No More Yarn

One of the staple images of cats today includes them playing with a ball of yarn.  However, this can actually be a very dangerous toy for your kitten.  This yarn can be a severe choking hazard for a cat.  Cat’s tongues contain backward facing bards that are used to help remove dead hair from their coats and give their tongues that scratchy feel.  These barbs also help outdoor cats when hunting to pull the meat from the bones of their prey.  While these bards are useful to the survival of cats, they also present the issue of needing to spit out anything that gets caught.  If a piece of yarn falls off of your cat’s toy and gets stuck on their tongue, the only way that it can go is down the throat.  As the cat tries to swallow the yarn, it can block their airways or cause a blockage anywhere down to the intestines.  The yarn could also pull at the intestines and cause a tear.  Another drawback to yarn as a toy is the risk of tangling for your cat.  If your cat is left home alone often while you work or travel, this can pose a huge threat to your cat’s safety.  If the yarn tangles your cat’s paw, it could fall and injure itself or be unable to walk to eat.  There is also the risk of the yarn becoming tangled around your cat’s neck, leading to strangling.  There are many other toys that your cat can have for an enjoyable play experience, so try to keep the yarn toys away!