Is it safe for a kitten to play with a string?

Question

I took one of my shoe strings out my sneaker and my kitten loves playing with it.Is it ok for her 2 play with it or is it risky?Will it be ok if I let her play the string at night while Im sleep.

Also,how much playtime does a 3 month old kitten needs?she kept me up almost all night last night

Answer 1

I wouldn't let her play with it when you can't supervise her.  She could eat it and get it stuck in her stomach or intestines.  And cats are nocturnal animals and like to be awake at night.  She'll grow out of it soon though.  She's a growing girl and she needs lots of sleep and when she's awake she'll want to play a lot.  Get her some toy mice or one of those feather things.  My cats love the new kong hubba wubba toy.

Answer 2

as long as its a big enough string that she cant eat and you dont think there is any way she will be able to wrap it around her neck, she will be fine. if you dont want her to keep you up at night, play really hard with her for about an hour or so before you go to bed. she should sleep better at night. kittens love to play, play, play.  

Answer 3

Unlike dogs, cats are usually smart enough not to eat things that will obviously cause a bowel obstruction. They are also very independant, and can more or less look after themselves.

Shoe strings are pretty wide and sturdy, so I'm quite sure that the kitten will be fine playing with it by herself. Something thinner, though, like sewing string or thin yarn, may pose a bit of a hazard.

So let her keep the string.

Kittens don't really have a playtime quota to follow. They will play and play until you fall asleep, and then they will play with your face while you sleep. The only thing you can really do is play when you have the time, and try to keep her at a distance when you're otherwise occupied.

Answer 4

oh- yes kitties love string- however string does not love kitties

In my time as a vet tech I have seen numerous cats have to have sx. to remove strings- shoelaces- ribbon etc.  Once kitties start to swallow these objects they can't stop and must swallow all of it.  I have even seen an adult cat that chewed a ribon out of the hem of a dress and swallowed 6ft of it- $1,000 later kitty did okay.

Save your kitty- save your money.

Answer 5

Its fine if she plays with the string,. But connect it to a door k**b or something. You dont want your kitty to swallow it. At the pet store they have a string with a wand on the end. Get it that. Its more safe.  

Answer 6

It safe cats love playing with string.

Answer 7

All of my cats over the years have found a shoestring to be one of their favorite toys. It is one that gives the owner a lot of fun and interaction with their kitties.

You can let the kitty play with it all night long--no harm at all--and hopefully she will let you sleep. That is a concern to us as well since we are getting a new kitty in a month from now!

Answer 8

My kitten plays with a string all the time and she is fine. Also she plays with it while I'm not home too.

Answer 9

Yes, as long as you keep an eye on her while she plays, it will be fine for her to play with the string. I personally pick up a number of toys before going to bed for the night. Sometimes I have to hunt for them, but usually they're right there because I like to play with my kitten before I go to bed so he doesn't attack me while I'm sleeping/trying to go to sleep. I've read that cats are nocturnal creatures, which is why they 'cat nap' during the day.

Answer 10

Shoe strings are probably safe.  Realize, though, that the more she plays with it, the more large bits will shred off.  And she will most likely eat them.

Play with your cat HEAVILY a couple of hours before your bedtime.  They have a LOT of energy to burn!

Then, at bedtime, put your kitten in a dark, enclosed, no-toys space.  This might be a large cardboard box, open on top but too tall for kitty to jump out of.  I had my kitten sleep in my big drive-in closet at that age.  He had a litter pan and a water dish in there, but no toys or anything else amusing and tempting.

Having the kitten sleep in a special place free of distractions helps them learn to acclimate to your schedule.  However, it's not fair to force them to use YOUR sleep schedule UNLESS you play with them extensively before bedtime.

How much play?  Until your kitten is breathing hard and hesitates before pouncing on the toy/laser dot/feather-on-a-stick/whatever.  When she's obviously tired and winded.

Answer 11

yes I believe its purr-fectly fine LoL. I let my little furball play with an old shoe string he bites it and claws at it. but its best to supervise your little one while playing with his toys. once the string starts coming apart which it will from the constant tearing at it you should throw it away cause you wouldnt want him to eat it cause it might harm him. I play with Osyris for about an hour sometimes less. because he will be exclusively an indoor cat I make sure he runs around alot chasing anything from a ball or chasing me. Try to get your kitten as tired as possible at night so he will sleep when u sleep.

Answer 12

Totally safe and very fun if You are playing with kitty.  If you are not supervising make sure the string is thick enough that kitty can't swallow.  I think a shoe string would be reasonably safe. As far as how much playtime a 3 month old needs... That would be whenever kitty is not asleep.  As cats get older they usually calm down but sometimes even old cats are very playful and active.  It is all about personality.

Answer 13

As long as you are monitoring her. Cats have little barbs on their tongues... that's why they are so rough. When they get something stringy stuck on their tongue, it has only one way to go... down their stomach if there isn't someone there to pull it out. Once in their stomach, it can bind up their intestines and cause all sorts of problems. It can also cause them to choke as it is going down.

Answer 14

yes as long as they are watched