Case summary Conan the cat died after swallowing parts of a retractable mouse from Biltema. The family in Høyanger did not realize the seriousness until Conan started vomiting. Conan had to be operated on, but died a week after he swallowed the parts from the cat toy. Biltema replies that they have warned against animals being alone with the toys they sell. The family will now warn other pet owners against dangerous games. Biltema does not answer whether they have considered withdrawing the game from the market. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – That a little kitten, who was only going to play, should suffer such a painful death, it is quite meaningless, says Edel Holen. The family in Høyanger in Vestland had recently got the cat Conan, but the joy was short-lived. His favorite toy, a retractable mouse from Biltema, was what led to the end of his life. – I never thought this could happen. Even if there is a warning about the game. Had to operate When the game was lying under the sofa at night, Conan got two holes in him. The family did not realize the seriousness until the cat started vomiting. They took the kitten to the vet. A retractable mouse for 44.90, from Biltema, was the end of life for the little cat Conan. Photo: Screenshot by Biltema.no – It is a very big operation to open a cat’s pus, so the vet would try to remove it with an enema first. It was the most gentle for the cat, says Holen. The cat seemed fine, but a day and a half later there was still surgery. – The stuff from the game stuck. The vet said it was as if it was glued to the intestine. During the week they went to the vet several times, but a week after the cat ate the contents of the cat play, he fell asleep quietly. – It was very sad, says Holen. Conan’s operation went well, but the injuries were too great. Edel says the filling in the cat’s play sat as if glued to the inside of the intestine. Photo: Edel Holen / Private “All play must be supervised” Edel decided to warn other pet owners, and first contact Biltema to offer them a comment. Or that they should be given the opportunity to withdraw the game from the market. In the response from Biltema, they pointed out that the game is marked with the fact that all play should take place under supervision. On the website, Biltema has marked the game with a warning: “WARNING! All play should be supervised. Check the toy regularly and replace it if it is damaged.” Photo: Screenshot by Biltema.no Edel was aware of this, and continued with a new e-mail: – The point is that most people at one point or another let the animals be alone with their toys. The animals are usually able to chew these whole, and then the contents should be something that does not stick to the gut like Velcro, she wrote. The next day, Biltema wrote that they were very sorry for what had happened, but did not change their opinion: We are very sorry for this sad and tragic event and understand very well that you feel great sadness at having lost your kitten Conan in this way . Having said this, animals (or children) should never be left alone during play. This is why this toy is also well marked with a warning stating that all play must take place under supervision. We of course take the feedback very seriously and apologize once again for this sad incident. – Have apologized After Edel published a public post on Facebook, many people shared, liked and commented. Facebook post about Conan With this post we want to warn everyone else with pets, whether it’s a dog or a cat. Our little kitten, Conan, was only four months old. He loves to wreak havoc with a retractable toy from Biltema. This was left under the sofa one evening. During the night he had two holes in it, and ingested parts of the contents (wadding/polyester). We didn’t realize it until he started vomiting, and parts of the filling came up again. A vet was contacted, and the kitty was initially treated with an enema. This is to try to avoid a risky intervention. When this didn’t work, surgery was done. The filling was glued to the intestine like Velcro in several places, but the operation went well. Despite the fantastic efforts of the vet and his team, the kitty fell asleep quietly 3 days after the operation. The intestine had suffered too much damage. Biltema has been contacted about the matter, in the hope that something will be done about the content of such games. They regret our loss, but only refer to the warning that all play must be conducted under supervision. Our aim with this post is for people to be aware of the danger of ruined games. NO other pet should suffer the same fate as our Conan! Source: Post from Edel Holen and Tommie Trydal on Facebook, 16 October 2024 In the post, Edel Holen writes as follows: “With this post, we want to warn everyone else with pets, whether it’s a dog or a cat. Our little kitten, Conan, was only 4 months old.” Photo: Screenshot In an e-mail to news, Biltema wrote that they have tried to accommodate the customer and show understanding and sympathy for the incident. – We have apologized and are sorry that the cat owner has experienced this, writes press manager Laila Solberg in Biltema. – Do they know of other cases where this particular game, or other animal games that Biltema sells, have led to minor or major injuries, or perhaps death, for an animal? – No. Biltema replies that they do not know of any other animals that have been injured by toys they sell. Photo: Edel Holen / news Regarding the labeling of the product on the websites, they answer: “Biltema labels its animal toys in the same way as similar products from others that offer this. The warning is to ensure that pet owners take due care in relation to the product.” When news asks if they check the production of the toys, i.e. if they check that the toys, for example, are not made of material that can be harmful to animals, they write: – Biltema’s products are carefully checked so that they can meet the requirements and rules from the applicable authorities and bodies. Disappointed with Biltema Biltema replies “no comment” to questions about whether they have considered withdrawing the cat toy from the market. Nor do they answer what it takes for a product to be withdrawn from the market. – What would you say to other pet owners who are considering buying this cat toy, and possibly other animal toys from you? – We would like to encourage pet owners to read the description on the product and follow the warnings that are given. Edel Holen and his family want other animals not to suffer the same fate as Conan. Photo: Privat That the cat game is still in the hall at Biltema is something Holen says is as expected. She is not angry at Biltema or the manufacturer, but is very disappointed. She thinks Biltema has not been accommodating. She points out that the games could have cost more, as long as they were safer. – There is probably a reason why there is a warning. It will certainly be possible to find fillings that will slide more easily through the gut, and rather add a little to the price. While the family realizes that the house is empty after the loss of Conan, they are looking forward to getting a new cat next weekend. – In any case, we will be very careful about what games he gives me, and he will never be alone for a long time with the games. We will remove them as soon as we see that they are destroyed, says Holen. Get in touch Thank you for reading the case! Have you experienced something similar with animal toys from Biltema? Or do you have other tips? Get in touch. Published 18.10.2024, at 20.19
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The cat Conan died after eating parts of a toy – Biltema does not withdraw the product from the market – news Vestland
