NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — A South Carolina cat named "Juliet" is on a long to road recovery after veterinarians removed nearly 40 hair ties from her stomach.
A Good Samaritan brought Juliet and two other cats to the Charleston Animal Society after they had been left outside of a home when their owners moved away.
After a few weeks, Juliet started not eating and became lethargic. Some tests showed Juliet had a blockage in her stomach that could have been deadly.
Later, a surgery team removed 38 hair ties from Juliet's stomach which were preventing her from eating. Her intestines were not damaged, but she is being treated after a buildup of fat in her liver caused some health conditions.
"Juliet is in fair condition, but she is being fed very carefully at this time with a feeding tube,” said Charleston Animal Society Associate Director of Veterinary Care Dr. Leigh Jamison. “We have to make sure that as we feed her, we keep her electrolytes in balance."
The animal society said this situation should serve as a lesson for all 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," a release said.
