The story of how a cat ate a plastic garbage bag and survived.
The ginger-and-white cat was taken into the care of Cats at their Wokingham branch after he was spotted looking unkempt in the grounds of a school in Ascot, Berkshire.
Volunteers and veterinarians at Cats for Life became concerned when Henry (as the kitten was named) became ill and noticed a strange bulge that kept appearing and disappearing on his stomach.
Veterinarians were initially puzzled by his condition, and after ruling out intestinal helminths and inflammatory kidney disease, they decided to perform a diagnostic laparoscopy, as this was the only way to discover the cause.
Anna Pack, Cats Protection's Wokingham district office's domestic health manager, said: "Our vet was worried there might be a very serious problem and the only option was to perform a diagnostic laparoscopy to find out what was causing Henry's condition.
They had no idea what they were looking for or where exactly, but they examined every millimeter of the body in a checkerboard pattern. And then they came across part of a black garbage bag. It was a strip about 10 cm long and 4 cm wide, but it was so compacted that it was extremely difficult to even tell how big it had been when the cat had eaten it.
The plastic had become trapped inside his abdomen. There was no chance it could pass naturally. Because the bag was removed immediately upon discovery, we achieved Henry's full recovery. 
We have no idea why or how he ate such a chunk of a black garbage bag; it's still a mystery to us. But it was very thin, and it was clear it had entered his intestines not long ago, so the most likely scenario is that Henry swallowed it accidentally while scavenging in the trash and finding food there.
Life can be very cruel for a homeless cat, as Henry's example attests. Animals often resort to desperate measures to try to feed themselves on the streets. The poor kitten endured a great deal of discomfort and pain before being brought to our organization.
Henry made a quick and full recovery; he's now fully recovered, gained back the weight he needed, and is enjoying the happy, carefree life every animal should have. He's very friendly and will make a wonderful pet and friend."
Anna added that while Henry most likely swallowed the piece of plastic by accident while he was looking for food, there is a possibility that he could have eaten it on purpose.
She said, "Some cats are known to have a bit of a food quirk, eating odd things like bits of fur or plastic. So anyone considering adopting Henry will need to make sure he doesn't have access to plastic bags. Just in case, put them away, you never know, he might start chewing on them again!"
Now Henry has fully recovered from his surgery and is fully vaccinated and microchipped, he is looking for a warm, safe home with a new owner.
Read also:
Add a comment