Help! Hairball stuck?

Okay, so yesterday, Mr. Dukie came inside in the evening like he always does (he's an outdoor cat of feral origin; don't worry, he's neutered), and since he hadn't eaten all day, we'd expected him to be hungry. The moment I opened the door, I heard him making this coughing/hacking noise. He ate a small amount of food, and didn't drink much, if he did at all. He looked a bit lethargic. Once he was done eating, he went and sat under the table, making the hacking noises every minute or so and looking very uncomfortable. He appears to be breathing normally, but his voice was surprisingly soft when he meowed to go back out (and let me tell you, he can get really loud). Obviously, we didn't let him go. So he quickly gave up and sat back down, still occasionally coughing. It sounded like something was in his throat.

Today, he's still hacking, albeit less frequently. His meow is louder and he's slightly more active, but it looks like he's lost weight. We aren't letting him out.

What do you think is wrong? Is there something stuck in his throat? A bone of some sort? A hairball? He's been shedding a lot lately because it's getting warmer, so is it possible it's only a hairball?

We would take him to the vet, but some thoughts first would be nice, to see if he really needs it. Plus, my dad has to pay the vet bills (he doesn't STOP us, though), so to take the cat to the vet unnecessarily wouldn't make anyone happy. We will if he needs it, though, definitely.


-Details-

Name; Dukie

Age; 11 Months [He turns a year in June]

Gender; Male [Neutered]

Breed; Red Tabby Moggy/American Shorthair -Clickey Clickey-

History of Health; Was recently treated for roundworm (from mother's milk; wasn't serious until now), has been neutered, and has recieved stitches on his neck from a bite wound from a cat fight. Has been perfectly fine for the past two months or so.



Please help! Is this serious? Does he need medical attention?

is he eating? Is he keeping the food or throwing up? You need to pay very close attention to this - something could be stuck to his throat, or it could be some sort of a blockage. If the kitty is throwing up right after he eats, the kitty is blocked and needs immediate attention.
Rapid weight loss is also VERY dangerous in cats - so you need to monitor his food intake and his weight carefully.
Since this is still going on, yes, IMHO a vet visit is in order.
Sounds like you are young, since you need your dad to take the cat to the vet for you - here is the thing..... No matter what, when an animal is sick, it needs medical attention, and he can't get mad about it. That is simply not right
What about your mom? Can she take the kitty to the vet? Do you have an allowance you can use?

Most importantly, are your parents onboard taking responsibility for the wellbeing of this kitty? Because he WILL need vet care :nod:
You can't have an animal around the house suffering when vet care is needed...... That is cruel IMHO.....

Yes, we'll definitely monitor him. He is NOT throwing up (he isn't eating much, though) directly after eating, so I guess that's good. He hasn't lost a lot of weight, but he's definitely a LITTLE skinnier.

My mom has owned cats for years and she'll happily take a cat to the vet. My dad WILL pay for a vet if the cat needs it, he even tells us to take them if necessary, but he doesn't LIKE it. (of course, who does?) He kind of gets this look on his face when you say, "I think we should take him to the vet." I guess I don't blame him, vets are pretty expensive...I didn't mean to give him a bad image, he's a good guy and he DOES like animals. We are an animal-loving family, and are happy to take necessary actions for the well being of our pets, I'm just seeing if there is an easier way (for us and the cat) to help Dukie out and still avoid the vet. Dukie hates the vet WAY more than my dad...

He's making some hacks as I type, but he's looking pretty content. I swear, we'd never let an animal suffer if there was something we could do. Never.

Good, good..... I am relieved.
You can try to open his mouth wide and see if there is something stuck on the back of his throat, if he lets you...... Vets know how to do that much easier than we do though.
While cats don't like vets and neither we do like paying for it...... More often than not, when something is wrong..... It is the way to go..... Especially when kitty doesn't want to eat - that can turn bad quickly and can get very (I mean VERY) serious.
So.... if you notice that he is skinnier, and he is eating less....... and he is still hacking...... I would really advise you to take your baby to the vet. While in there, get a blood test to check his liver functions.

Also, try to feed him more wet foods for the time being - it is easier to swallow. Fancy Feast is one that kitties often love it.

We've actually just scheduled an appointment for tomorrow morning. He ate a few bites of wet food, but then began hacking again. He's sleeping right now, with his head propped up on a scratching post. He's still pretty alert, though. Hope he does okay.