Popular toys for cats are "Fur Mice" ~ cardboard mice with
plastic ears and feet, covered with rabbit fur that is a "by-product"
of the rabbit meat industry in China.
Cats love fur mice so much that sometimes they try to eat them. But
the head or ears and feet can come loose, with results that could
be fatal.
In November, a veterinarian in Wisconsin saved the life of a 6-month
old kitten named Salem by removing the head of a toy fur mouse from
Salem's intestinal track. The store that sold the toy mouse agreed
to pay for Salem's vet bills, and to post a warning about the fur
mice on their web site. The warning, though, is just a vaguely worded
generic warning for all companion animal toys.
The message for all of us is: buyer beware. Stores are interested
in selling products, so it is up to us to "police" our companion
animal's toys. Make sure they are safe for the level of play or chewing
your pet is likely to subject the toy to. (Even the size of the toy
should be considered: recently there was a story about a large dog,
which choked to death on a tennis ball. The ball was just small enough
to get lodged in his throat).
Of equal concern is the source of the fur that covers toy mice. Whenever
fur is used, animal suffering is involved.
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