Older Cat - Chronic Vomiting

**Twinkle** · 02-08-2009, 12:04 PM

My Little Girl has been vomiting for about a month - first it was about once a week (mostly "spit") Last week she vomited food on three different days. She is fine after these episodes eating like she was never sick. She's otherwise fine (i.e., peeing and pooping okay) I'm taking her to a new vet tomorrow but I am worried. I wondered if anyone with older cats experienced anything like this. Thanks in advance.

**Debbie-cat** · 02-08-2009, 12:06 PM

If you find something out Twinkle, please let me know. My older cat is doing the same thing!

**pinetree** · 02-08-2009, 03:02 PM

We had two older cats that started doing that, they both were hypo thyroid. We got them on pills & they did fine after that.

**Contrary Housewife** · 02-08-2009, 03:36 PM

One of mine has a delicate stomach. I switched him to Iam's digestive care (or something, pink bag) and that helped a great deal.

We also feed him in small increments over a period of time. He gets anywhere from a tablespoon of kibble to a quarter cup at a time. He tends to wolf his food and I think that makes it come back up. He was a shelter cat so I think he developed food anxieties at a young age.

**pip** · 02-08-2009, 05:03 PM

We have 2 old cats and one has this tendency, too. I only give them canned meat and in small amounts at a time. A vet also suggested smoothing the food around on the plate instead of in one spot so it takes longer for them to eat it, thus not wolfing it down as fast. I think it helps some to do this.

**halloweenfreak** · 02-08-2009, 05:09 PM

i was going to ask if she was eating too much, too fast. mine started doing that and i started limiting the amount of food i was feeding her at one time. my mothers vet made her put the food up off of floor level when her cat ate to keep him from eating too fast.

**sabrelvssammy** · 02-08-2009, 05:30 PM

she may be having problems with hairballs...usually they vomit (or hack as though they appear to be vomiting)... and sometimes they vomit after they eat.... one of my cats (who lived to 20) did this all the time...the vet wanted her on hairball formula food (but that's expensive you'll see...then he suggested a hairball prescription...that's expensive you'll see....) so...me being the frugal person that i am....dove into research and found that i could put vaseline on his paws and he would lick it off and it did the same thing that the others two mentioned would have done...now of course i checked with the vet first and he said it's fine... so that's how we controlled the vomiting and i know it was working coz if i didn't stay on top of it every other day...he puked.... just put a little on their paws and they actually like it and will eat it all....our cat would stand on the toilet seat and wave his paws at you if you were in the bathroom (i swear, that's true)....now with my two new babies...i do the same thing...and they like it too.... so even if it is something else...anyone reading this...you can use the vaseline on your kitties....that's my tip for the day.... hope your baby is okay....

**Tango** · 02-09-2009, 09:13 AM

I just switched my two from purina food for all cats to purina indoor cat formula about three weeks ago and this seemed to help mine.

**Contrary Housewife** · 02-09-2009, 12:54 PM

We also give ours Whiskas Temptations Hairball treats. It's a couple bucks for a small bag, and we make it last a couple weeks. My boy doesn't get hairballs that often, though, usually he is just barfing the food.

I will have to try the trick of raising dish dish so he can't wolf it down so fast.

**Twinkle** · 02-10-2009, 08:46 AM

We (the vet and I) are going the hairball route. Since she is fine otherwise (no weight loss, no other problems). Since she hates the gel type hairball medicine she is getting canned pumpkin and a little water added to her wet food. We'll see how she does.

Thanks everyone for your input!