My cat is vomiting, should I take him to the Vet?

Question

My cat is an orange tabby and he has vomited 2 times in the past week. He doesn't seem sick at all except that we find vomit on our carpet. I changed his food from one good brand to another good brand. He used to be my moms cat and now he has been living with us for the past month. He used to poo in my dads room because I think the cat never liked him. Should I take him to the vet? Or is it normal for cats to vomit once in a while, especially from changing brands of food?

Answer 1

whenever in doubt, have a vet check it out. it may be nothing serious. my black cat used to throw up after every meal and we were CONVINCED she was bulimic aside from the fact that cats don't do that lol. i'm sure it's just some loose hairs. good luck and i hope your kitty feels better soon!!

Answer 2

do you brush him? it could be hairballs

Answer 3

Similar question asked earlier today - here's my answer:

My cat goes through phases where he will throw up frequently. He use to be a monster cat at 19 pounds, but had dropped down to a healthier weight (12 pounds) after a recent move. I took him to a vet and spent $250 on tests and the vet couldn't find anything wrong with him. She gave me some Laxatone to give him - it's for hairballs. She said even if he doesn't have an actual hairball, loose hair (from grooming) in his stomach could be upsetting enough to cause him to vomit after eating.

That was back in February of this year. I treated him with the Laxatone according to directions and he seemed fine after that for months. Then within the last month or so, he started throwing up more and more. It got to be after every meal again and I could sometimes see cat hair in it. I went back to the vet and got some more Laxatone, also some moist cat treats made specifically for hairball remedy. The throwing up stopped overnight and he's doing fine. I also brush him 2-3 times a day (he LOVES that!) to reduce the amount of hair he ingests when grooming.

For your cat, you must first determine whether the vomiting is from a medical condition or not (meaning she needs to be seen by a vet, at whatever the cost). Your cat is considered a senior at her age and can be experiencing some sort of serious condition leading to her body's inability to digest food. That can cause a cat to reject its food and can be very detrimental to the cat because it will eventually become malnourished. Urinary tract infections, compromised kidneys or liver can also lead to rejection of food.

I hope it's not serious, but do what you have to do to convince your parents that she needs a trip to the vet. If your new vet is too expensive, try finding another one or find out if payment arrangements could be made so your parents could pay the bills a little at a time.

Good luck.

EDIT

I got the Laxatone from my vet - it was around $8. I also saw it at Petsmart/Petco for the same amount. Your cat may not appear to like it at first - mine was the same way. The vet said to gently open its mouth and stick some of it on the cat's tongue. I did, and after that, my cat all but bites my finger off every time I offer it to him. He loves the tuna flavor!

Here's the link to the question:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 4

My cat used to vomit occasionally, but we never got him checked out. I think he just stuffed himself sometimes. He was a fatty.

Answer 5

My cat vomites every now and then but i have no idea why she still seems fine though but if he carry's on it would probably be best to take him to the vet.

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Answer 6

Check that it is food and not hairballs in the vomit.  If it's just foam, the cat is probably trying to bring up a hairball.  Something like Katalax (a malt flavour cat laxative) will help the hairball pass through him.  Does he have access to grass to chew?  This can help in bringing up hairballs.

Also check for roundworms in the vomit.  If your cat hasn't been wormed recently, get some wormer from your vet (you'll need to know your cat's weight aas the dosage is related to weight).  

Check that it is vomit and not regurgitation.  When cats pig out their stomach becomes uncomfortable and they will regurgitate the food shortly after eating.  They will then get hungry again.

Cats are renowned for vomiting if they eat something they can't digest or if they wolf down their food.  Changing brands of food can trigger it.  When changing brands, do so gradually.  One the first day or two mix 75% of the old food with 25% of the new food.  In the following days increase the amount of the new food and decrease the amount of the old food until the cat has switched completely to the new food.

If he starts losing condition, develops diarrhoea, loses weight or shows other symptoms then see the vet.  On average my cats vomit 2 or 3 times each month, always due to over-eating or to hairballs (in spite of brushing).

Answer 7

My cat vomitted this morning- and it was because she ate her food too fast and she ate too much- she vomitted the food back up. She does that a lot and so I have to watch how much I give her.

I would be willing to bet it was from changing the brand of food, this might sound gross- but did it vomit up the food or was it something else?

It may take your cat awhile to adjust to the new food.

Best of luck-

Oh and I dont know how nice your vet or the phone attendants are, but you could just call and ask them if they think your situation warrants a trip or not.

Answer 8

Are you sure it is vomit and not a hairball? It could be from changing his foods. When you want to switch his foods, you need to slowly ween him into the new food...Mix it with the food he is use to. I would take him to the vet, just to make sure everything is ok.

good luck!

Answer 9

Suddenly changing brands of food can cause a cats GI tract to go haywire for a bit. If the vomiting started after you switched the food, then chances are that's what's going on. You need to gradually introduce new food by mixing in a little at a time with his old food, adding more new food and less old food by the day. So by the end of the week, all he eats is the new food.

There is also a chance, like what other posters have said, that it could be hairballs.

Also, a transition from old home to new home could very well render him nervous. Which might also make him throw up.

If you are still unsure, I would take him to the vet, just to be on the safe side.

Good luck!