What is making my Cat throw up

[wineandwhin]

she appears to be normal, purring and playing. She’s 4 now. She used to eat Lily’s kitchen dryfood and was quite happy with it but went off. After trying few other brands she seemed to like Iams dry food. She was fine for the first month or so. Since then she’s been throwing up every 3 days.
vomit has chewed/unchewed food bits sometimes grass.
what can I do, I’m calling the vets in the morning

The other alternative is stress, or your cat is just a dick! Don't get me wrong, you know your cat, and you should get her checked out if you're worried... but some cats are just dicks!

Mine for example, is such a princess! You can put the food in front if her and she'll walk away. She'll take you to the place she wants to eat. If we're downstairs watching tv and she meows, and we don't shout up to acknowledge her, it's a coin-flip as to whether she'll vomit for attention. If we go out for the day, even stay overnight, she will be fine as she knows there's no-one to manipulate. She ONLY vomits for attention. She's been checked out multiple times, and has the same diet as our other cat... she's just a dick!

I don't believe cats ever vomit for attention or to be a difficult, personally. One of ours occasionly vomits (last time being yesterday!) and I think it's often when he over eats. I do measure how much we give but often he'll leave a big amount, so I think he's just getting to the age where he doesn't need much. When he is sick it is all kibble that comes out!

I have two and they don’t often vomit. If they do, it’s usually a tiny amount in the garden with a grass blade or two in it. I don’t think they are eating the grass as a medication - I think the grass blade is making them be physically sick.

My cats often vomit with dry food, biscuits. Vet says it's because they don't chew it long enough. Have you thought about trying wet food?

As far as I can understand, that is why they eat the grass - as an emetic to make them throw up, rather than something in the grass that acts as medication.

Boycat was a regular vomiter. He would bolt his food beyond capacity then throw it back up. There would usually be complete kibble in it, which Girlcat would snaffle up with enjoyment once it was dry (despite there being plenty of fresh in the bowl).

Have you purchased a beautiful new rug, by any chance? That would certainly entice a cat to throw up, in my experience.

She’s probably eating too quickly. Have you tried a slow feeder bowl or feeding her small, regular meals?

Our cat is throws up a lot at this time of year because he sheds his winter coat and swallows a lot of the fur. It helps if we brush him every day.

Thanks everyone. To answer few questions, yes I’ve tried wet food, Wet and dry, dry only. The last month or so she definitely throws up every 3 days. Usually around 3 am. I hear her go downstairs to eat, comes back, chooses a room to throw up. I don’t think any changes happened to stress her. May be she has a sensitive stomach? I don’t know

The culprit

She is gorgeous!

As a pp said up thread, it's moulting season which means hairball season - my (short coated) boy has kindly presented me with a hairball every week for the past 3 weeks ranging from 2cm long to 4cm long - just waiting for this weeks "offering".

A few decent brands of dry food have a specific anti-hairball offering which can help - I use the RC hairball formula & it does seem to help a bit. Have a look at somewhere like Zooplus and search on cat hairball dry food & plenty come up including hypoallergenic, and most formulated for indoor cats & long haired cats have an element of hairball control

Not to be alarming, but when our cat - aged ten, so a lot older than yours - was frequently sick but otherwise absolutely fine, it turned out to be stomach cancer (intestinal lymphoma). We had her back and forth to the vets several times and they were never at all worried because she was otherwise so well, happy, not losing weight, eating as usual - she caught a mouse the day it was diagnosed and you would never, ever have suspected anything was up with her. It was eventually diagnosed after referral to a specialist and numerous scans/tests.

I'm sure pp are correct and it's nothing to worry about, but I'd definitely push for tests if it keeps happening for your own peace of mind.

We have a little boy cat now who is two and he is occasionally sick if he eats things he shouldn't - he was a stray kitten and is a terrible food thief.

Ah she’s gorgeous.
have you tried a tilted cat bowl? They are raised and tilted slightly so better feeding posture

Hmmm. I switched my cat to Iams around a month or so ago and he has also been throwing up once or twice a week which he never did before….