My cat meows all the time

Question
My cat meows all the time like he is hungry, I have hard food out all day for him, when i come home i give him 1/2 can of wet food.  A few months ago he was sick throwing-up watery blood.  I took him to the vets. they ran test and took exray's and told me they did not know what was wrong with him. Since this time he has not been himself.  He also eats everything in site (i.e. my sweaters, socks,rubberbands, insulation,) He also throws-up alot. His constant meowing now is driving me crazy.  He is three years old, he is a short haired oriental cat. I also have another 5yr. oriental short haired cat, he does not have any of these problems.
Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Liz Decker

Answer
Hi Liz!
Wow...this is really odd.  I have a 2 year old Oriental Shorthair boy who had the exact same symptoms you have described.  He started vomiting bile, foam and blood. He was constantly eating everything and crying alllll the time. Upon examination and x-rays, we realized that his entire GI tract was so completely swollen that food was barely able to pass, hence the vomiting.  This is IBD.  This is very common in the Oriental Shorthair breed.  Irritable Bowel Disease is very painful...this is why they vocalize so often.  The intestinal tract literally becomes raw, and very inflamed.  The inflamation causes the walls of the intestinal tract to rub.  This causes the blood in the vomit and much pain.  The treatment that I use for my cat is a steroid injection every month.  The steroid decreases the inflamation, causing much relief.  Depo Medrol is the injection I use and have had excellent effects.
I hope this helps,
Hilary