Every cat owner happens to recognize the symptoms of a cat’s upset stomach – the gagging, heaving retch, and mournful meow. However, just as suddenly as it started, your cat then returns to normal health while you are left scrubbing the carpet flooring. Even though this is not a very pleasant subject, vomiting is actually something that kitties seem to do every now and then. While most cat owners tend to accept it as a natural habit of their cat, knowing what triggers a cat’s upset stomach is still important.
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My Cat is Sick. What Should I Do?
If your furry pal is sick and vomiting but sometimes appear well, you can remove their food for a while and then feed him small amounts of some highly digestible food like chicken, or ask a specialized prescription diet from your veterinarian. Allow your cat constant access to his water bowl. After 24 hours, your cat should go back to his usual routine. If not, then it calls for a visit to your vet immediately as there might be a more serious underlying health condition.
When Should You Be Worried?
We recommend visiting your veterinarian right away if your cat is showing these signs:
- Aside from vomiting, your cat also suffers from diarrhea
- Your cat is lethargic and/or listless
- Your cat cannot keep water down
- Your cat continues to vomit
- Your cat has pale and yellowish gums
- There’s blood in your cat’s vomit
- Your cat has known health issues like renal disease, diabetes, or GI problems
Reasons Why Your Cat is Vomiting
Occasional vomiting of cats might be caused by the following:
Furballs
Cats usually ingest hair while they’re grooming. Once it forms into hair clumps, it might irritate their stomach and eventually, they will be vomited up. If your feline friend vomits hairballs more frequently, your vet might suggest diets or treatments to reduce the buildup of your cat’s hair and grooming him regularly is also helpful in order to reduce the amount of hair they tend to ingest.
Eating Too Rapidly
A cat that gobbles on food too fast might regurgitate. If you have multiple cats at home, make sure that you provide them separate bowls in different locations in order to reduce competition. You can also try serving dry cat food in an egg carton or put kibble in used plastic bottles that has holes on it as it will dispense the food once it rolls. These are effective puzzle feeders that promote slow eating and combats boredom, creates mental challenge, as well as increases exercises that prevent weight gain.
Eating Too Much Food at Once
Naturally, cats eat small amounts of food but quite often. While it’s not always practical, experts actually suggest to give them 4 to 5 small portions of meals a day. Dry cat kibble absorbs fluid in a cat’s stomach which lead to swelling and vomiting, most especially in senior cats. Aside from that, eating spoilt food may also result in stomach upset.
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Common Questions About Why You Should Be Concerned About Your Cat Vomiting
Is It Normal for A Cat to Throw Up Every Day?
It’s not unusual for cats to throw up once in a while. In fact, many cats vomit after they eat too fast, or as a result of the accumulation of hairballs caused by their grooming habit. But if you see your feline friend throwing up more than once per week, or if it’s accompanied by other symptoms, the tendency is that there may be an underlying serious health issue.
What Can I Give My Cat for Throwing Up?
Here are some few tips on how to treat your cat who frequently throws up:
- Remove all water and food for at least 12-24 hours
- If the vomit of your cat is frequent or contains blood, you should contact your vet immediately
- After removing food and water for 12-24 hours, feed your cat a mixture of small portions of skinned, boned and boiled chicken breasts with rice
Why Does My Indoor Cat Keep Throwing Up?
While cat throwing up may be sometimes due to ingesting some foreign objects like a piece a piece of toy or ingesting a houseplant, your kitty can also get stomach upset from over his grooming habit. This usually resurfaces as a clump, which is known as a hairball. The moment your ca has a consistent hairball issue, you may want to look into some specialized cat foods that’s specifically formulated for treating hairballs.
Conclusion
Oftentimes, cat owners accept their pet’s throwing up as a natural behavior. However, just because a cat seems to have more than his fair share of upset stomach does not mean you don’t have any options left. Sometimes, your cat throwing up means there’s a serious underlying condition that should be taken care of right away as it can be dangerous to be left untreated. If you’re worried about the other symptoms that your cat shows aside from vomiting frequently, consider visiting your vet as soon as possible.
