We cats vomit more than you might think, although in most cases we do not have a serious problem or illness. However, you humans can’t help worrying when you see your cat vomit, and the importance of knowing how to take care of a cat when she has vomited – and when to see the veterinarian without delay – cannot be overemphasised.
Today we will look at the most common reasons that felines vomit and the steps to follow in each situation. Take note of how take care of a cat when she has vomited in order to take the right course of action in each case.
Reasons why cats vomit
Hairballs
Trichobezoars, or hairballs, are the most common cause of vomiting in cats. You will surely have realised that we cats do not stop cleaning ourselves all day, and eventually we end up ingesting a large quantity of hair. However, sometimes our own stomach decides to get rid of this hair by vomiting.
To prevent a cat from experiencing this problem, brush her fur often to remove dead fur.
Stress
Any stressful situation can also cause us to vomit, just like with humans. We are very sensitive animals and you can easily see when most felines are stressed because we will display strange behaviour.
Keep your cat from vomiting due to stress by making sure she has a safe place where she can relax and get back to normal.
Eating too fast
Eating anxiously and too fast makes a cat cough her food up within a few minutes. If your cat is very anxious at mealtime, give her small portions at a time, and be sure that she does not eat more than her stomach can tolerate.
Food intolerance or poisoning
Just like humans and other animals, we cats can also experience intolerance with certain foods that lead our bodies to induce vomiting. Vomiting is also very often the result of food that has gone off and ends up giving us food poisoning, although food poisoning is not very common.
Illness
If your cat vomits on a regular basis, she might have an illness causing her to vomit. She might have parasites in her intestine or a more serious disease like leukaemia, tumours or even diabetes, which often include vomiting among the most commonly seen symptoms in felines.
When these symptoms repeatedly appear, you need to see a veterinarian to find out what your cat is experiencing.
How to take care of a cat when she vomits
Identify the cause of the vomiting
Everyone at home needs to know how to take care of a cat when she vomits, and the first step is to identify why the pet has vomited. The reason may be very obvious (for example, we might see hairballs in the vomit or your cat might appear stressed) or you may need to observe your cat further in order to identify the cause.
Clean your cat
If you see your cat vomit, it is very important to clean up the vomit and clean your cat so she does not feel even more stressed. Clean her around the mouth especially and be sure that her airways are free of vomit.
Keep an eye on your pet
Keep an eye on your pet in the following hours in order to ensure that she does not vomit again or display other risk factors.
Manage her diet
Keep your cat on a diet during the next 12 to 24 hours. Keep her from eating right after vomiting and gradually give her small portions until you see she improves.
Seek urgent veterinary care
If your cat vomits repeatedly during the following 24 to 48 hours, you need to quickly seek urgent veterinary care to prevent her health from worsening. The vomiting might be the result of a more serious problem that needs specific treatment.
However, if you see that she is upbeat, hungry and showing no other signs of discomfort, these simple guidelines on how to take care of a cat when she vomits will be more than enough to help her recover.
