Understanding Cat Vomiting: Causes, Prevention, and Solutions

It can be concerning when your cat keeps throwing up, especially if it happens frequently. While occasional vomiting is common in cats, chronic or severe episodes may indicate an underlying issue. This guide explores the reasons why cats throw up and offers practical advice on how to address the problem.

What Causes Cats to Vomit?

I. Diet-related causes

• Eating too fast or too much

Cats that eat too fast or take in too much food at once may cause stomach upset and vomiting. Vomiting in this case usually occurs occasionally, and the vomit is mostly undigested food residue, and the cat's mental state and appetite are usually unaffected after vomiting.

• Food allergy or intolerance

Some cats may have allergies or intolerances to certain ingredients (e.g. chicken, fish, grains, etc.), which can lead to indigestion and vomiting.

• Sudden food change

Sudden dietary changes, such as changing cat food brands and adding new food types, without a transitional adaptation period, may prevent your cat's gastrointestinal tract from adapting, which can lead to vomiting.

• Food spoilage or poisoning

Vomiting may also be caused by cats eating spoiled food or toxic substances (e.g. certain plants, chemicals, food residues, etc.). If the cat vomits along with other symptoms (e.g. weakness, drooling, diarrhea, etc.), it should seek medical attention immediately.

II. Hairball Problems

Cats are very clean animals and often lick their fur. In the process, they swallow a large amount of hair, which may form hairballs in the stomach. Although cats usually vomit out the hairballs, if there are too many hairballs, it may lead to persistent vomiting, loss of appetite and other problems.

III. Health Problems

• Gastroenteritis

Gastroenteritis in cats is a common cause of vomiting. It is usually caused by viruses, bacterial infections or parasites. Vomiting may be accompanied by symptoms such as diarrhea, loss of appetite, and depression.

• Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease is particularly common in older cats. Kidney dysfunction may cause your cat to vomit and be accompanied by other symptoms such as increased thirst, changes in urine output, and weight loss.

Related: Kidney Disease In Cats: When To Euthanize

• Diabetes mellitus

Diabetic cats may vomit during a flare-up, especially if they go into ketoacidosis.

• Liver problems

Liver disease may also cause cats to vomit, often accompanied by symptoms such as jaundice and loss of appetite.

• Other potential health problems

including thyroid problems, tumors, and pancreatitis can cause vomiting. These conditions usually require veterinary diagnosis and treatment.

IV. Foreign objects or obstacles

If a cat eats a foreign object, such as a toy, string, hairband or other foreign object, these can cause obstruction and damage to the gastrointestinal tract, which can lead to vomiting. This cause of vomiting is serious and requires the pooper scooper to send the cat to the doctor immediately.

V. Psychological factors

Cats may experience anxiety when facing new environments, other animals, noise and other stressors, which may also trigger vomiting. Some cats are especially sensitive to environmental changes, such as moving, traveling or changes in family members.

VI. Parasite Infection

Cats have parasites in their bodies that live in the gastrointestinal tract, which can easily cause vomiting and diarrhea. Owners need to go to the pet hospital in time and use deworming drugs reasonably.

VII. Other causes

• Weather changes

When the weather suddenly becomes cold or wet, the cat's stomach and intestines are easily stimulated, which can cause vomiting.

• Poisoning

Vomiting may also be caused by cats accidentally ingesting toxic substances (e.g. certain plants, chemicals, food residues, etc.). If your cat vomits along with other symptoms (e.g. weakness, drooling, diarrhea, etc.), you should seek medical attention immediately.

• Gastric Ulcer

Gastric ulcers, although rare in cats, can occur and be asymptomatic or only intermittent vomiting. Diagnosis requires x-rays or endoscopy.

• Pyloric Problems

The pylorus controls the passage of food and water from the stomach to the intestines, and when pyloric paralysis occurs, it can cause acute vomiting; however, pyloric fistulae are not painful and do not affect the appetite. It can be diagnosed dietarily or with the use of an endoscope. If food therapy and medication control do not work, surgery may be used to enlarge the pylorus and reduce obstruction.

• Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is more common in older cats over 10 years of age. Despite their weakness, they still drown while eating. The fur is thick and hard, and there is diarrhea and vomiting. The heart rate is mostly over 220 beats per minute.

How to Treat Vomiting in Cats?

I. Dietary adjustment

• Smaller meals and more frequent meals

If the cat vomiting is caused by eating too fast or too much, you can use the way of eating less and more meals to avoid the cat taking too much food at one time.

• Change of cat food

If the cat is intolerant or allergic to a certain cat food ingredient, it needs to be replaced with hypoallergenic cat food and adopt the “7-day food change method” when changing food to allow the cat's stomach to adapt to the new food.

• Feeding easy-to-digest food

After the cat vomits, you can feed some easy-to-digest food, such as goat's milk powder, porridge, boiled chicken breast, pumpkin, carrots, etc., which can help the cat to recover its strength and will not cause a burden on the stomach.

II. Hair treatment

If the cat's vomiting is caused by trichotillomania, the following measures can be taken 

Feeding the hair gel or cat grass: feed the hair gel or cat grass regularly to help the cat expel hairballs.

