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Cat’s got your tongue — but shouldn’t get your hair ties.

Veterinarians in South Carolina were flabbergasted when they removed more than three dozen ponytail holders from a cat’s stomach.

A Good Samaritan brought the feline, Juliet, and two other cats into the Charleston Animal Society after they noticed the kitties had been left behind when their owners moved out of state, per station WCBD.

Leaders at the animal hospital thought Juliet was healthy upon arrival, but after several weeks she became lethargic and stopped eating. That’s when a radiograph detected an unusual blockage in her belly.

Leigh Jamison, the society’s associate director of veterinary care, said that the surgical team discovered “a seemingly endless bundle of strings” during Juliet’s procedure.


  More than three dozen hair ties were inside Juliet’s stomach. Charleston Animal Society More than three dozen hair ties were inside Juliet’s stomach. Charleston Animal Society

  The cat had successful surgery to remove the hair ties, but blockage led to a liver condition that is being treated. Charleston Animal Society The cat had successful surgery to remove the hair ties, but blockage led to a liver condition that is being treated. Charleston Animal Society

Juliet had indeed swallowed 38 hair ties, resulting in the internal pileup.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Jamison told local media.

Juliet’s intestines were not damaged by the foreign objects; however, the blockage led to a serious liver condition that is now being treated.


  The cat’s intestines were not damaged from the pileup. Charleston Animal Society The cat’s intestines were not damaged from the pileup. Charleston Animal Society

“We have to make sure that, as we feed her, we keep her electrolytes in balance,” Jamison added.

The knotty mess serves as a purrrfect reminder to never allow cats to play with stringy objects like hair ties and rubber bands unsupervised.

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