Vomiting in Cats

More often than not, vomiting in cats can be easily managed at home. If your feline friend has vomited to bring up a hairball, has sneakily been stifling human food, or is perhaps reacting to something that they have hunted, their recovery should be fairly rapid and not be something to worry over too much.

Other more serious symptoms of vomiting in your pet could include road traffic accidents, fights with other cats, or eating something toxic – which in colder weather could be anti-freeze, or salt on roads.

Managing the Condition at Home:

The general guide is that if your cat has not been vomiting for more than 24 hours and doesn’t seem to be showing too many other signs of being unwell, you can begin to manage the condition at home. You must start with a period of starvation which must never exceed 24 hours. Be aware that if your cat is under 6 months old, you should not starve it for longer than 6 hours as this may cause the condition to deteriorate.

Watch their Diet:

Practising the starvation method should be followed immediately with a bland protein diet fed to your cat in 4 to 6 very small meals throughout the day; fish or poached chicken will usually suffice. By introducing the food in small stages, your cat’s sensitive stomach won’t be overloaded. Continue this for two or three days and make sure that plenty of fresh water is readily available to your pet, although don’t provide milk as this can increase the nausea in some cases.

Keep them at home:

Whilst you are strictly watching what your cat consumes, and feeding the bland diet, you should consider keeping your cat confined to your home. This will allow you to keep an eye on how well he’s recovering and to stop him from eating something he shouldn’t in either the house or the garden.

If your kitten or cat has been vomiting for over 24 hours, or if you have noticed blood in the vomit, you should contact your pet insurance provider who will put you in touch with a vet immediately.

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