Essential Guide: Cat Vomiting Self-Rescue Tips

When a cat brings up a furball, it's often a sign that the animal has been excessively grooming itself. Cats spend a significant portion of their time licking their fur, whether it's selfgrooming, mutual grooming, or any other form of the behavior. However, when too much fur accumulates in their digestive tract, it can lead to discomfort. In response to this, cats may vomit, usually with a mixture of stomach acid.

Solutions: Regular grooming can help reduce the amount of fur that cats ingest. Feeding them a fur ball dissolver, such as a hairball gel or cat grass, can aid in the digestion of fur, making it easier for it to pass through their bowels.

Vomiting Gastric Fluid: Cats may regurgitate a sticky, transparent liquid mixed with white foam, which is gastric fluid. If vomiting is severe, it may also include bile, which is yellow in color. This can occur when a cat is fasting and their stomach is empty, leading to discomfort and vomiting.

Solutions: Feeding your cat smaller, more frequent meals can help maintain a normal level of stomach acid secretion and prevent fastingrelated vomiting. Avoid leaving their food bowl empty for extended periods.

Regurgitating Undigested Food: If a cat throws up immediately after eating, it might be whole kibble or long, thin pieces of food. This could be due to eating too quickly, a case of indigestion. Cats often eat the food back, leaving only a yellowbrown water stain.

Solutions: Using food puzzles to slow down eating speed and adopting a feeding schedule with multiple small meals can help. Opt for easily digestible, nonallergenic cat food as well.

Vomiting Foreign Objects or Live Parasites: If a cat's vomit contains white strings or other live organisms, it indicates a parasitic infection. This is a sign that the cat needs to be dewormed immediately.

Solutions: Cover the vomit with cat litter, clean the litter box thoroughly, and dispose of the contaminated litter outside. Then, disinfect the area. Deworm your cat as soon as possible.

Vomiting Blood: If a cat's vomit contains blood, it suggests that the vomiting was very forceful or that the esophagus was scratched by a foreign object, causing minor damage and bleeding.

Solutions: Pay close attention to whether your cat has ingested any foreign objects. Take a photo of the vomit and seek veterinary care promptly.

Five Warning Signs of Lethal Diseases in Cats:

Fever: If your cat has a fever and loss of appetite, it could be a sign of feline infectious peritonitis, which can lead to abdominal fluid accumulation. Cats may become emaciated, spastic, and anemic. A thorough cleaning and health check are in order.

Decreased Appetite: If your cat shows a loss of appetite, refuses to eat or drink, loses weight, vomits, has diarrhea, and becomes lethargic, it's a sign to take your pet to the vet immediately.

Diarrhea with Blood: If your cat has diarrhea with blood, it's a serious concern that could indicate feline panleukopenia. Both cats and dogs with bloody stools may be suffering from a lifethreatening illness.

Rapid Breathing: Normally, cats breathe at a rate of 20 to 30 times per minute in a resting state. Abnormal breathing rates, such as rapid or shallow breathing, can indicate allergies or serious heart or lung diseases.

Changes in Behavior: A normally active cat that suddenly becomes quiet, unwilling to move, or even has difficulty breathing or walking abnormally may be in pain. Cats may also choose the lowest litter box if they're uncomfortable, or they might urinate or defecate outside of the litter box. A change in temperament, from aggressive to withdrawn, can also be a sign of illness.

Tip: For more information on treating cat vomiting, read our article, "What to Do If Your Kitten Is Vomiting."