Family stunned after x-ray shows what their pet cat had been secretly eating

A cat has made a full recovery after undergoing an emergency surgery when her unusual eating habits caused her to be sick.

Tiger, an eight-year-old tortoiseshell, left her owner Rebecca, from Yorkshire, as well as her daughters, Chloe and Charlotte incredibly worried after mysteriously falling ill.

An X-ray at Minster Vets' practice in York, revealed a mysterious mass in Tiger's stomach.

It was eventually discovered that the mass was made up of 43 hair ties which Tiger had been eating at home, leaving the clinical director of the practice "stunned".

Vet, Sarah Ford, spoke to the BBC and warned that hairbands were "clearly very tempting" to cats.

Before the x-ray, Tiger was given anti-sickness tablets, but later, the cat "passed two hair bands in her poo and started being sick again".

Dr Ford said: "I once had a case of a cat eating 10 hair ties but I couldn't believe it when we counted 43."

She added: "They were all tangled and knotted together so had created a big clump, and her stomach was so full there was hardly room for anything else."

The cat was extremely "lucky" to be alive because the hair ties could have blocked her intestine, leading to serious trouble.

Cats must be kept well away from hair bobbles, hair ties, and ribbons, even though they are very tempting to play with, the vet warned.

The owner said: "It was such a shock when we found out how many she had eaten, and the girls were distraught while she was in hospital."

The family now ensures all hair ties are kept out of sight and away from their curious kitty.