NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Veterinarians with the Charleston Animal Society worked to save a cat who swallowed 38 hair ties.

The cat, named Juliet, was brought to the Charleston Animal Society along with two other cats by a good Samaritan after it was discovered the animals were left outside a home when their family moved out of state.

While leaders at the animal society thought Juliet seemed fine at first, after several weeks they said she stopped eating and became lethargic.

Radiographs revealed the cat had an unusual blockage in her stomach that would kill her if not removed.

Dr. Leigh Jamison, Charleston Animal Society Associate Director of Veterinary Care, and their team found what they called “a seemingly endless bundle of strings” that continued to come out of Juliet during surgery.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Dr. Jamison said.

Once removed, the surgery team counted more than three dozen hair ties that were blocking the cat’s stomach and preventing her from eating and processing food.

Vets said damage was not found in the cat’s intestines. But a buildup of fat in her liver caused a serious health condition which she is currently being treated for.

“We have to make sure that as we feed her, we keep her electrolytes in balance,” Dr. Jamison said.

While Juliet is not out of the woods just yet, veterinarians say her health is on the upswing. They remind owners that although cats love to play with bouncy, stringy objects like hair ties and rubber bands, they should never do so unsupervised.