Grace Wernert

English 11 AP
Cause-and-Effect Essay
The Wiggly Killer
A breeze flows through the silent room, stirring the fringe on a knitted
blanket. The unsuspecting strings wave loosely in the air. A flash darts across the
room and the blanket is ripped from the couch as a cat pounces on the fringe. One
string becomes untangled from the blanket and the ferocious feline captures it in his
mouth. Little does this cat know that his life is now in danger. When swallowed,
strings can be fatal to cats.
Strings are very attractive to cats. Theyre skinny, wiggly, and they move
quickly. These are all characteristics similar to mice tails, snakes, and ground
squirrels, which are typical outdoor pests that cats chase and eat. Its instinctive for
kitties to attack anything that twitches. Cats are naturally curious, and if one were
to see a resemblance to its natural prey, it would pounce. That is where the trouble
begins.
The first danger occurs in the cats mouth. Surprisingly, cats teeth do not cut
the string into little pieces. Their teeth are not sharp enough to slice through the
string. Instead, the string gets tangled around the teeth. Then, the barbs on the
cats tongue push the string towards the back of the throat, and it is that action that
stops the string from coming back out of the cats mouth (Wernert).
Next, the string travels down the esophagus, through the stomach, and into
the duodenum, which is the first section of the small intestine. The pylorus, the
sphincter muscle that separates the stomach from the small intestine, locks around

the string and seals it into the intestines (Wernert). Muscles in the small intestine
begin to pull the string further by peristalsis (Wernert). Peristalsis is the motion that
moves foodstuff through the intestines. As the small intestine continues peristalsis,
the intestine gathers like an elastic waistband and its functions are inhibited
(Wernert). More problems begin to surface.
When the string travels through any of the internal organs, it causes extreme
pain and inflammation. As the string winds its way down the esophagus, the gag
reflex is triggered and the resulting irritation and pain induces vomiting. Vomiting
causes damage to the esophagus in the form of ulcers and perforation. If vomiting
continues to occur, the cat will become dehydrated, develop electrolyte imbalances,
and experience large amounts of muscle pain (Wernert). Circulation is blocked to
areas of the small intestines as it bunches, and peritonitis, or the leaking of
intestinal fluids into the peritoneum, occurs. As a result of peritonitis, septicemia the entrance of bacteria and bacterial toxins into the blood stream - occurs
(Wernert). Once bacteria enter the blood stream, infection spreads to the other
organ systems. Ultimately, if left untreated, these effects can cause death.
Strings may be a fun diversion for a kitty, but when left unattended, they can
have deadly consequences. Be sure to keep all strings away from cats, unless they
are put directly away after playtime is over. Keep all shoelaces tucked inside shoes
when the shoes are not in use. Trim any extra string hanging from clothing,
blankets, rugs, and curtains in the kittys home. Finally, take the cat directly to an
animal emergency hospital if it shows any signs of vomiting after being around a
string.

Work Cited
1. Wernert, L. (2015, April 4). Cats and Strings [Personal interview].