Symptom · Cats
Cat vomiting: what it means and when to call the vet
Occasional vomiting of a hairball or a meal eaten too fast is common. Vomiting more than once or twice a month, vomiting with weight loss, or repeated vomiting in a day is not normal and needs a vet.
By Maya HartCommon causes
- Hairballs
- Eating too fast, or regurgitating straight after a meal
- Food sensitivity or sudden diet change
- Swallowed foreign objects — hair ties, string, tinsel
- Inflammatory bowel disease or intestinal lymphoma
- Kidney disease, hyperthyroidism or diabetes
- Poisoning
What you can do at home
- Remove food for a few hours, but leave water
- Offer a small bland meal when vomiting stops
- Use a slow feeder or several small meals for fast eaters
- Brush long-haired cats regularly
- Keep a diary: when, how often, what it looked like
What the vet may do
- Full examination and weight check
- Blood and urine tests for kidney, thyroid and diabetes
- X-rays or ultrasound for blockages
- Anti-sickness medicine and fluids
- Diet trials for food-responsive disease
Prevention
- Change diets gradually over a week
- Keep string, ribbon and elastic out of reach
- Regular grooming
- Yearly check-ups, twice yearly for senior cats
The details
Because cats vomit more easily than dogs, many owners accept frequent vomiting as “just what cats do”. Vets increasingly disagree: a cat that vomits several times a month often has an underlying problem such as inflammatory bowel disease, food sensitivity or, in older cats, early kidney disease or an overactive thyroid.
Regurgitation — bringing up undigested food with little effort, soon after eating — is different from vomiting, and is worth mentioning to your vet. A photo or description of the vomit helps.
Questions owners ask
Is cat vomiting an emergency?
Usually it is not an emergency, but your pet should see a vet within 24 hours. Go now if you see: repeated vomiting and unable to keep water down; string or thread hanging from the mouth or bottom — don’t pull it; vomiting with a swollen, painful belly; blood in the vomit or black, tarry stools; lethargy, hiding or collapse; possible lily, medicine or antifreeze exposure.
What causes cat vomiting?
Hairballs; Eating too fast, or regurgitating straight after a meal; Food sensitivity or sudden diet change; Swallowed foreign objects — hair ties, string, tinsel; Inflammatory bowel disease or intestinal lymphoma; Kidney disease, hyperthyroidism or diabetes; Poisoning.
What can I do at home?
Remove food for a few hours, but leave water. Offer a small bland meal when vomiting stops. Use a slow feeder or several small meals for fast eaters. Brush long-haired cats regularly. Keep a diary: when, how often, what it looked like.
Sources
Tailwise is for general information and is reviewed by veterinary professionals, but it is not a substitute for advice from your own vet, who knows your pet. How we check facts