mouth opening and attempted regurgitation

Question
Hi Kate,,,I have a 16 year old shorthair grey tiger cat that is otherwise healthy except for this regurgitation and mouth moving symptom he has developed over the last couple of days,,,its as if he has something stuck in his throat he is trying to retch up but only a little spittle or bile comes out,,,then he won't do it again for half and hour or so,,,(its not constant),,,the only other symptom is his fur is not soft like it normally is but somewhat "greasy" in appearance....any suggestions?,,,thank you!

Answer
Hi My first thought is that he may have a hairball. often these can take a few days for the cat to get up. However in some cases they can't manage it themselves and they need help, in some extreme cases from a vet.

the fact that his fur is also not feeling great may also be a sign that there could possibly something else wrong too.

Please see my page about hairballs and if he does not improve in another few few days i would suggest that you may want to take him to see  a vet just in case there is something else going on too. lets hope it is simply a hairball issue and that it resolves itself soon.
best wishes kate

My hairball page is at www.our-happy-cat.com/hairballs.html