Brush the hair: brush the cat's hair every day to reduce the amount of hair ingested when the cat licks the hair.

III. Deworming treatment

If the cat's vomiting is caused by a parasitic infection, deworming treatment is needed 

• Use deworming medicine

Choose the appropriate deworming medicine according to the type of parasite and follow the dosage and method of deworming according to the instructions.

• Regular deworming

Domesticated cats generally need internal deworming every 2 - 3 months to prevent parasitic infections.

IV. Drug treatment

• Probiotics

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If the cat's vomiting is caused by gastrointestinal discomfort and indigestion, you can feed the pet-specific probiotics to regulate the intestinal flora and relieve the vomiting symptoms.

• Anti-vomiting medicine

When the cat vomiting symptoms are more serious, you can use drugs containing Maropitant Citrate, which is a central antiemetic with less impact on the cat's stomach and intestines.

V. Other treatments

• Foreign body treatment

If the cat accidentally ingests a foreign body causing vomiting, it needs to go to the hospital for X-ray or ultrasound to determine the location of the foreign body and remove it.

• Disease treatment

If the cat's vomiting is caused by gastritis, gastric ulcer, pancreatitis, diabetes, liver disease and other health problems, it needs to go to the pet hospital for a detailed checkup, and after diagnosis, the cat will be treated accordingly according to the specific disease, such as the use of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medication, medication to regulate blood glucose or liver function, and so on.

Ⅵ.Home care

• Observation record

During the period of cat vomiting, the owner needs to closely observe the cat's symptoms, including the frequency of vomiting, the nature of vomit, mental state, appetite, etc. and keep records so that they can be provided to the veterinarian for reference when seeking medical treatment.

• Prevent secondary ingestion

After your cat has vomited, prevent it from ingesting the vomit again.

• Provide a comfortable environment

Keeping the indoor environment quiet and comfortable reduces the cat's stress reaction and helps the cat to recover its health.

VII. Emergency treatment

If the cat vomits blood, vomits frequently (several times in one day or for several days in a row), accompanied by severe diarrhea or fever, depression, loss of appetite and other emergencies, it needs to be immediately sent to the pet hospital for examination and treatment to avoid delaying the condition

Also Read: How to Clean Up Cat Vomit

How to Hydrate Your Cat After Vomiting?

I. When the frequency of vomiting is low

If the cat vomits infrequently, for example, 1-2 times in a day, and is in good spirits, the following measures can be taken to replenish water

Provide fresh water

After the cat vomits, provide fresh water for the cat to drink on its own. A clean water bowl can be used to ensure a clean water source.

Feed ice cubes

You can feed your cat a small amount of ice cubes, which will melt in the cat's mouth to replenish water and relieve the discomfort.

II. When the frequency of vomiting is high

When the cat vomits frequently, for example, more than 3 times in one day, or for several days in a row, a more cautious approach to hydration is needed.

Fasting and water fasting

Firstly, the cat should be fasted and dehydrated, usually for 6-12 hours to allow the stomach to rest and avoid further irritation.

Gradual rehydration

After fasting and water fasting, if the cat no longer vomits, you can gradually provide a small amount of water or electrolyte solution and observe whether the cat can tolerate it.

Use a syringe or dropper

If the cat is not willing to drink water voluntarily, a syringe or dropper can be used to slowly drip water into the cat's mouth to ensure that the cat can swallow.

III. When dehydration symptoms are obvious

If the cat shows symptoms of dehydration, such as poor skin elasticity, sunken eyes, etc., urgent hydration measures need to be taken.

Subcutaneous rehydration

For mildly dehydrated cats, subcutaneous rehydration can be chosen in the neck or back where the skin is looser, using isotonic or slightly hypotonic fluids.

Intravenous rehydration

If the cat is severely dehydrated or continues to vomit, it needs to go to the pet hospital for intravenous rehydration to quickly replenish the lost body fluids.

IV. Handling of special cases

Drug-induced vomiting

If the cat vomits because of medication, such as deworming medicine, you need to rinse the cat's mouth with water to remove the drug residue in the mouth, and then provide warm glucose water to dilute the concentration of the drug and accelerate the metabolism of the drug.

Vomiting due to Hairball Disease

If the cat is vomiting because of hairball disease, while replenishing water, it can be fed with hair-chemical cream or cat grass to help expel hairballs.

V. Home Nursing Suggestions

Observation Record

After the cat has vomited, closely observe the cat's symptoms, including the frequency of vomiting, the nature of the vomit, mental state, appetite, etc., and keep records so that they can be provided to the veterinarian for reference when seeking medical attention.

Prevent secondary ingestion

After your cat has vomited, prevent it from ingesting the vomit again.

Provide a comfortable environment

Keeping the indoor environment quiet and comfortable reduces the cat's stress reaction and helps the cat to recover its health.

FAQs

Conclusion

If your cat keeps throwing up, understanding the cause is key to resolving the issue. While some causes are harmless, others may require immediate veterinary attention. By monitoring your cat’s symptoms, adjusting their diet, and ensuring a safe environment, you can help keep your feline friend healthy and comfortable.