Is Cat Vomiting a Sign of Illness?

What Do Cats Usually Vomit?

1. Vomited Gastric Fluid

This is a sticky, translucent liquid with white foam, often indicating a forceful vomiting. In severe cases, yellow bile may also be expelled.

Reason: This is a symptom of vomiting on an empty stomach. When there's no food in the stomach, cats may feel discomfort and vomit. Prolonged fasting can lead to excessive gastric acid secretion, potentially causing gastritis.

Solution: Encourage smaller, more frequent meals to maintain normal gastric fluid secretion.

2. Hairballs

This involves gastric fluid mixed with hairballs, which could be a small clump or a solid mass of fur.

Reason: Hair accumulation in the esophagus or intestines is a normal occurrence.

Solution: Regularly groom your cat, provide plant fibers (cat grass) or a hairball gel to stimulate the expulsion of hairballs.

3. Undigested Food

Cats may vomit food shortly after eating, with only half digested, and parts of the food still clearly visible.

Reason: Eating too much or too quickly can overload the stomach, leading to indigestion.

Solution: Feed smaller kibble or use a slowfeeding bowl. If vomiting is severe or frequent, seek veterinary care promptly.

4. Vomiting with Parasites

This includes white, semitransparent, wormlike parasites.

Reason: This indicates that the larvae and eggs of parasites are潜伏 in the digestive tract.

Solution: If vomiting contains parasites, it suggests a high number of parasites and reproduction in the cat's body, necessitating immediate deworming.

5. Vomiting with Blood or Foreign Objects

This involves vomiting with pale or bright red blood, with plastic, string balls, or other foreign objects visible.

Reason: This may be due to gastritis or the stomach lining being scratched by ingested foreign objects.

Solution: Seek immediate veterinary care to treat the condition or remove the foreign objects.

How to Handle Cats' Vomiting

1. When a cat vomits, first observe the vomit without rushing to clean it up.

2. After vomiting, monitor the cat's condition for signs of lethargy, loss of appetite, or playfulness.

3. Reflect on the cat's recent diet, such as a sudden change in food, a drop in temperature, or the possibility of the cat having ingested foreign objects.

4. The above advice is for occasional vomiting. If the cat vomits repeatedly for a day or multiple days, seek medical attention immediately to avoid complications.

For more information on the causes of cat vomiting, click to read Cat Vomiting Causes Compilation.