Sense check needed - puking cat

[Judystilldreamsofhorses]

Just looking for a sense check really. Got up this morning to find cat had been sick during the night. He’s fine in himself, but not that interested in eating much - has had about 1/4 of a tin of Untamed, and been snacking on and off on biscuits. I did an online consult with the vet (insurance) who suggested offering small portions of bland food so he’s had a bit of - very expensive! - poached fish. Wouldn’t touch scrambled eggs. He’s been drinking from his water fountain, playing, leaping around the kitchen counters, in and out of the garden.

I’m home alone (DP is away until Friday) and get really anxious because our last cat’s only symptom of lymphoma was vomiting. I’m not considering taking him to OOH but wonder if I should ring the vet in the morning? (Would rather avoid because he gets really stressed, I don’t have transport, and am at work.)

Cat is three, was last seen at the vet in April for boosters - really bad form for eating grass/insects and anything forbidden he can get his chops on, but also fussy about actual cat food.

solidarity as my cat sometimes has mystery sickness with a variety of causes. Whenever / if you go to the vet, a detailed log of symptoms will be useful so my only suggestion would be to take pics / note colour etc of vomit and times that it happens, what Dcat has eaten / drunk before the sickness, and whether he’s toileting because these are all things that can help the vet diagnose. If unsure, could you do another video consultation to get an updated opinion?

Also- what a handsome chap he is!!

@WhoGivesACrepe thanks for replying. He’s not been sick since I got up about 8.30, and I am not sure when the actual puking happened (I went to bed about 1). Good idea to take pics if it happens again.

He’s just come in and had more biscuits and poached fish which is good. Toilet-wise he goes through phases of litter tray/outdoors and hasn’t been in the tray since I deep cleaned it on Friday so also unsure on that.

Good idea re video call, this was just an online chat thing. I can do phone or video through the app.

He’s so handsome! My cat puked yesterday and DH trod in it on the way to bed last night lol. I think it’s just the time of year when they are shedding their winter fur and grooming (and consuming) it. You can help him by getting a comb and running it through his fur while he’s eating or lounging.

@Overtheatlantic he gets brushed every night but we did an extra vigorous session this evening. He’s eaten a good bit of his dinner (doesn’t tend to eat it all at once) and shouted at me to get his bat wand toy out, then done some hurtling around after that. I on the other hand am too anxious to eat so had toast for dinner!

He's been sick once? I'd just put it down to experience. Mine are quite often sick now although they are older. You can tell when they're properly unwell.

There were three puddles of sick. Our last cat was back and forth to the vet with vomiting for months, and they were never concerned because she was otherwise absolutely well - no appetite loss, weight loss, behaviour changes. Eventually I pushed for more tests and she had intestinal lymphoma, a massive tumour in her stomach. Because of that I get so wildly anxious any time this lad is sick, and I’m probably worse than usual because I am on my own at the mo!

Has he eaten anything with onion or garlic in? I find if my cat eats some leftovers from dinner in the evening, it makes her sick during the night.

No definitely not - as I’m home alone there has been pretty much no cooking done. Yesterday i was out for lunch then had beans on toast for tea! He’s been squawking for different food and dancing at his cupboard (standard) and is now away out.

It was/is probably a furball. Our very short-haired DCat was sick recently after breakfast every day for about a week and it turned out to be a furball. She doesn’t like being brushed or combed but this had never been an issue previously and she’s 6 now. Anyway the vet said to give her the laxative paste once or twice a week and she’s been totally fine ever since.

Oh bless you, I can completely understand your anxiety given what happened with your other cat.

We had two cats, our younger (now 12!) boy is sick quite often, almost always mid or just after a meal. He’s very greedy and I think it’s from trying to rush his food, even though we use a slow feeder for him.

Our older boy who sadly passed away a couple of months ago was almost never sick, so when he was we were always on high alert for something being properly wrong.

Anyway, for a one off incident I wouldn’t panic, keep an eye on him over the next few days, if he’s sick again then take him to the vets but it could well be just a hair ball or that he’s eaten something outside which disagrees with him.

I’ve just remembered that on Friday about teatime he started acting really oddly, made a peculiar noise, then a massive long blade of grass came up. (Just with saliva, no actual vomit) I had to pull it from his mouth, it was huge. He was fine after that but did seem a bit subdued yesterday so I wonder if he’s puked up a load of grass and also maybe hurt his throat a wee bit? One of my students had her cat at OOH for similar last week and he ended up having to be sedated to remove long grass from his throat - the vet said they see at least one cat a week with it at this tune of year.

I think it's highly likely that he's absolutely fine. One of my cats was sick the other night in the early hours - it appeared to be a lump of fur, bile with some white specks and a couple of long things, which I took to be whiskers! Does your cat go outside?
Occasional vomiting is very common, I wouldn't worry unless it continues.

We had a similar funny turn with Marvin a few weeks ago . He wasn't sick but was drooling and had a sticky looking obviously sore mouth . £250 at the emergency vet later ( where he wouldn't allow anyone near his mouth so we all just stood around guessing what it might be) we came home with a £5.00 tube of probiotics and he was right as rain in a day. I know it's really tough when you have had the experience you had with your beautiful white lady but most of the time I think cats are just doing their own weird thing health-wise. Louis felt like puking so he puked!

@herbalteabag yes he goes out, but he’s kept in overnight or if we’re at work, he doesn’t have totally free access. He doesn’t roam much, usually if you open the back door he pops up in a couple of minutes.

@Puppylucky I was never this anxious about S - but her symptoms of lymphoma were so atypical that I am hyper vigilant now. She was never a pukey cat, until she was, but Louie is a much more frequent vommer so I know this isn’t unusual really - being on my own lets me spiral wildly!

He’s been in, had some food and a few freeze dried chicken treat things, came out the front with me to put the recycling bin out for collection, and away back out into the garden now.

He’s gorgeous!

He’s been properly on the rampage tonight, knocked my glass off the kitchen side - fortunately AF wine on a school night but what a bloody mess, and my lovely handpainted glass all smashed. Then he accompanied me to the bathroom and unravelled the toilet roll. I’m still concerned he’s not eaten as much as usual but he is 100% back to (naughty) himself otherwise.

Their every action out of the ordinary makes their owner anxious don’t it.
I know only too well.
Hope he is just chucking up for the hell of it. x

He’s not been sick since through the night, and is his usual manic self - but not eaten as much as usual. I was WFH most of last week but do have to go in tomorrow which is annoying.

Just coming back to this thread because I hate when an OP doesn’t update. The red menace is probably not eating quite as much as usual but he is eating both wet and dry food, campaigning for “snackies” out of his cupboard, and (touch wood) no more sick. Here he is trying to kill a bee in the utility room earlier. (He didn’t kill it, it popped up later in the flowers on the kitchen table and I captured it in a glass and released it.)

Oh bless him.
”Campaigning for snackies”, love it .