A Farnham cat was rushed to a local veterinary hospital after swallowing ribbon from a Christmas tree in an incident that could have proved life-threatening.

Two-year-old Ted ingested a piece of red, sparkly ribbon that had been hanging from the tree at his home, prompting his owners to take him to Farnham Veterinary Hospital in East Street.

Vet Mariella Savage was able to make Ted vomit, bringing up the ribbon before it moved further through his digestive system. The quick action meant he avoided surgery and may have saved his life.

Ms Savage said: “Cats can be attracted to ribbon and think it’s a great thing to play with, but it can get stuck under their tongue and be swallowed accidentally.

“If you have ribbon or coloured string in the house, whether for gifts or on a Christmas tree, it’s important to keep it out of the reach of pets. The same applies to tinsel, which can also seem attractive to playful cats.”

She added: “Luckily for Ted, his owners noticed the ribbon was missing and brought him straight to us. This meant it was still in his stomach, so it came back up when he vomited.

“If it had been left longer, it could have anchored around the exit of the stomach or tried to travel through the intestines. We call this a linear foreign body and these usually require surgery to remove. There is also a risk of the intestines bunching up and tearing, which would be life-threatening.”

Ted is now back home with his owner Brittany, who said she was grateful for the speed and care provided by the veterinary team.

“The ribbon was tied on to the tree and Ted had a moment by himself when he decided to take it off and play with it,” she said.

“When he started making a noise like he had a furball, we noticed the ribbon was chewed and a piece was missing. The vet told us to bring him in straight away.

“I’ve now removed any decorations Ted could reach. The lower part of the tree looks very bare, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Other seasonal hazards for pets include alcohol, including food containing alcohol; hangover remedies such as aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen; batteries; and chocolate Christmas cake, stollen, mince pies and Christmas pudding. Further dangers include fresh grapes, cooked bones, holly and mistletoe berries, leftovers, poinsettia and sugar-free sweets containing xylitol.