When Is Cat Vomiting
A Cat Illness Or Just A Hairball 

Cat vomiting does not always mean your cat is sick, cats will from time to time vomit, it can be a perfectly natural thing to happen. They may have eaten something which has upset their tummy or they may have picked up a little virus, just like we all do from time to time. In these cases the problem will usually clear up in day or so and is nothing for cat owners to worry about.

There are some other common causes of cat sickness which is not related to illness and which the cat owner need not worry about too much, these are:

• Cat eating their food too quickly or too much
  
  
• Motion sickness
  
  
• Hairball's

When to take cat vomiting seriously

If your cat displays any of these symptoms, then it's time to take your cat to the vets.

• If vomiting occurs every few hours for 8 hours or more
  
  
• If vomiting is continuous.
  
  
• If there is blood in the cat vomit. (Digested blood looks like dark coffee granules.)
  
  
• If there are worms or other objects in the vomit.
  
  
• If the sick cat has been near potentially poisonous substances.
  
  
• If the cat appears depressed, lethargic and otherwise unwell. If there are other symptoms such as weight loss, diarrhea, constipation, or other signs of cat illnesses.

There are a few home Treatments for feline vomiting which can be found here but if the vomiting is persistent then a vet visit will be required.

Eating Too Quickly or Too Much

Often cats will throw up their food if they eat too quickly and or swallows their food without chewing much. Some cats do this because they may have previously been a stray or it may have been a habit they have developed.

Eating too quickly will cause bloating and stomach irritation which will result in sickness. Our previous cat Little Mo also had this habit, which seems common to a lot of animals. She would bolt her food down without even chewing it, we solved the problem by feeding her regular light smaller meals and this soon stopped the daily vomiting.

Sometimes a cat will eat something which is indigestible such as a non food item. The cat will want to purge it from their systems as quickly as possible. It may not be nice, but checking that their is nothing in the vomit is a good idea if you suspect that they have eaten something like this.

Our cat, little Mo was a champion cat vomiter for a while until we changed her food which was obviously too rich for her. Some cats have delicate stomachs and some of the cat foods are just too much for them to digest. Always choose the best quality food possible for your cat.

Motion sickness

Another common reason for vomiting in cats is car travel. If your cat reacts badly when you have to take them in the car it may be a good idea to try and acclimatized the catl by taking them for short journeys on a regular basis so it gets used to the motion of the vehicle.

It is also best to avoid feeding the cat shortly before a journey, and try covering its basket with a towel to help keep it calm.

If a journey is essential and all you've tried has failed, then your vet can prescribe some anti-sickness tablets or maybe a mild sedative. There are also over the counter medications you can buy to help with travel anxiety such as Feline Lesstress for Cat Anxiety

I actually made our poor little cat vomit from motion sickness one time just because I didn't realize I was swinging her in the cat basket as I carried her along one day.

As soon as I got to where we were going, which wasn't even a very long walk, I opened the basket and... puke... out it came!

Hairballs

Hairball's are another common reason for vomiting in cats and similarly this is usually nothing to worry about.

The cat normally manages to get rid of the hairball themselves and if not there are products which can help the process along such as Pet Natures Hairball Relief.

Eating Grass will often cause cats to vomit and again this is generally nothing to worry about. It is believed that cats will eat grass to help them get rid of hairball's themselves.

As a general rule, as long as your cat appears to be a healthy and happy cat, and all is well otherwise, an occasional episode of cat vomiting should leave you unconcerned.

However, if the cat vomiting keeps happening, or there are other symptoms as well, then we need to take things more seriously as it may be a sign of a more serious cat illnesses.

Beware of dehydration.

If your cat is vomiting a lot and cannot keep down any fluids then they can be at great risk of dehydration. This is especially the case when the vomiting is accompanied by diarrhea.

Signs of dehydration include:

• Lethargy (unusual tiredness and unwillingness to do usual activities).
• Dull coat.
• Panting.
• Thirst.
• Visible third eye.
• When the skin behind its neck is pinched, the fold remains longer than usual. (The skin loses its elasticity due to dryness).

These are all cases for concern and we would always recommend you get your sick cat to the vet as soon as possible.

Trying to persuade your cat to drink water is not easy and dehydration can set in quickly. If dehydration has set in then a vet will be the only one able to re-hydrate them using subcutaneous or intravenous fluids to return them to good cat health.