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

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

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

“Despite the fact that Juliet was loved and did not suffer in the last days of her life, she became a victim of this tragic accident. We are all heartbroken,” the post reads.

Juliet was taken to the shelter along with two other cats who were left out of the house, and their family moved out of the state, representatives of the Animal Society said.

The shelter reported that Juliet stopped eating after a few weeks at the shelter and became lethargic. It was then that radiographs showed an unusual blockage in the cat’s stomach.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Charleston Animal Society Deputy Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Lee Jamieson.

Jamieson’s team soon discovered a “seemingly endless bundle of threads” inside the cat’s stomach. They soon learn that there were 38 hair ties in the set, which prevented Juliet from eating and processing food.

Although hair ties did not harm the cat’s intestines. The team is watching a serious liver disease that has developed due to the accumulation of fat.

She is reported to be in a satisfactory condition and is being tube-fed as they closely monitored her liver.

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

“While cats love to play with bouncy, thread-like objects such as hair ties and rubber bands, they should never do so unsupervised because ingestion may require medical attention,” the shelter said in a statement.