Cat Body Types & Throwing up

Having had cats most of my life, I have made an observation, regarding cats that are "pukers", I hope this does not offend anyone, but I know their are cats that throw up several times a week (I have two now) & cats that very rarely throw up. I have noticed that cats with the thin, lanky body type seem to be the ones that do this most often, whereas the thick, chunky ones rarely throw up. I have had my two to the vets & they always say its an intolerance of an ingredient to their food, this is not the case, their is no food I have not tried, including California Natural with 3 ingredients. I think their is something regarding this body type of cat that causes the problem. Any thoughts on this? Or suggestions? I dearly love my cats, but their are times when its very frustrating to clean up after them 2 or 3 times a day.

I once had a vet tech tell me, cats can throw up on demand..hehe. I havn't noticed anything with the body type. I more notice it with the ones who are shedders and the ones who groom more so than the others. I have had them throw up on occasion when something didn't agree with them. Some cats have intestinal disorders which means a vet visit. However usually the case is just a minor blockage. I do wonder about the lanky cats though...

Sandie, so they can throw up on demand? Do you think they are trying to make a statement? I home cook for my dogs, maybe they think I should for them also. LOL!!

I have one of those lanky kitties, and he has never thrown up. Perhaps this is an unrelated tangent, but my parents' dog (a shih-tzu) would throw up whenever he was upset. He was fine immediately afterward, but he seemed to purge to deal with ennui. Go figure!

I also wonder, I notice that when they do throw up, that the food is mostly whole, like they are not chewing it, is this normal? And also lots of times their is tons of food, like possibly they are overeating. I'm sure that their are cats of all body builds that throw up at times, but I have had several cats over the years & my heavier stouter cats have not given me the problems these lanky ones do. My two Siamese boys out of the same litter, one is the apple head type of yesteryear & the other is the newer type when they refined them, they are both beautiful, but I still prefer the old rounded types. I guess I'm off subject a bit here, so I better quit.

Cats usually don't chew their food. I know a few people who have cats with no teeth. They eat dry food just fine because they never chewed it anyway. Sometimes they eat way to fast and it comes back up. Some cats do it so others cant get it. I would have to say if I were a meezer, I would throw up from running around just after eating...hehe.

You mentioned these were Siamese cats...*grin*

Siamese are notorious hurlers. There is much speculation as to why, but when asked, just about any person owned by a Siamese will tell you the same thing: They do it because they can. They will seek out the least-easily cleaned locations, they will do it in the middle of a family holiday celebration and gross out all the kids. They will do it a lot more after eating grass or insects. Let me tell you about Christmas Eve, when I heard that tell-tale, racking "hurka hurka" noise and rushed in only to find one of my blue-eyed darlings totally ruining a stack of gifts to the family - all the kids screaming EWWWWWWWW at the top of their lungs and the parents looking at me as though I should just die on the spot in some horrible manner!!

After having been owned by a Siamese (or multiples - Meezers are almost always better in multiples of 2) for nearly half of my life, I have come to accept this rather distasteful habit as a gift. Maybe they are sharing their food - I can explain it in no other way. My cats are all on high-quality diets with no other apparent digestive disorders. Allergies have been ruled out. In short, we spent thousands of dollars and still can prove no known physical cause in my cats. But hurl they do.

One thing I did find to help was feeding several smaller meals over a longer course of time. I found that feeding once (a large amount) in the morning and again in the evening, they would hurl more. So, I began leaving out small portions of dry kibbles for them to munch on throughout the day. This seemed to help.

From a behavioral aspect, it is a fact that cats act upon instinct. Cats eat because they feel hunger. They do not eat because they feel inferior or their boyfriends think they are fat. *smile* So, allowing them to eat free-choice throughout the day maintains an even blood glucose level over a longer period of time, keeping the metabolism functioning normally. They feel better, are typically healthier and live longer with fewer chronic illnesses (all my own personal statistics - you milage may vary).

If you don't already leave down food throughout the day, you might want to give this a try.

Otherwise, you might just have a pair of Siamese Championship-Style Hurlers on your hands. *grin* Buy lots of paper towels and rug cleaner, and don't scold them for it. They don't care and it doesn't help. I now thank mine each and every time I get down upon bended knee - they already think I am a totally clueless airhead who breathes only to serve them anyway, might as well give 'em a good reason.

By the way and for whatever it is worth to ya, I also have a very soft place in my heart for the "old style siamese" of yesteryear. The moderns are beautiful and exotic, but the classics have my heart.

Best of luck,

Gaye

Gaye, I will never ever think about throwing up in the same old way, thanks to you & your humor. LOL! Hey! I have already come quite a ways, I no longer say unspeakable words when I step in it barefoot in the middle of the night. However when I find a nice brown, liquidy spot in the middle of my bed after just washing my bedspread & sheets, I must admit to some rather horrible thoughts as to what I would like to do to them. I didn't realize that the Siamese were famous for their hurling talents, because I have always had them, maybe thats why I spend so much time cleaning up after them. I might think of another breed in the future. I had Manx's for a long time & they were no problem. But the Siamese are sooooo pretty.

