Kitty throwing up - help

Oct 26, 2007
2,632
4
Hi all,

I noticed my kitty is throwing up quite a bit recently... like a couple of times a week or so. She otherwise seems completely healthy and not even bothered by it. She is Himalayan so she has very long fur, which also sheds quite a bit. Like most other cats, she's completely OCD about cleaning herself so I think that fur ingestion might be a big part of it. However, I see both fur and food when she throws up so now I'm beginning to think that maybe it is food-related? :confused1:

I took her to the vet, who said that she's completely healthy and suggested I try hairball-reducing cat food, which she already eats anyway. I've been feeding her IAMS Hairball Care for about three years now. Could it be possible that I need to change her food?

I make sure she has fresh food and water during the day and, occassionally, give her wet food. And treats. Ok, can treats have anything to do with it?!

I also tried switching her bigger bowls into smaller, more shallow ones so that she doesn't ingest as much air but that didn't seem to help :tdown:

Thanks for reading! Looking forward to some advice... TIA!
 
Some cats especially long haired ones do tend to have more furballs. There are great cat treats that help with hairballs. If your kitty is otherwise healthy I would try this first and see if it helps.
 
What are the cat treats called? It can potentially be food related. I would take her to the vet. My cats' have thrown up before and the vet told me that it was because they ate too much food.
 
I wouldn't worry about it too much -- I have a puker, too! She's a long-haired cat, who is very healthy according to the vet. She also throws up hairballs mixed with food.
 
Cindi, what kind of treats can you suggest?

babieejae1101, the treats that I give her are the Whiskas Temptations. Do you have any experience with them? Oh, and I took her to the vet. He said she's fine...

IntlSet, ok, that is a little comforting in a weird way. Maybe it's not that big of a deal. How often does your kitty throw up? What breed is she?
 
IntlSet, ok, that is a little comforting in a weird way. Maybe it's not that big of a deal. How often does your kitty throw up? What breed is she?

Hey there! She's just a long-haired tabby. She throws up about once a week, sometimes twice. She's healthy as a horse. Don't worry too much. If you're truly concerned, get a second opinion with another vet.

Also, I personally am very wary of those hair-ball reducing food formulas. I think cats throw up when they don't feel comfortable -- to feed them food that keeps that icky stuff in their tummy? Hmm. I wouldn't feed my cat that stuff. Just my personal opinion, so please don't take offense.

It may be time to switch her food. Cats, just like us, change through the years. If she's been fine on this food for three years, then it may not be the problem... but see if something else doesn't suit her better. Maybe it's been upsetting her stomach?
 
LOL. I can second that. All of my cats throw up once in a while. Some more often then others. If your vet checked her and everything is okay, just let her get rid of that stuff.
 
Ok, I kind of feel better... thanks, ladies.

One more question: I currently live in an apartment with hardwood floors so it's easy to clean up the stuff but I might be moving to somehwhere with a carpet. What products to you suggest to have it removed from the carpet? Thanks again.
 
I have two cats and come home to icky piles on the floor at least once per week, sometimes more. Mostly it's hairballs. Sometimes it's food that has not even been chewed so I think that is from them wolfing it down too fast.
 
Hi! My cat (black Persian) was a huge barfer too ... until my vet told me to start giving her 1 teaspoon of flaxseed oil every other day in her food. She throws up MUCH less now! Also, I take her to the groomer once a month which cuts down on the loose fur.

For carpet stains, you can't beat Resolve (it's in a red bottle in the cleaning section of drugstores and grocery stores). It will take out ANY stain.
 
I have a Himalayan and a Russian Blue. The Himalayan mostly pukes when she has hairballs, but the other pukes daily in the kitchen. The vet diagnosed her with the feline equivalent of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, so she is on a restricted diet. When my husband doesn't obey the diet to the letter and gives her table foods, she pukes. Wet food is also a culprit.

I get my Himalayan shaved twice a year and that greatly helps her with her furballs (and keeps her a bit cooler during the hotter moths). Both cats are indoor cats, so it's nothing they picked up in the outside world.
 
i have a long hair cat. she has fur balls regulary and sometimes she just regurgitates food for no reason. I would recommend giving her fresh food/dry food rather than wet cat food until her tummy settles down. something simple like chicken or tuna.

i also recommend Royal Canin. They do good cat biscuits in tiny kibbles which are easy for my baby girl to digest. She has either sensible 33 for sensitive cats or the beauty mix (not that she needs it:heart:):love: