My cat ate paintballs – what should I do?
Call a vet todayCall your vet today for advice – don't wait until signs appear. When ingested, paintballs can cause severe poisoning and can be life-threatening in cats, although this toxicity is uncommon.
What to do right now
- Call your vet or the nearest emergency vet.
- Note what was eaten, how much and when.
- Bring the packaging.
- Keep your cat calm.
- Remove what is left.
Don't
- Do not make your cat vomit unless a vet tells you to.
- Do not give any human medicine.
Why it can be dangerous
In cats, ingestion can rarely result in severe poisoning, and this toxicity can be life-threatening.[1] The components inside a paintball are osmotically active and can pull free water into the intestinal tract.[1]
Signs to watch for
Not sure how serious it is?
OkPaw asks a few quick questions about your pet and tells you in 30 seconds whether it can wait. Free on Google Play for Android.
OkPaw is on Android now – an iPhone version is on its way.
Common questions
How much is dangerous?
Ask your vet how much may be dangerous for your cat.
Which signs should I watch for?
If any of the listed signs appear, call your vet or nearest emergency vet.
How soon should I act?
Call your vet today for advice – don't wait until signs appear.
Sources
How this page was made: written with the help of AI from the sources below, then checked claim by claim against those sources. Urgency levels follow OkPaw’s fixed safety rules. It is guidance, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages
Permethrin