My cat cries strange then throws up

Question
My cat is a male neutered & he is over weight & is 10 yrs old.  We have another cat & just recently acuired a 6 month old puppy.  Last night my cat started meowing a weird meow & licking his lips at the same time them he threw up several times it looked like foam.  This morning the same thing happened again except what he threw up looked like urine.  Now I'm concerened & think it could have someting to do with kidneys?  What do you think?  Thank you Diana

Answer
Hi Diana.  That strange meow and licking his lips was due to nausea and an awful belly ache.  It happens frequently when a cat is about to throw up.  The yellow vomit is due to a liquid that helps digest food, called bile.  It's full of yellow pigment.  It just indicates that the cat is vomiting without food in his belly.

I would give it today and see how he does this morning.  If he continues to vomit, he MUST be seen this afternoon or tomorrow at the latest.  Overweight cats especially can suffer from a condition called hepatic lipidosis, or fatty liver disease, if they do not get adequate nutrition for 48 hours.  This is usually fatal if not treated aggressively.  Even if caught early and treated aggressively, it is still a life-threatening disease, so you definitely want to prevent it.

Kidney failure IS a possibility.  He's a little on the young side - kidney disease usually effects cats over 12.  But it does occur in younger cats.  However, there are much more likely problems, such as a viral illness, protozoan infections or parasitic worms that could be causing his upset stomach.  He could also have a hairball, which are common this time of year.  Cats can suffer from a condition called Inflammatory Bowel Disease, which causes chronic vomiting and/or diarrhea.  There are other diseases like diabetes, liver failure, pancreatitis and cancer that can cause vomiting, too.  Poisoning may also be a possibility if he's had contact with plants, cleaners, etc.