those windows too tall. Yes, furries figured out how to bump the blinds open:>)

[catdad7x]

Fortunately, all the cats I've lived with have never shown any interest in blind cords, even as kittens. But it's very good advice to keep them tied up & out of the way..... because with cats, you just never know.
I hope your cat recovers ok with no ill effects.

[mawipafl]

Claddagh is doing great and is scheduled to come home tomorrow. We are so lucky.

catdad7x - same here - never had cats interested in anything but occasional batting at the strings half-heartedly. Claddagh is a year and a half, and why all of sudden she felt compelled to eat the string and knob is beyond my imagination. Lesson learned cuz you're right, "with cats, you just never know".