foreign body ingestion - Animalaxy UK

Cat swallowed a hair tie and seems fine: why vets still worry

July 30, 2026 by Sophie Whitmore

Your cat swallowed a hair tie and isn't throwing up, so you think it will pass on its own: vets read a completely differen...

Your cat swallowed a hair tie and is acting completely normal—but veterinarians treat these cases as potential emergencies. The absence of vomiting doesn’t mean the hair tie will pass safely; it could mean silent, life-threatening damage is already accumulating inside.

Why swallowing a hair tie can mean surgery for cats

June 14, 2026 by Sophie Whitmore

The Hidden Danger: Why Your Cat's Favorite Hair Tie Could Be a Surgical Emergency

Your cat’s innocent play with a hair tie can turn into a life-threatening intestinal blockage within hours. Veterinarians warn that elastic loops become linear foreign bodies that can twist the gut like an accordion, requiring emergency surgery. Discover what happens inside your cat’s digestive system and the one simple change that could save their life.