Why is my cat puking?

Question

This is about my male cat Tiger who is 3 years old. We got him from the pound when he was about 4 months old. He is the most sweet laid back cat I met in years but lately he has been throwing up partially chewed up food? I look at it when I pick it up and do not see any hair balls in it, or other debris for that matter.
He doesn't eat moist cat food, his dry cat food is the same as always and he is a indoor cat. Sometimes I catch him drinking out of the toilet thanks to my kids leaving the lid up, but have been shutting the bathroom doors so the baby doesn't go in and play around.

Tiger seems normal and I have no clue what is making him puke? He has a doctors appointment on February 3rd and any suggestions to what may be causing this would be great to know beforehand...Thank you. :)

About the comment from Randal. My husband only gets paid once a month and we are on a tight budget so Tiger cannot go to the vet until the next payday. The question wasn't a dig at owner's here! I watch ASPCA aka Animal Cops and I love my cat, thank you! If he was in pain I would take him now but like I said I feel that he is acting normal and he is not puking everyday.

Answer 1

Hi Lyn...sometimes when cats gobble their food down too quickly they will expel partially digested food shortly afterwards. For example, if the serving portion is too large this may be contributing to overeating too much at one sitting. In multi-cat households cats can develop food aggressive behaviours which are competitive-like only contributing to gorging.

Alternatively, some cats have stomach sensitivities to certain food which contain the ingredients corn, corn meal or byproducts. These are allergens and is used as a filler to preserve shelf life of the food as well keep manufacturing costs down for the consumer... and found in nearly all commercial brands of cat food other than in specialty pet food stores brands. If it's an allergic reaction it may be helpful to consider gradually changing over to a lamb and Oatmeal brand of food such as Nature's Variety Prairie http://www.naturesvariety.com/content.lasso?page=1365&-session=naturesvariety:43B7DCEA1e07e0867AnqRMFDB0BB . The premium brands of cat food are found in specialty pet food stores. They are more expensive, however the advantage with these brands is one doesn't have to feed as much as the commercial brands since cats feel satiated/full with these and therefore they last just as long or even longer.

If there was a sudden change in food served this will also cause cats to expel since they have sensitive digestive systems. Diarrhoea is more common when this happens, but vomiting can be another symptom. Cats should be gradually weaned over to a new brand to minimize bowel distresses:http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?dept_id=0&aid=100

More on cat food nutrition and associated information:
http://www.consumersearch.com/www/family/cat-food/review.html

Answer 2

I asked the same question yesterday - look for "vomiting cat"... or summing like that. Seattle gave me the answer - in a nutshell: if it's partially digested food, then he's more than likely eating too fast. If there are grey lumps of hair - then it's hairballs. Rub some vaseline on his paws to help with hairballs, and monitor his eating if he's eating too fast. But ultimately, keep your appointment with the vet - it could be something serious.

Answer 3

It could be anything really, but have you checked if he urinates properly? I advise to take a sample of urine to check for crystals or bacteria. It sounds irrelevant, but male cats of that age, especially those who eat dry food, often have urinary problems and they block, perhaps for some time, and the bladder gets big and pushes their stomach and they throw up. Check how often he pees and if he strains sometimes without doing anything, and if it is the case he needs a change of diet or medication.

Answer 4

Turned out my cat had food allergies and can only have odd kinds of protien. Could also be a sensitive stomach, don't switch his food around, keep on the same food changing around yes gives them a variety but it also upsets their system.

Answer 5

Feb 3rd is way too far in the future. I'd move that vet appointment to the next slot the vet has.

Answer 6

All cats throw up. We have three, and at least one of them throws up once a week. Other than that, two of them have no health problems and the third is elderly.

It's important to go ahead and keep your vet appointment, though; it's better to be safe.

Answer 7

ok first why are you waiting a whole month to take your cat to the vet if your baby was throwing up like that would you wait a month before you take your baby to the doctor I would think not, my god take your cat to the vet then give him to a good home that would care for your pet properly maybe you can get supervized visitation

Answer 8

dont guess...take him to a vet..

Answer 9

better yet, why would you buy a cat who pukes?
-Cheers!

Answer 10

cause you got your finger down its throat