'Save another pet': Vet's warning after cat swallows Coles collectable
A NSW vet has issued a grim warning after a cat swallowed a Coles collectable and needed emergency abdominal surgery.
Animal Referral & Emergency Centre in Newcastle posted the warning on Friday along with photos of Horace the cat who swallowed a “Cooper Carrot” from the Coles Stikeez collection.
“Turns out not only do they encourage our children to take in their fruit and veg, but also our pets too!” the vet wrote.
Horace’s owners did not see the cat eat the plastic collectable, but noticed he was lethargic, had no appetite and was not grooming.
“The obstruction was diagnosed by radiograph after one of our vets had a feel of Horace’s abdomen and could palpate a hard object in his intestines,” the post read.
“Horace was then taken to surgery where the mystery object was removed and identified as the Coles Stikeez Carrot.”
The vet said Horace would make a full recovery, but hoped the warning would “save another pet from the same fate”.
The supermarket has partnered with the Healthy Kids Association and says Stikeez were designed to encourage children and their parents to eat more fresh fruit and veggies.
The collection includes 24 fruit and vegetable themed figurines. For every $30 spent in store, customers receive one figurine.
The mini-collectable items are taking Australia by storm since being released on February 13 with some of the rarer items sold for thousands of dollars online.
