9 1/2 yr old cat vomiting regularly

Question
My 9 1/2 yr old male cat has started vomiting several times a day.  He is overweight (around 18 lbs) and has had minor trouble with this in the past.  Usually it is just an occasional occurence.  Over the last 3 or 4 days I have found he is vomiting 3 or 4 times a day.  He gets fed in the morning and evening.  We have 2 other cats who are experiencing no trouble that we've noticed.  Usually this cat will wolf down his food then run to the other dishes for more.  He now goes to his dish, sniffs the food and walks away.  I tried some tuna juice on his food yesterday and that seemed okay for the little he ate, but straight tuna today had him vomiting within 30 minutes.  He's acting like himself... lazy, but alert and walkiing around to where he wants to be.  No obvious pain if we touch him or pick him up either.  Not sure if he's been using the litterbox or not, but we're trying to keep an eye on him to check.  Any suggestions or thoughts would be appreciated.


Answer
Hi Lyndsay.  Definitely time for a vet visit.  It could be he's got a viral infection, parasitic infection, kidney failure, hyperthyroidism (usually causes overeating but can make a cat feel so terrible that he loses appetite), pancreatitis, or a serious condition called Inflammatory Bowel Disease.  Each of these will need treatment.  Even if it's a viral illness that he needs to get rid of on his own, he'll likely need supportive care, like sub-q fluids to combat dehydration, a special bland diet, and maybe an antiemetic to stop vomiting and an appetite stimulant.