Learn to know when cat vomiting is something natural or something serious.

Cat vomiting can be a perfectly natural thing to happen and is often nothing for cat owners to worry about. Often it is the result of the cat eating too much, too fast or eating something that is indigestible and the cat is simply purging it from its system.

Our little Mo was a champion cat vomiter for a while until we changed her food which was obviously too rich for her. She also has the habit, which seems common to a lot of animals, of bolting her food down without even chewing it, so we feed her regular light meals or she is likely to vomit again. Fur balls are another common reason for cat vomiting and similarly this is usually nothing to worry about. Neither is it when a cat eats grass and vomits afterwards, and many people believe that cats eat grass to make themselves do just that, especially when they have a fur ball they want to bring up!

Motion sickness from car travel is another common reason for cat vomiting. Sometimes the cat can be acclimatised to travel by taking it for short journeys so it gets used to it. 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.

I actually made our poor little Mo vomit from motion sickness one time just because I didn't realise 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! Poor little Mo. She does make us feel like very bad people indeed sometimes! But we do learn, and I'm much more careful how I carry her now!

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 more serious cat illnesses.

When to take cat vomiting seriously

• 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, diarrhoea, constipation, or other signs of cat illnesses.

Beware of dehydration.

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 if you are concerned in any way about their welfare. If dehydration has set in they may require subcutaneous or intravenous fluids to return them to good cat health.

What should we do about cat vomiting?

If they bring this back as well, then restrict their fluid intake to give their stomachs a rest for another 3 to 4 hours. But do watch out for signs of dehydration (see above).

Then try a tablespoon of water every half hour or so. If they seem okay with this, you can try re-introducing some food. Keep the amounts very small to start with and make sure the food is very bland, such as some plain lean chicken (no skin), with some mashed up boiled rice or potatoes, or possibly some low fat cottage cheese.

Alternatively you can buy specially prepared cat foods for convalescing sick cats.

If your cat responds well to this, then you can re-introduce their normal diet gradually over the next day or two.

If however, the vomiting returns, or other symptoms of cat illnesses appear, then you had better take them to the vet for proper investigations.

What can your vet do to find the reason for the vomiting?

They will feel the cats abdomen for tenderness or swellings and do a physical examination. They may take their temperature and take blood tests. They may want to take urine and faeces samples for analysis.

They may want to send your sick cat for scans and x-rays. Lastly they may need to perform an endoscopy (where they pass a camera inside to look for signs to make a diagnosis) or even a laparotomy, which is an exploratory operation to find the cause of the problem.

How might your vet treat the cat vomiting?

Your vet may wish to administer subcutaneous fluids to prevent dehydration and give anti-emetic (anti sickness) injections. In more serious cases, hospitalisation may be necessary if close observation and intravenous medicines and fluids are needed.

Can cat vomiting be a sign of an underlying disease?

• Infestation of worms.
• Gastritis.
• Tumors of the stomach or intestine.
• Kidney disease.
• Liver disease.
• Adrenal gland disease.
• Hyperthyroidism.
• Pancreatitis.
• Inner ear disease (as it affects balance).
• Damaged diaphragm.
• Diabetes.
• Hypercalcamia.
• Peritonitis.

........the list can go on and on.

So if you are concerned that your cat vomiting is for more than the usual simple reasons that we discussed above, please take them to your vet to get the condition investigated and treated properly. It is always better to be safe than sorry where cat health is concerned!

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