Cat dies after surgery to remove 38 hair ties from stomach, Charleston Animal Society says

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Charleston Animal Society said on social media that “Juliet,” a cat brought in for life-saving surgery to remove 38 hair ties from her stomach, has died.

The organization said on Instagram that “even with the best care, not every animal makes it.”

“Even though Juliet was loved and was not suffering during her last days, she did succumb to this tragic accident, We are all heartbroken,” the post states.

Juliet was brought to the shelter along with two other cats who had been left outside of a home with their family moved out of the state, Animal Society officials said.

The shelter said Juliet stopped eating after being at the shelter for several weeks and became lethargic. That’s when radiographs showed an unusual blockage in the cat’s stomach.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Charleston Animal Society Associate Director of Veterinary Care Dr. Leigh Jamison said.

Jamison’s team soon uncovered a “seemingly endless bundle of strings” inside the cat’s stomach. They would soon find out the bundle was 38 hair ties that were preventing Juliet from eating and processing food.

Though the hair ties did not cause damage to the cat’s intestines. The team is watching a serious liver condition that developed because of fat buildup.

She was said to be in fair condition and being fed with a feeding tube as they closely watched the liver condition.

The shelter says Juliet’s story can be used as a lesson for cat owners.

“While cats love to play with bouncy, stringy objects like hair ties and rubber bands, they should never do so unsupervised, because swallowing them may require medical attention,” the shelter said.

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