EEEEW!! Cat puke!!

Hello all,

I have a approx. 2 years old spayed kitty. She looks very healthy, not fat at all, shiny coat (med hair), she's so purrrrrty! anyhow, she often throws up partially digested food. It seems to happen about 1-3 times a week. I have no idea why she does this. She seems to eat and drink enough. I have been free feeding her Iams weight control for less active cats as she is an indoor only cat and we have a 1 bedroom apartment. The last time she threw up it was a shockingly large amount, I had no idea she could fit that much food in her stomach. What could cause this? She acts totally fine, playful and cuddly, her usual self. This has been happening for a while and I was told by a vet that cats throw up fairly regularly and not to worry about it. However, Ive never had a cat throw up as often as she does. Then again, all of my previous cats have been indoor/outdoor so I cant say with certainty that they didnt.

She also sneezes. A lot. And gets strings of snot stuck on her face, which we then have to wipe off. Its pretty gross! I took her to the vet last year and he said she is perfectly healthy, and didnt have any sort of illness. I got the feeling though that he didnt completely believe me. Is it possibly allergies? My horse has allergies...luckily i can say that my horse vet is much more thorough than any small animal vet I have had. any insight would be great.

Thank you,
Rachael

Hi and welcome to TCS

I'm not an expert but I do know that some cats have sensitive stomachs and can have difficulty tolerating certain cat foods. There are others here who are very knowledgeable and can give you more help and information about this.

Also, it is possible for cats to develop allergies. You may want to take your cat to another vet for a re-evaluation. Maybe there is someone in your area who specializes in cats?

Hopefully, you will get other responses soon. Good luck!

If I remember correctly, I read here that eating from a food dish right on the floor can play a role in vomiting-maybe because they eat faster or because it puts their stomach in a strange position (???). Raising the bowl off of the ground might help.

Also, vomiting might be a symptom of worms. My Ivo began vomiting clear frothy stuff, but otherwise seemed in good health-until I saw the roundworms in the vomit. You might want to have your cat tested for worms. Good luck!

Hi Rachael,

Vomiting food usually happens for 3 different reasons. One being that they are eating too fast. In this case, you can try smashing the bits into smaller peices and raise the food bowl so she doesnt have to bend to eat.
The second is a possible blockage. When hairballs are moving through the intestines, it can sometimes cause the food to come back up. If this is the case, I would give her some hairball formula a few times a week or give her a teaspoon of veggie oil once a week or every other week.
The third is a slight food intolerance. Sometimes although it's a good food, it doesn't digest right with them. If this is the case, you would want to gradually switch her over to another brand of food.
Although cats can get allergies, it's most common for them to show symtoms in thier skin. They tend to get really itch and start to loose patches of hair. Sometimes if they get dust in the nasal cavity they can sneeze just like we do. If it's a green or yellow discharge, I would say there may be something else going on such as a sinus infection.

Thank you for the responses!

I was thinking that maybe she was eating too fast, but wasnt sure how to prevent it. Im pretty sure its not worms because the puke looks like patially digested food, and there arent any worms in it. Ill raise her dish today.

the snot when she sneezes is always clear. you are probably right about dust being the cause, or at least part of the cause...we have hardwood floors and live in the downtown area, so it gets pretty dusty in here.

once again, THANK YOU!!

Rachael

Some worms are so small, you won't see them without a microscope. There are several different types of worms cats can get. Only a vet can find out for sure if your cat has worms. The vet will check a stool sample. Since the worms are in the intestines, I don't know if any would be in vomit, since the food is vomited from the stomach before it gets to the intestines.

You should not be feeding your cat weight control food unless the vet says the cat is obese. Feeding the incorrect diet could cause health problems, rather than avoid them. Cats need the amount of fats found in normal growth formulas, unless the vet has prescribed otherwise. Healthy cats tend to eat as much as necessary, so your cat will not likely get obese on regular maintenance formula.

If your are concerned that your cat is not getting enough exercise, have several interactive play sessions daily, using a fishing pole type toy. A cat tree would be good for your cat to climb and jump up on and down from. My cats play with fake mice routinely, tossing them from their mouths to then chase after. They also bat little soft cat balls around. Their favorite room to bat the balls around is our small bathroom. They like making them ricochet off the walls and bathtub, without getting lost under furniture like the couch or refrigerator. It is not necessary to have a large home in order for cats to get exercise.

It is not normal for a cat to be sneezing strings of mucous frequently, dust or not. Take your cat back to the vet to check on that and the frequent vomiting. If you feel the vet you have used does not take you seriously, try a different vet.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

http://www.vetinfo.com/cibd.html

I had 2 sister cats (one still with me) who both suffered from regular vomiting. IBD is rather difficult to diagnose as it requires a scope of their gut and some tissue samples to be tested IIRC. My 2 cats were a bit old at the time a vet *finally* gave me some sort of posibility as to why they kept puking after years of me asking; I decided against the procedure because of the advanced age and opted to try treatment with metronidazole (Flagyl) and my surviving kitty does ok with that.

Pay special attention to the advice in the above link by Dr Richards- vomiting could be caused by many things. More on IBD:

http://www.google.com/search?&q=%22i...isease%22+cats