Tummy Troubles: A Cat Owner’s Guide to Vomiting and Diarrhea
There are few things more concerning for a cat owner than the sound of a cat getting sick or the discovery of an unexpected “accident” outside the litter box. Vomiting and diarrhea are common issues in our feline friends, but understanding the “why” and “what to do” is key to ensuring your cat’s health and your own peace of mind.
While an occasional upset stomach can happen, persistent or severe symptoms are your cat’s way of signaling that something isn’t right. This guide will help you navigate these messy situations with confidence, from identifying potential causes to knowing when to call the vet.
1. Common Causes & Explanations: The Why Behind the “Eww”
A cat’s digestive system is a sensitive and finely tuned machine. When vomiting or diarrhea occurs, it’s a symptom, not a disease itself. The causes can range from simple, harmless indiscretions to serious medical conditions.
Common Causes of Vomiting:
- Hairballs: The classic culprit! Cats groom themselves constantly, and loose hair can form into a mass in their stomach. Vomiting a tubular-shaped hairball is usually normal, but frequent hairballs can indicate over-grooming or a digestive issue.
- Dietary Indiscretion: This is a fancy term for eating something they shouldn’t. This includes eating too fast, a sudden change in diet, food allergies, or scavenging something spoiled or toxic (like human food or plants).
- Foreign Objects: Cats, especially curious kittens, may swallow non-food items like string, rubber bands, or small toys, which can cause a blockage.
- Underlying Medical Conditions: More serious causes include kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, diabetes, liver disease, pancreatitis, or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Common Causes of Diarrhea:
- Dietary Issues: A sudden change in food is a prime suspect. Food intolerances or allergies to specific proteins (e.g., beef, dairy, fish) can also trigger diarrhea.
- Parasites: Intestinal worms like roundworms, hookworms, or protozoa like Giardia and Coccidia are common, especially in kittens or outdoor cats.
- Infections: Bacterial or viral infections (such as Salmonella or Panleukopenia) can cause severe gastrointestinal upset.
- Stress: Yes, cats get stress-induced diarrhea! A move, a new pet, a new baby, or even a change in your work schedule can upset their delicate digestive balance.
2. Is It Normal? When to Worry and When to Wipe
An isolated incident of vomiting (like a once-a-month hairball) or a single bout of soft stool is usually not a cause for panic. However, it becomes a problem when it’s frequent, severe, or accompanied by other symptoms.
It’s likely normal if:
* Your cat vomits a hairball and then acts completely fine—eating, drinking, and playing normally.
* They have a single episode of diarrhea but are otherwise their usual self.
It’s a potential problem if:
* Vomiting or diarrhea is persistent (multiple times in a day).
* You see blood in the vomit (red or coffee-ground appearance) or stool (red or black and tarry).
* Your cat is lethargic, hiding, or seems in pain.
* They are refusing food or water for more than 12-24 hours.
* You suspect they have ingested a toxin, plant, or foreign object.
3. How to Solve It? Practical Steps for a Happy Tummy
Before you try any home remedies, always consult your veterinarian, especially if the symptoms are severe. For mild cases, here are some steps you can take:
- Withhold Food (Temporarily): For adult cats, withhold food for 12-24 hours to let the digestive system rest. Never withhold water. For kittens, always consult a vet before withholding food.
- Provide Easy Access to Water: Dehydration is a major risk. Ensure fresh, clean water is always available. You can also offer a veterinary-recommended electrolyte solution.
- Reintroduce a Bland Diet: After the fasting period, offer a small amount of a bland diet. Boiled, skinless chicken breast or white fish with plain, cooked rice is a good option. You can also ask your vet about a prescription gastrointestinal diet.
- Go Slow: Reintroduce their regular food gradually over several days by mixing it with the bland diet.
- Probiotics: Specially formulated cat probiotics can help restore healthy gut flora. Ask your vet for a recommendation.
4. Veterinary Advice: Don’t Play Doctor—Know When to Call a Pro
Your veterinarian is your best ally. You should seek immediate professional help if you observe any of the following red flags:
- Repeated vomiting or diarrhea over a short period.
- Evidence of blood in vomit or stool.
- Lethargy, depression, or obvious pain (crying out, hunched posture).
- Attempts to vomit with nothing coming up (a potential sign of a dangerous blockage).
- Known ingestion of a toxin, string, or other foreign object.
- A bloated or hard abdomen.
- Symptoms accompanied by fever or pale gums.
Your vet will perform a physical exam and may recommend tests like fecal exams, blood work, or X-rays to diagnose the underlying cause and prescribe appropriate treatment, which may include anti-nausea medication, dewormers, antibiotics, or a special diet.
5. Prevention Tips: An Ounce of Prevention…
While you can’t prevent every upset stomach, you can significantly reduce the risk.
- Transition Food Slowly: When changing your cat’s diet, mix the new food with the old over 7-10 days.
- Prevent Scavenging: Keep human food, toxic plants, and small objects out of reach.
- Manage Hairballs: Regular brushing is the best defense. You can also use vet-recommended hairball control foods or treats.
- Parasite Control: Keep your cat on a regular deworming and flea control schedule as advised by your vet.
- Reduce Stress: Provide a stable environment, plenty of hiding spots, vertical space, and use synthetic pheromone diffusers (like Feliway) during stressful times.
- Feed Smaller, More Frequent Meals: This can prevent vomiting from eating too quickly.
6. Fun Facts & Additional Information
- The Gag Reflex: A cat’s vomit center in the brain is highly sensitive, which is why they vomit more readily than many other animals. It’s an evolutionary trait to quickly expel potentially toxic substances from their system.
- The Nose Knows: A cat’s sense of smell is paramount. If they associate a certain food with a past bout of nausea (even if the food didn’t cause it), they may refuse to eat it again—a phenomenon known as “bait shyness.”
- Not All “Vomit” is Vomit: It’s important to distinguish between vomiting (an active process involving heaving) and regurgitation (a passive expulsion of undigested food from the esophagus, often shaped like a tube). Telling your vet which one it is can help with diagnosis.
- The Poop Scoop: A healthy cat stool should be firm, well-formed, and brown. Monitoring your cat’s litter box habits is one of the most important things you can do for their health!
By understanding the common causes and knowing when to seek help, you can be a proactive and prepared pet parent, ready to handle your cat’s tummy troubles with care and competence.