Smooch the cat's owners took her to the vet after feeling a lump under her skin.
An X-ray revealed a 17.5cm stick through Smooch's stomach with no obvious entry wound.
Owners Chris and Greg Peters didn't suspect anything out of the ordinary.
But, reaching down for a cuddle, Ms Peters felt a hard, golf-ball sized lump under Smooch's skin.
Canberra Veterinary Emergency Service hospital director Megan Wright said owners who patted or cuddled their pet daily could detect physical or behavioural changes earlier and that the Peters' daily cat-cuddle habit was vital to Smooch's speedy diagnosis and the successful treatment.
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