Throw up

Question
Hi Natoma,

We had three cats, 2 are just a little over a year old, and the other one is approx. 5 years old. Just with in the last few weeks, we have woken up in the morning to find throw up in the house. this has just started within the last few weeks, and the only problem is we don't know which one it is. All three of them seem fine and healthy! We have kept the same food, have not switched anything up on them, and dont know what they could be getting into? Any suggestions? They are indoor cats, adn eat Purina indoor cat formula.

Thanks,
Doug

Answer
Hello Doug,

Cats are pukers, no delicate way to say that :)  Cats in the wild eat a raw diet, with this kind of diet there is a higher risk of bacterial type of issue's so the cat's system is built to purge anything that may seem even remotely off.  Cats will also throw up if they eat too fast, or if they are trying to bring up a hairball.  This is the most likely cause since it has gone on for a little while.  I have one guy who will throw up for a week before he actually gets the hairball up.  There are hairball remedies out there but I don't recommend them, cats can usually do a good job of getting them up themselves.

This being said, throwing up can also be indicative of a more serious problem.  There could be a blockage of some sort, an extremely large hairball can block thier systems, something they've eaten that they shouldn't have or there is also an intestinal problem called intesuption.  However, all of these would generally have other symptoms as they would begin to become infected, do keep a close eye on food intake, litter box habbits and overall general energy.  Throw up that is green and mostly water can be indicative of a blockage but again this is later on and would be accompanied by other medical symptoms.

So this is both sides of the coin, throwing up is usually nothing to worry about but in some cases can be serious.  You may want to see a vet to rule out a blockage.

Good luck!

Natoma