Is it bad to give a cat a ball of yarn to play with?

Answer 1

Yes it is bad. I don't think you will watch it for every second it is playing and in those seconds very bad things could happen:
It can get tangled up and get its circulation cut off
it can get it around its neck and choke
it can swallow some and cause major problems in the digestive tract
it can hurt its self trying to get untangled
and many more
To be safer just get it some catnip or toys. They have just as much fun and they are much safer.

Answer 2

Very bad idea. If a cat eats a linear object (like yarn or string), they keep swallowing -- a reflex -- and the yarn can cut the intestines, leading to infection and death. The intestines go into accordian folds and then the cat needs emergency surgery to get the yarn out. It happened to me. My cats got into some yarn. Fortunately I noticed that my six month old kitten had yarn hanging out of his mouth -- long piece -- that he was trying to swallow. DO NOT PULL ON THIS STRING IF THAT HAPPENS! It can cause damage. I rushed the kitten to the vet, they took x-rays, saw that the intestines were going into accordian folds, and the next thing I knew, the kitten was having emergency surgery to get the yarn out. This happens fairly often. Anyone with cats should be careful to not leave long stringy objects where the cat can get to them..

Answer 3

Only if it is the type of yarn which can come off in tufts and end up in the cats mouth, I'm thinking of something like angora or mohair. Otherwise, its just fun for the kitty but please don't leave it out when you go to bed at night. Depending on how big your cat is it can sometimes get caught up in yards of yarn or string and strangle.

Answer 4

string and things like it are what end cats up in the emergency room at the local vet. String and yarn are bad if the cat swallows them. Get a ribbon and tie it to the end of a stick or a doorknob so your cat can't swallow it.

Answer 5

My cats all have their quirks, Scribbles loves to have her perch interior the window and the blinds must be open barely adequate or she will bat at them till between the slats falls out with a view to work out out the window. Willy will sleep on my mattress all day if I enable him and the pillows must be stacked a particular way, in the experience that they don't look to be then when I get homestead he will have executed it himself which typically effects interior the pillow situations being thoroughly removed from the pillows and each and each of the pillows are mashed up between the headboard and the wall. i have not a clue how he manages this. Then there is Missy, she will artwork for hours getting the clutter interior the clutter bins rearranged to her liking and then at the same time as one of the different cats makes use of the clutter field she has to analyze the wear and tear and bury any can provide. of route my kitties stay very busy.

Answer 6

There have been cats who've eaten yarn strings which got stuck in their intestinal system requiring surgery. If I were you, I wouldn't take chances and give kitty a safer toy to fool around with. :)

Answer 7

Hi there...generally, it is not advisable to allow a cat to play with string-like substance UNLESS under full and complete 100% supervision. The reason is that cats tend to chew and ingest the string-like substances and these can twist around the digestive tract cutting off passageand slice through the intestines which is fatal.

Please consider reading more about string dangers in cats: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/pet_pourri/85248

Answer 8

yes because it may tangled in the cat's teath if yu put the yarn ball in your mouth yu will feel shivering

Answer 9

This is just an opinion, not fact. I think as long you are there with the cat it is fine. Unattended the cat could get hung up on something or choke itself. I know they really enjoy it. It's more fun for us, cause we get to watch.

Answer 10

No, as long as you are watching the cat. My cat likes to swallow ribbon, so I have to watch him closely around presents. LOL.