Cats Vomiting: Causes and Solutions Explained

Dealing with a cat's vomiting can range from minor to serious concerns. Drawing from the experiences of veterinarians and cat owners, we've compiled a summary of common vomiting issues in felines.

Understanding the Stages of Vomiting:

1. Regurgitation: This occurs when food is expelled without entering the stomach, often due to esophageal issues or blockages in cats. Since it doesn't involve stomach contractions, the vomiting action is usually not as pronounced.

2. Vomiting: This happens when food has entered the stomach and triggers a vomiting reflex. The stomach and intestines contract forcefully, expelling the contents through the mouth, which is accompanied by a clear vomiting reflex.

3. Coughing Up: When a cat has mucus or foreign objects in its trachea, it may stretch its neck and make forceful chest movements to cough them out.

Grading Cat Vomiting:

For ease of understanding, we categorize cat vomiting into three levels: mild, moderate, and severe.

1. Mild Vomiting: This is quite common in cats and can be due to eating too fast, vigorous exercise after meals, food intolerance, or hairball formation. Such vomiting is a form of selfprotection and typically doesn't harm the cat. For instance, lactose intolerance can cause vomiting or diarrhea when cats consume milk. When switching to a new cat food, vomiting can also occur. It's important for cat owners to switch foods gradually and patiently. Additionally, vomiting due to forgotten cat food or prolonged fasting can produce clear or pale yellow fluids with white foam, which is usually normal. However, if green bile is also vomited, it's a serious sign. Excessive stomach acid can lead to gastritis.

2. Moderate Vomiting: At this stage, vomiting is indicative of a medical condition. Common causes include internal parasites, especially when infected with worms like roundworms, tapeworms, or heartworms. Cats may experience intermittent vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss if not treated promptly. Curiosity in cats can lead to ingestion of small objects, causing repeated dry heaves. Some objects may pass through the intestines, while others may require vomiting to be expelled. Blood in vomit could indicate injury to the gastric mucosa, and in severe cases, surgery or enemas may be necessary. It's also important to note that cats are often required to fast before sterilization surgery to prevent vomiting due to the anesthetic's effect on gastrointestinal motility.

3. Severe Vomiting: Severe vomiting is a sign of serious internal organ diseases, such as pancreatitis, liver, heart, or kidney diseases, or even feline distemper. The vomit is usually yellowgreen and should prompt immediate veterinary attention.

Immediate Veterinary Attention Needed for These Situations:

Repeated vomiting within a day

Vomit containing blood

Persistent vomiting without producing anything

Decreased energy and appetite after vomiting

Confirmed ingestion of harmful substances

Infrequent but persistent vomiting over several days

Tips:

If vomiting is abnormal, take photos of the vomit to help the veterinarian analyze the situation more effectively. If diarrhea is also present, collect the feces and bring it to the vet for testing. Record the time and frequency of vomiting as accurately as possible, as this information is crucial for the vet's diagnosis.