Cat vomiting can be alarming for any pet owner. While occasional vomiting might seem normal, frequent or severe episodes can indicate underlying health issues. Understanding why your cat vomits and recognizing the different types can help you manage your health better.
The following article provides information on the usual cause, different types of vomit in the cats and the meaning of the colors. Knowing all these you should be in a perfect position to contain your kitty’s needs and probably plan on your next visit to the vet. Let’s explore the various aspects of cat vomiting to ensure your cat stays healthy and happy.
Causes of Cat Vomiting
Just like humans, cats can throw up for various reasons. Some of these reasons are benign. However, that’s not the case with every other reason.
Here are a few common signs of cat vomiting:
Hairballs
As we all know, cats like to keep themselves clean either by direct licking or licking their paw and using them like a washcloth. So, sometimes, in the cleaning process, they usually take out their loose fur and often swallow it. Because of this process, our feline friends gather a good amount of hair in their stomachs that paves the way to vomit a hairball.
Gastroenteritis
The upset stomach can be as a result of taking wrong type of foods, toxins or as a result of side effects from some medication. Although the symptoms in mild conditions can improve without medical attention, severe cases may demand a vet’s attention.
Ingesting Foreign Bodies
Cats enjoy toys and want to play with the objects but, sometimes they mistakenly eat toys, strings, hair ties, and many more such things leading to intestinal obstruction in cats. This blockage causes them to vomit the said stuff out of their stomachs.
Food Allergies and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Although allergies in felines aren’t a big concern, however, if a cat eats some sort of trigger food, it can result in throwing. This is due to inflammation in their gastrointestinal.
Health Infections
Chronic Illnesses such as kidney disease, pancreatitis, and hyperthyroidism play a role in causing nausea and upsetting stomach. So, if your cat is throwing up for any of these reasons, then you may require professional help.
Parasites
Vomiting may also be seen in cats with Intestinal parasites such as roundworms and Giardia. Vomiting due to parasites is relatively more frequent in kittens, although it occurs in any age group of animals. In most cases, pet owners report vomit containing whole worms alive. Fortunately, it is normally treated by eradicating the parasites.
Cancer
Organ-specific cancers in cats, for instance, digestive tract cancers such as stomach cancer may cause vomiting since digestion could be interfered with. Tumors in other places of the body can also cause dysphoric feelings like nausea, discomfort, and a general feeling of unwell and thus force cats to vomit.
Difference Between Cat Regurgitation and Vomiting
Some cat owners mistakenly think of cat regurgitation and vomiting as the same, although there’s a difference. Regurgitation is a passive motion, and no force is required to throw things out. Also, regurgitation happens when cats either have hairballs in their stomachs or they have eaten their food quickly. On the other hand, vomiting is an underlying disease, and when cats do vomiting, they eject digested stuff.
Further, if you can’t differentiate between both, the best thing you can do is seek a vet for professional help.
Types of Cat Vomit
Acute vs. Chronic Vomiting in Cats
Chronic vomiting implies throwing up that is persistent and can be a result of eating something they should not, such as worms, pancreatitis or a bacterial/viral infection, for instance.
However, once the cause is treated, acute vomiting is very brief in its manifestation and, therefore, lasts for a short time only. Chronic vomiting is seen in cats with disease processes that require constant treatment. As an example, cats diagnosed with IBD or cancer or kidney disease, or hyperthyroidism could vomit off and on for weeks to months just because of their disease condition.
Cat Vomit Color Chart
Feline companions are always looking to diagnose the reason for their cat throwing up based on its color. Determining what your cat’s vomit looks like is vital, as different diseases can cause the vomit to have a more definite and clear appearance. Below are some examples of vomit colors:
- Yellow: Cat yellow vomit shows up when your cat has an empty stomach. It also occurs when you’re feeding your feline friend only once a day, and your companion goes 24 hours without food.
Red or Pink: Red or pink indicates the blood. Cats may vomit blood either if they have an abscess lesion sore or if they vomit several times in a row. - White Foam: Cat vomit often contains white foam due to inflammation of the stomach or small intestines caused by an underlying issue.
- Water/ Clear Liquid: If your cat throws up watery or clear liquid it is because of the fluid contents of the stomach.
- Green: If your cat is vomiting green fluid, it typically means that the substance is coming from the small intestines, and the presence of bile can give it a green color.
- Black or Brown: Cats that vomit black substance typically have digested blood in their lower intestinal tract, which may be caused by ulcerations, foreign objects, or inflammation in the intestines.
When to Worry About Cat Vomiting
If your furry companion shows these signs, then call the veterinarian right away:
- Your feline friend vomits more than twice in a row.
- If your feline friend has vomited several times in a row and hasn’t eaten or drunk in more than 12 hours.
- The cat you love has already been diagnosed with a disease like diabetes, kidney disease, or hyperthyroidism. This state of affairs is critical, and the cat should be taken to the vet as soon as possible because their condition may be rapidly deteriorating. In these cases proper medical examination is urgent because these pets can get dehydrated very quickly.
- Your furry friend vomits a worm. You need to get your furry friend dewormed ASAP. It is important to keep the environment clean.
How to Prevent Cat Vomiting
- Consider the diet: Feed your feline friend with high-quality balanced diet to increase its chances of a healthy life.
- Keep an eye: It is important to prevent your cat from swallowing non-food substances like; pieces of toys, strings, etc.
- Ask your vet about a special diet: If your cat experiences a food allergy or inflammatory bowel disease. Then you should talk to a vet for a special diet, this helps to solve the vomiting.
- Hairball remedy: If your cat is prone to hairballs you should ask the vet. Whether it is advisable to use some of the available store products meant to settle vomiting from hairballs.
Conclusion
To ensure your cat stays happy and healthy, pay close attention to their vomiting patterns. Identify potential causes and take proactive steps, such as maintaining a balanced diet, and monitoring for ingested objects. Swift action can prevent minor problems from becoming major health concerns.
FAQs
Q: Why my cat keeps throwing up?
A: There are several reasons of it such as hairballs, food allergies, kidney disease, etc.
Q: Why is my cat throwing up undigested food?
A: Your feline friend is throwing up undigested food because of regurgitation.
