Cats vomit, and a great deal of feline vomiting gets filed under normal that should not be. The occasional hairball is unremarkable. A cat who brings something up every week is not simply a cat who does that.
The useful question is not whether a cat has vomited, but how often, what it looked like, and how the cat is in between.
What to record
Vomiting is one of those signs where the detail changes the conclusion. Before you speak to a veterinarian, note:
- How many times, over what period, and whether it is getting more frequent
- What came up: food, clear fluid, yellow bile, hair, or blood
- Whether it happens soon after eating, or unrelated to meals
- Whether anything is actually produced, or the cat retches without result
- Whether they are still eating, drinking and using the litter tray
- Any weight loss over recent weeks
Common causes
- Hairballs and grooming, especially in long-haired cats
- Dietary: a change of food, eating too fast, or something spoiled in the heat
- Intestinal parasites, which remain common here
- Inflammatory bowel disease, and food sensitivity
- Kidney disease, liver disease and an overactive thyroid, particularly in older cats
- Something swallowed: a foreign body, thread, or a houseplant
- Pancreatitis, which is easy to miss in cats
Go to a clinic today if you see
- Repeated retching that produces nothing
- Blood in the vomit, whether red or resembling coffee grounds
- Vomiting combined with straining in the litter tray and little or no urine, particularly in a male cat
- Vomiting alongside lethargy, hiding, or refusing food for a day
- A swollen or painful abdomen
- Any suspicion that thread, string or a foreign object has been swallowed
- Vomiting in a kitten, who dehydrates far faster than an adult
A male cat straining and producing no urine is an emergency, whatever else is happening. Do not wait to see whether the vomiting settles.
What not to do at home
- Do not give human anti-sickness or pain medicines: several are toxic to cats
- Do not withhold water unless a veterinarian has told you to
- Do not pull on any thread or string visible from either end
- Do not switch foods repeatedly while you wait, since it muddies the picture
If you are unsure how urgent your cat's vomiting is, describing the frequency and appearance to a veterinarian will settle it quickly. That is exactly the kind of question an online consultation answers well.
Common questions
Is it normal for cats to vomit hairballs?
An occasional hairball is common. A cat bringing up hairballs regularly, every week or two, is usually telling you something about their gut motility, grooming or skin, and is worth investigating rather than accepting as a quirk.
How many times is too many?
Repeated vomiting within a day, or vomiting that continues past 24 hours, needs veterinary attention. So does any vomiting alongside lethargy, not eating, or not urinating, however few times it has happened.
My cat is vomiting but acting normally. Should I worry?
It is more reassuring than a cat who is vomiting and flat, but it is not a reason to keep watching indefinitely. Note the frequency and mention it, particularly if there is weight loss over weeks.
What if my cat swallowed thread or string?
Treat it as urgent and go to a clinic. Never pull on anything visible from the mouth or the other end: linear objects can concertina the intestine and pulling makes the damage worse.