Oh boy am I going to say something about the Manx. I have 2 that are half Manx..they were the ones being thrown away because they had tails. They are the notorius pukers in the house. I think it's just their hair texture though..hehe

Sandie, it must be the half thats not Manx that makes them throw up. (are you sure the other half is not Siamese)? I had Manxamese's also, this was back in the mid 80's, I remember they were trying to make them a recognized breed, did they ever make it? I also had a cymric, she was a beautiful long haired black Manx, I thought it was terrible that a lot of these were put to sleep because of a recessed gene. But I never had any trouble with them throwing up. I do leave food down for them at all times, (In my worst moments) I vow to pick up the food & never put it back down again. Also I always have two bowls down with two different brands of food, I like to give them a choice, I wonder if having two different ones down makes a difference?
I know the lighter foods are much easier to clean up.

Glad I could bring a smile. My goal for the day has been met.

My husband has made such forward progress about the cats. He is a farm boy and as such, always believed that the animals lived in the barn, the people lived in the house, and that was the order of his world. Of course, I had cats when he met me and so it was a package deal. Living with cats rocked his world, nevertheless.

The first year we were married, we lived in this horrible basement apartment that had windows at ground level (and the rest of the place was under ground). Our bedroom window was a whole new world to the cats with a view out onto a large garden with birds and all kinds of stuff they chattered at, and they would get in it by using the bed (his side always, and normally his "danglies" made a handy spring board to launch from) as a means to gain access onto the window ledge.

So, after 3 or 4 nights of waking up to my dear, sweet, long-suffering hubby singing soprano, off to the Home Depot he went on a sunny Sat. afternoon. He came back with a piece of paneling and afixed it in the frame of the bedroom window. He told me at the time it was for his night work because he required the room to be at the darkest possible to enable him to sleep during the day. But here is how it *really* is, for you see, he didn't marry no dummy and so I specifically watched Sadira, my old girl, with particular interest for the next several hours...then, all of a sudden it happened...

At a dead out gallop she started, as though the very hounds of hell were on her ass from all the way across the apartment in the living room, across the back of the sofa she fairly flew, then down the Ranch-O-Rama bowling alley-style hallway, claws digging in and scratching furrows into the wood, then into the bedroom, pounce-quick upon the bed and launched her fat little squatty-body off the bed up towards the window ledge...BUT WAIT! ABORT!!! ABORT! QUICK COURSE CORRECTION NECESSARY! Then SPLAT and SCREECH of extended claws as she slid slowly down the wall...

Needless to say, my husband was giggling like a school girl and I was divided between adequately soothing Her Royal Highness, The Princess Poopy Butt and her highly indignant ruffled fur/feelings and cracking up laughing at the look on her very expressive face.

I have finally convinced my husband that her episodic hurling began shortly after this paneling was placed. *evil grin* Because, you see - she would always hurl on HIS side of anything, or in HIS fav chair, or on something of HIS...tee hee. So I now have him completely convinced it was because he put the paneling up and she was punishing him. I will go to my grave swearing up and down both sides this is the gospel truth. *wink*

Later,

Gaye

Hehe, yeah maybe it's their domestic half. I really think it is thier hair type. They have real fine silky hair. They shed more than anyone in the house. I dont think the manxamese made it. Some breeders will stop at nothing to make a new cat! It is funny when you come across a true cat person, they will tell you that paper towels and carpet cleaner are staples..hehe.

Thanks again Gaye, A good laugh to start my day, since I'm off to the dentist. In my mind I can picture your poor cat running, running, springing, splatting, poor thing. You can't help but wonder what goes thru their minds at times like this. LOL!

Originally posted by Sandie
It is funny when you come across a true cat person, they will tell you that paper towels and carpet cleaner are staples..hehe.

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Isn't that the truth, I have more paper towels than Walmart, hehe!!

My lanky Joey has never thrown up, but his chunky brother Squirt is known to hurl. I have always attributed it to hair balls. Squirt sheds much more than Joey does, even though both are short hairs.

When its attributed to hairballs, don't you see the little balls of fur when they throw up? Of course I know they are all wet & look different, but the only think I ever see is the cat food.

I gave up the carpet cleaner. When we got a new house last summer, we had all vinyl flooring put in. Of course, we still corner the market in paper towels, but little scatter rugs are a lot easier to clean than carpeting--just toss them in the washer. I'm sure the makers of Resolve have had to lay off a couple employees since I moved to my new place.

I have to giggle when we cat people talk about this. Just yesterday hubby came up and asked me what I was doing. I said, oh..just cleaning up some cat puke. He laughed and said we talk about it now like it is a usual thing.

Geez guys!

I'm glad I ate BEFORE I entered this thread. I have a cat Casey, 6 years old and 16 pounds. Boy does he hurl. I can always tell too. It's a very distinctive sound, like no other. Almost like you're plunging a blocked toilet. It's usually because he ate too much (the little porker). I was told that if the food is whole, it's because they eat too much and too fast. So, go figure. And yes, I too buy paper towels by the case. And I also have carpet cleaner and a hand brush on hand as well. Sometimes my other cats are standing around salivating as they stare at the huge glob of puke as if someone's left a treat on the floor for them. EEEWWWWWWW!

If you have a dog in the house, you have to beat it to the puke or they will clean it up for you. Gross, huh?