Glowstick eating cat

September 14, 2012 3:09 PM

So, my sister's youngest cat bit her way into a glowstick, and now we're worried.

Without going into the whole sequence of events leading to the incident, my sister's youngest feline companion (2 years, tiny build) bit into a small glowstick. We only clocked it when she darted out the room and started growling strangely. We arrived to see her shaking her head, mouth foaming, glowing drops on her fur, and entered panic mode. My sister darted off to get the cat washed off, and try to get her to drink water or at least rinse out the residue from her mouth while I confirmed that she did indeed bite the glowstick.

So far, we've given her milk, food, and we're keeping a close eye on her. Right now she's resumed her usual activities like cleaning and pestering her sister, and seems to be normal, but we just need reassurance that she'll be fine. Amount ingested would be small, contact with the stick not that long. We've done the research, and small amounts are meant to be non-lethal, but it scared us both the fuck out and it's taking a bit for our nerves to calm.

Will the youngest be okay? Anything we should watch out for? Anything we can do to help? Oh, and of course, good answers will paid with pictures of the troublesome feline.

posted by Inner Universe to pets & animals (8 answers total)

I ate a glowstick when I was a kid. My tongue glowed for a few minutes but I was fine.
posted by pineappleheart at 3:11 PM on September 14, 2012 [1 favorite]

My last landlord had a dog that broke into a glowstick. It got everywhere, but we're pretty sure she ingested a fair amount. She was much bigger than your kitty, but quite old and had kidney and lung problems. We washed her mouth and eyes out, and brushed off her gums (the internet says that it can irritate skin and mucous membranes). The dog survived with no noticeable ill effects. So there is some anecdotal hope for you!
posted by Garm at 3:22 PM on September 14, 2012

The crunching you hear when you break a glowstick is a thin glass tube containing hydrogen peroxide breaking, which causes a reaction with the chemicals contained in the outer plastic tube (dye and diphenyl oxalate). Perhaps the biggest risk is that if your cat got really hot and heavy with the glowstick, she might've ingested some glass.
posted by soviet sleepover at 3:28 PM on September 14, 2012

There's no reason not to call an open vet's office and ask for their advice. They can help you determine how serious it is, and offer options up to and including just bringing her in. Just tell the person who answers what you told us and see what they say.
posted by juliplease at 3:43 PM on September 14, 2012

This happened here with a cat. Vet was called; bring kitty in if distress extensive/lengthy, but, otherwise, expect a foamy-mouthed kitty for a bit and then a (fairly quick) return to normal.

(Also dealt with a child who got it in her eyes -- that was unpleasant for a bit, but, as with the cat, short-lived discomfort with no lasting injury)
posted by kmennie at 4:02 PM on September 14, 2012

LittleTaff did this. We rang the poisons information line and apparently they are non toxic but taste incredibly nasty. The worst we we told to expect, was some vomiting.

Your cat will be fine. Sorry you all had such a big scare.
posted by taff at 4:17 PM on September 14, 2012

Well this will sound a little odd but I have eaten a glowstick in my youth and suffered no ill effects except for the worst bitter taste possible, which most likely resulted in the foaming, that tends to be the basic cat response to something heinously terrible tasting.
posted by boobjob at 10:33 PM on September 14, 2012

My wife's cat did this when a kitten and definitely ingested some. She is now going on 18 years old.
posted by werkzeuger at 5:55 AM on September 15, 2012