A cat had a very fortunate escape after swallowing almost a metre of ribbon when his owner’s back was turned.
Five-year-old Jasper was left playing contentedly with the 3ft-long piece of green ribbon in a game which almost ended in disaster.
It wasn’t long before he was rushed to the vets after swallowing almost all of the fabric, leaving just inches of it hanging out of his mouth.
The mischievous cat, who amazingly did not require any surgery, was treated by night staff at the Avonvale Veterinary Centre who successfully removed the ribbon using a simple procedure.
Avonvale vet, Helen Perryman hols the ribbon. Pictured with Ann Collins and Jasper.
His relieved owner Ann Collins, who lives in Northend, stated that being used to her pet playing with ribbons and strings, she had no idea the toy would get him in such a tangle.
Ms. Collins, who is chairman of the Banbury Animal Rescue and Kindness Service and has rehomed a total of six other cats, explained: “He has played with ribbon for years without swallowing so I thought he was old enough not to eat it but obviously I was wrong.
“I walked back into the house and there it was, a few inches of green ribbon hanging out of his mouth.”
Vet, Helen Perryman from the Warwick Avonvale centre, explained that after an overnight stay, Jasper was back to his normal self and that luckily his escapades caused no lasting damage.
“We were concerned that the ribbon had become lodged in his intestines,” she stated.
“But cameras showed that it was still in his stomach so we were able to remove it without having to operate.
“Hopefully, he will have learned his lesson and won’t eat any more ribbons.”
