Can cats get the flu?

Hi, I'm new here...but have what I think is a simple question. I have two cats, Inky & Roland, both 5 years old. Last night Inky threw up soon after eating a can food treat...this isn't common for him but not totally unusual either. Late in the night he threw up twice, once woke me up (because his poor body just heaves when he throws up and he's not very quiet about it all) and other I found this morning. Both were mostly liquid....with some spots of grass he had gotten several days ago. This morning he is very weak...he has eaten a little and drunk a little water but otherwise pretty lethargic... He seems like he's had the 24 hour bug....do cats get that kind of thing. Should I be concerned? Thanks for any reponses. Maybe it's nothing, I sure hope so.

You just never know. As cats can't tell you what's wrong, it is worth getting them checked out.

Throwing up is quite normal, but coupled with lethargy and no appetite might be a number of other things. I'd just get it checked out to be on the safe side . . .

How rude of me - I forgot to say welcome and glad you found us and I hope you stick around.

BTW - is Inky black? I have a black cat and aren't they gorgeous?

Thanks for the input Yola and for the welcome. I called my vet and I'm going to watch Inky tonight...if he's not markedly better by morning we're off the vet office -- again! See, Inky has Asthma and we have struggled with that for a couple of years so my vet knows this one well. BTW, Inky is white with black sploches...I wasn't going to keep him but couldn't handle seeing "stray" on the name line each time we went to the vet so I named him Inky...he looks like someone put an ink pen and the ink bled on him in several places, thus Inky...but it could also mean In KY which we are. Roland, my other cat sees the vet once a year and he and the vet are both glad of that.

Thanks again...he's still pretty wiped out tonight so hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Cathy

Yola, Just wanted to catch you up. My cat, Inky, who I thought might have the flu ended up being very very sick with several things going on....diabetes, dehydration, low potassium and a bit jaundiced. He is now in the field near the Rainbow bridge, happy and healthy again. It was a rough weekend and he spent the last night at the emergency vet. He was so sick... It really all goes back to his having asthma and has been taking prednizone for about 3.5 to 4 years. The steroid in that, I was told, would eventually get his liver and other organs. We had 4 good years tho...

I've cried many tears, been angry at my vet and at myself...I guess normal process of grief.

I had two cats, do you know anything about how cats grieve the loss of the another cat?

Thanks again for your feedback earlier.

Cathy