Lucky escape for kitten who swallowed 1m of yarn

A PLAYFUL kitten needed life-saving surgery at a Devon veterinary practice after swallowing a metre-long piece of yarn that blocked her intestines and caused serious internal injuries.

Margot underwent emergency surgery at Jonathan Wood Vets near Crediton to extract the length of embroidery thread that caused so much internal damage she also needed to have 15cm of intestine removed to save her life.

The 10-month-old tabby had been rushed to the vets in Barnstaple Cross by her worried owner when she noticed the kitten wasn’t herself and was repeatedly being sick. After tests the veterinary team discovered the hidden problem.

Vet Alice Kay said alarm bells rang when Margot continued vomiting after receiving anti-sickness medication.

Alice said: “I had a chat to Margot’s owner and she remembers seeing the kitten playing with some embroidery yarn a few days before. To find out what was going on inside Margot, we gave her a barium meal, a special liquid that shows up on X-ray, and we could see there was a foreign body in her stomach.

“I took Margot into surgery and found a long piece of yarn running from her stomach to her small intestine which, to put things in context, are about a metre in length. The yarn had caused the intestine to scramble up, and no food could get through because the gut was blocked.” She added: “Unfortunately, the thread had caused some of Margot’s intestine to perforate, and I removed the damaged section because it was irreparable.”

After such a major operation, Margot was very poorly and was given supportive care by the Jonathan Woods team.

Alice added: “Margot is obviously a fighter because she improved every day and was able to go home a few days later, but she’s definitely used up at least one of her nine lives.”

Margot is now back home with her owner Louise Mihelic and her family in Cullompton, where she is the companion of Louise’s 21-year-old daughter, Scarlett, who has autism.

Louise said: “The whole family was on a rollercoaster ride for a few days while Alice and her team battled to save Margot. She is an extra precious cat because her mum is one of our pets.

“I’m delighted Margot is back to her old self and has made a complete recovery. I just can’t thank the vets enough.”

> Vet Alice Kay with Margot