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.

He’s lovely!

Ooh, he gorgeous! If it's been a one off time vomiting I'd probably put it down to something he's eaten rather than anything serious. Completely understand why you felt so anxious though, I always worry when our 2 are even slightly out of sorts.

Cats and dogs do randomly throw up for no reason 🤷‍♀️

Fur balls are the most common cause, you can get dry food for them and I think maybe treats. Cats do eat grass for digestion/sickness. If you don’t have grass outside maybe grow some cat grass for him. If he’s eaten anything he shouldn’t do (bin stuff meat, mouse etc) then he may be sick too. Follow vet’s advice or keep him in and feed on chicken and boiled rice. Keep hydrated. Sometimes as pp said they are just sick for no reason and fine next day.

I changed my cat’s food from Felix tasty shreds to the whiskas equivalent and she likes that much more.

I'm similar to you, OP, in that my last cat got very ill very quickly so my instinct is to be pretty vigilant.

But I've resolved that if I'm going to carry on having cats, I can't be beside myself and trying to drag them to the vet every time one does a carpet vom or doesn't fancy their food straightaway.

I'd always give it a few hours before first contacting a vet, unless it's obviously getting worse, and try to remember that they are generally pretty hardy animals who used to survive in the wild (even though they are now living with us as our adored, fluffy babies).

He's very lucky to have you- but it's better for both of you if you can find ways to get past what happened last time and relax a little bit more.

Thanks all, he was sick overnight on Saturday so hopefully it was just something he’d eaten outside and nothing more. He’s had some Encore mackerel fillet in broth tonight and that went down well - he seems to be off his Untamed chicken which is annoying because there are quite a few boxes of it!

@Iheartlibrarians you are so right, and my DP was insistent we shouldn’t get another cat (ha) because I was so heartbroken after we lost our girl. He is always telling me Louie is a resilient, resourceful street cat at heart!

Nothing helpful to add but couldn’t just read and not comment on how bloody cute he is!!! I hope he is on the mend….
i feel it’s my duty to request kitty photos of people are responding to this thread! (With advice)

He’s the very definition of a handsome devil!

If he was kept indoors then you would know more about what he had ingested. Too many poisonous things he can get when allowed to go outdoors

Just to reassure you cats can be fussy little bastards. The amount of times I’ve worried if my cat doesn’t eat much one day then she does the next or turns her nose up at something she previously liked. Luckily she’s quite stable in her eating habits now. She loves cheese and dreamies though that won’t change ever.

Unless he’s ingested a poisoned rodent from outside then the only thing one of my cats ingested from outside was antifreeze from the garage with a broken lock next door. My old cat used to go in there to hunt mice (unbeknownst to me) and apparently spilled antifreeze is irresistible to cats. Had to take him to vets after but he was fine.

@CupcakeFunny of course - but he doesn’t really roam beyond us and our immediate neighbours’ gardens so I think the risk of poison is low. (That obviously doesn’t stop him eating our grass.) He’s currently lying in the sun on top of our recycling bin, so not exactly catting about for miles. I know people have strong opinions about indoor versus outdoor cats. We don’t allow him out overnight, or when no-one is at home.

@Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain this boy is an absolute monkey for being fussy. He’d been a stray kitten so maybe he’d rather just have mice and spiders. Our last cat used to clear her plate the minute it was set down (one reason her lymphoma was never suspected, even on her final day before being pts she ate every single scrap of food, plus tuna and Philadelphia, her favourites) so it took a bit of getting used to him being a grazer.

Until fairly recently, we had 3 cats (the two ancient ones have both now died). One - rarely vomits (if she's eaten it, she's keeping it), one would vomit fur balls pretty regularly (often mistaken for turds) and the eldest was a frequent chunderer, especially in better weather as she had a thing for going outside, eating grass, coming in and then finding the best place to throw up (best place = not on the hard floor throughout the house but on a cushion, rug or blanket 🙄). I'd be inclined to not worry too much unless the cat seems unwell and/or has their third eyelid visible, is off their food for more than 24 hours, has diarrhoea and/or repeated episodes of vomiting).

Yes, mine has a voracious appetite. So when she doesn’t eat it’s concerning. But I think that’s sometimes the way they are. Having said that I only ever saw one cat of mine in the past actually eating a mouse (that was disgusting to watch!) though my childhood cat ate rats (left paws in a neat pile) - the others have been spoiled rotten and fed good diets so have no need to scavenge or eat what they catch. Just leave it for their owner (muggins here) to find or release it in house for me to find. Unsurprising your cat maybe hunts and eats considering his start in life. Gorgeous cat btw.

My cats generally haven’t been fussy as such. Just occasionally not eating. They get what they’re given (only have one now) but as I said Tilly really likes the whiskas equivalent of tasty shreds, she ate the Felix version before but much prefers Whiskas. I take it you’ve tried everything to tempt your boy to eat and be less fussy?

Go the vet.

@Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain yes we’ve tried everything - Cats Protection get his rejects! He’s been settled on Untamed and Hills for a while but the last few days he’s had Sheba and Go Cat as I figured he probably didn’t fancy his usual after being sicky. He loves Go Cat (and he is on the box!) but I don’t like him having it often as it’s full of junk and he can get an upset tummy if he eats too much of it.

@NotThisShitAgain121 he was sick on Saturday night/Sunday morning and not since, but obviously I am still keeping an eye on him.

My cat gets purina one dry food hairball as she gets hairballs. Step above go cat. She didn’t like Iams. I do occasionally get her posher wet food but she turned her nose up at Lily’s kitchen. Does like Sheba pate as a treat. My German great grandma (my mum lived with her as a child in London) used to feed her cats cooked white bait I think (or plain white fish). I know they’re supposed to have taurine. this was after WWII so god knows what cat food was available then!