Vomiting in Cats – Causes, What to Do

Do you know this scenario? In the middle of the night, silence, and suddenly you hear that specific, pulsing sound that immediately gets you on your feet. A vomiting cat is a stress for every owner – and it's not just about cleaning the carpet, but most importantly about the worry for the pet's health. Is it just a hairball? Or maybe the cat ate something it shouldn't? While a one-time "incident" doesn't always mean trouble, vomiting in cats is a signal from the body that shouldn't be ignored. Sometimes the cause is trivial, like eating too quickly, but it can also be the first sign of a serious illness. It's important to know how to distinguish harmless indigestion from a condition requiring veterinary intervention.

Vomiting in Cats – What Is It?

Before we dive into the causes, it's worth explaining what vomiting in cats actually is and how to distinguish it from regurgitation. Vomiting is an active process – the animal feels unwell, smacks its lips, drools, and its body is shaken by strong abdominal contractions. The vomit will contain undigested food, bile, or liquid.

On the other hand, regurgitation is a passive process, where food "flows out" from the esophagus effortlessly, often just after a meal, retaining the shape of undigested "sausage." Distinguishing whether the cat is regurgitating or actually vomiting is crucial for an accurate diagnosis. It's also common for a cat to vomit saliva or white foam, which usually indicates an empty or highly irritated stomach.

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Why Is the Cat Vomiting? Causes

The answer to why a cat vomits can be complex. A sensitive digestive system and the nature of a predator put cats at risk for various ailments.

• Hairballs – This is one of the most common causes. Cats, in an effort to maintain hygiene, swallow hair. When there's too much of it, it clumps together in the stomach forming hairballs (pilobezoars). Vomiting in cats is then a defensive mechanism to expel the foreign body. The vomit consists of clumped hair. Prevention is essential: regular grooming, administering hairball pastes, and providing access to grass.
• Food – Dietary mistakes are a frequent cause of stomach upset. Cats often vomit after eating too quickly – the stomach expands rapidly, triggering a reverse reflex. Another issue is long breaks between meals – the cat then vomits foam, which is a symptom of irritation of an empty stomach by acids. Don't forget about food intolerances or giving table scraps, which may be harmful to the animal.
• Parasites – The presence of worms, such as roundworms, is a common cause of problems, especially in young animals. When a kitten vomits and you notice parasites in the vomit, it's a sign that deworming is urgently needed. A severe infestation not only causes vomiting but can lead to stunted growth and malnutrition. Regular stool testing is key to caring for a young cat.
• Foreign bodies – This issue can cause sleepless nights for many cat owners. Cats love to play with strings, ribbons, or rubber bands, and swallowing such an object can block the intestines. In such cases, vomiting is intense, occurring after every attempt to drink or eat, and the animal is lethargic and in pain. This is a life-threatening situation requiring surgical intervention.
• Toxic substances – Houseplants (lilies, peace lilies), medications (paracetamol is deadly to cats!), or household chemicals can cause severe poisoning. Sudden, profuse vomiting, drooling, and neurological disturbances are signs that immediate veterinary attention is needed.

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What to Do If Your Cat Is Vomiting?

If you notice that your pet is having issues, it's worth observing it closely for a while. If it's a one-time incident and the cat seems fine afterward, a short fast (no longer than 12 hours) and offering easily digestible food, such as boiled chicken, is usually enough.

The foundation of home treatment should be changing the diet – meals should be small but given frequently, preferably using easily digestible food. Since digestive issues disrupt the natural bacterial flora, it's important to support the intestines by giving a probiotic, such as ImmuneControl from Petipharm. Good probiotic preparations enriched with beta-glucans not only populate the digestive system with beneficial bacteria but also stimulate immunity, helping to quickly halt digestive problems and restore the cat's well-being.

However, it's important to keep in mind that a visit to the veterinarian is absolutely necessary if vomiting lasts longer than a day, if blood appears in the vomit, if the cat is clearly lethargic, or if poisoning is suspected.