Cat being sick overnight

[Judystilldreamsofhorses]

Can anyone reassure an anxious cat lady? Our cat has been sick overnight four nights out of five this week. I did an online consult with the insurance vet yesterday who diagnosed gastritis and said to give him probiotics and hairball paste. He was sick again overnight/this morning so I have him booked in with our vet at 6pm.

He’s fine in himself, no reduced appetite or changes in behaviour. I am WILDLY anxious because our last cat turned out to have lymphoma when she was puking but no other symptoms, and it took months of back and forth to the vet until she was diagnosed and then pts.

Cat is three and a half, tax attached.

My cat did this once. She was completely fine, eating and drinking as normal. We were staying at my parents at the time, and had also got a different flavour food. So thought it was a combination of a long join and that. It just settled on its own. She’s not usually a sicky cat at all. I think she possibly just had a bug.

Beautiful cat BTW.

Is he an outdoor cat - as if so maybe has eaten something he shouldn't (though that wouldn't normally last quite so long). Is his worming up to date, in case it's parasites. Any weight loss? It's also worth switching to a different wet food just in case, there have been cases of contamination causing cats stomach issues.

The symptoms are pretty generic so it might take a while to get to the bottom of it. Presumably vet later on will take bloods and check for possible causes but do ask what they will test for. I've been a bit annoyed vets don't always do a full screen and miss things as a result - for example not checking B12 levels and then missing the cause or misdiagnosing it),

Hope your ginger boy is OK!

Thanks @InQuiresandplaceswheretheysing - it seems weird it’s just overnight but hopefully it’s something and nothing. He’s not at all off colour, the usual mad orange energy.

Is it food or flem? my cat will puke unless he has supper as he just gets overhungry?

How are you finding the paste? Some cats prefer the treats? Also groom groom groom if its hairball related the less they shed the better

Gorgeous boy and hope he’s ok. My DBoyCat gets sick eating grass occasionally (and also the occasional slug 🤢) but he’s usually fine by the next meal and extra hungry because his tummy is empty

Unless they’ve eaten something outside it’s normally an upset stomach that passes within a day or so. Cooked chicken breast for dinner with rice (my cat never eats the rice). Plenty of water. Cat grass provides roughage and a natural digestive aid for cats, you can buy it to grow. If cat is still sick bring to vet.

Hairballs cause sickness too.

I’ve just read that cats don’t taste sweetness. Why did my old cat beg for a rich tea biscuit? And why did another one eat cake?!

@TemporaryCatSlave good questions! He does go out but doesn’t roam particularly, he’s always either in our garden or next door, and he’s kept in overnight. He’s due worm/flea treatment which I was actually supposed to collect today anyway so it will be an expensive visit. He’s a grazer rather than a wolfer and we do need to be more vigilant about taking up uneaten wet food rather than leave it for him to finish when he fancies it. I don’t think he’s lost weight but he was last in for boosters in April and they weighed him then so I guess they will be able to tell giddy.

@Theunamedcat he gets brushed every single night - as soon as he hears the dishwasher being stacked he comes and shouts at me to brush him! He should be bald, the amount of hair that comes off him. He only started on the paste yesterday. It’s brown sick, like food (definitely not blood) - on Monday there was a definite hairball and grass.

@Igmum he’s eating absolutely fine, and not at all “off” in himself.

@Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain we have the vet at 6!

I’m so worried it’s lymphoma but I think in younger cats that’s less likely.

Is it digested or undigested food?

On Monday it was undigested food, hairball, grass - triple whammy. Wednesday and Thursday it was small pools of brown liquid, like cat biscuits that had been soaked in water I guess - digested? DP was first up this morning so today I am not sure. I’ve seen him horse down biscuits then puke up five minutes later and it’s very clearly the same biscuits.

He is a bit of a sicky cat but usually it’s clear cause and effect, eats spider, is sick 30 minutes after the event, spotted eating grass outside, sick later on that day. This being overnight and multiple episodes in one week is not usual.

I’ve never understood this either, our childhood cats would mug you for yoghurt. And magic adored baked bean juice that was quite sweet.

It sounds like he's trying to cough up another hairball. Mine (age 13 and 6) go through phases of lots of sick overnight and then nothing for weeks.

Oh god, I really hope it is just that because I am spiralling wildly here.

I totally get it but please try not to worry - it's infinitely more likely to be a hairball or because he's eaten a lot of grass!

Ok we are back. Poor Louie was poked and prodded. His temperature and physical exam were fine, but he needs a dental - she said dental disease can cause vomiting? He’s lost two ounces - which could be because he’s out much more now the weather’s better, or because he’s not always finishing all his food because of toothache. (Or could I suppose be something hideous like kidney disease which can also cause vomiting.)

We got an anti sickness jab, he’s booked in for the dental on Tuesday, and also have Gabaoentin as pain relief.

Ask them to do bloods while he's under :)

The vet said we could do pre sedation bloods which they could test for the works. I don’t think he has any symptoms of kidney disease - she said she would be more concerned about that in an older cat anyway.

That's good, I would ask for a full check anyway. We had to do it with mine recently (he wouldn't cooperate with the pre-op ones!).

Girlcat tends to be a bit of a sicky cat, and despite getting brushed frequently is a real beast for hairballs. The last couple of months have been a nightmare for her depositing sick around the house ranging (as with Louie) from brown sludge through all stages of digestion to undigested biscuits or liquid (usually with grass in it).

In the space of a week I had 3 hairballs from her - 2 a decent size and one I measured at 3(!) inches long. Vomiting has reduced since the last, massive hairball.

I've noticed that as far as I can tell the hairballs are mostly made up of the fine, soft undercoat rather than the longer top coat. That's the hair that comes out mostly when I brush her, and is a completely different texture and colour to her top coat.

I read up on this and cats like the butter and other things in cake. Obviously it’s not good for them. my last cat, he was about 5 months old, late adopted, hid in the box room, vet said sit there with a book and tea and he’ll come out from under the Ikea church bench. Next thing I knew he was beside the sofa bed next to me reaching up to try and grab a rich tea biscuit I was about to dunk in my tea! For a shy kitten I was quite impressed at that.

Yoghurt well that’s milk. Baked beans I’m guessing it’s sweet/salty tomato sauce. Cats are weirdos.

That’s a relief. Sounds like it was best he saw the vet. With cats being poked and prodded at the vet, yes they don’t like it but they’re generally quite compliant with the vet (fear?).

I have 2 very fluffy cats who can’t throw up hairballs so fur lodges in their stomachs. This means periodically they need to have an operation to clear it out. They’ve now had 16 operations between them! I know they’re ill when they start throwing up. They’re no longer insured as I moved countries so they’re probably going to bankrupt me as they’re only 7.

Overnight (6am) he spat up foamy saliva - I took a photo and emailed it to the vet as they had asked us to get in touch if he vomited through the injection. The vet rang and said she wasn’t concerned and to go in for the dental on Tuesday as planned but to contact them if he was puking during the day today. I’ve not given him the gabepantin yet as I was concerned about that on top of the jab, but will do this evening.

I had him sleep in with me overnight (DP went off to the spare room as predictably Louie was a total pain, he’s usually confined to the kitchen for bed) and am exhausted today between lack of sleep and worry!