Kitty's sick.

[icarus]

My kitty's thrown up three times in the last 24 hours.

It's not hairballs, there's no clumps of fur. wildernessguru thought maybe some of his wet food had gone bad (we feed him the kind without the tons of preservatives, etc.) and I've noticed Fuzzhead hasn't been eating it right away in this hot weather. But this morning he threw up some dry food and a treat WG fed him last night (virtually unchewed), and WG told me that he threw up earlier this am, too.

What could be wrong? Cat lovers, tartanshell -- any theories?

Comments

[tartanshell.livejournal.com]

He's a Maine Coon? My MC mix (Strider) has the most delicate stomach of all my cats, and it's not unusual for him to throw up sometimes, usually when he eats too quickly. Maybe it's a breed thing.

But, since your kitty doesn't (apparently) have a history of throwing up, this might be a sign of a problem.

I agree with what others have said, that this could be a hairball or a virus.

But another possibility is that it could be worms. (Nothing you did wrong, and he's not "dirty" if he has them. Worms happen, and they are incredibly easy to get.)

It's not at all uncommon for a cat with roundworms to vomit. Usually, it's clear, kind of frothy-looking bile. Sometimes you'll actually see thrown-up worms, which is just gross. But if a cat has a stomach full of food and feels the urge to vomit up a worm (ew, I know), you'd see the food in there, too.

And it's entirely possible for a cat to have worms and you not to know it.

I'd suggest taking him to the vet for a check-up and also asking your vet to give him a dose of Strongid-T or whatever wormer he uses. If Kitty doesn't have worms, it won't hurt him, and it's a good idea to de-worm a few times a year anyway, just as a precaution.

So, that's my two cents. (I'm flattered that you asked, and sorry I couldn't be more helpful.) I really don't think you need to worry unless he continues throwing up or starts showing other signs of illness.

Oh! One more thing--if there have been any changes to your and WG's routine in the last few days (stressing, gone longer than usual, etc), this could be Kitty's reaction to that. In my experience, Maine Coons are more sensitive to their people's moods than most cats.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Oh. He has had that foamy cat-sick in the not-so-distant past, and WG and I owe the vet a stool sample to check for worms. It's very likely this is worms, actually.

As for changes in schedules, yep. Big ones. For the last ten months I've been home for large stretches of time for school, and WG's been laid off. Now we're both working, so fuzz has to spend his days alone. On top of that, I've been really stressed about work (Commander Fuzzhead knows and has been hovering/snuggly), we've both been stressed about finances, and worse, he was accidentally locked out for the first time in his life the night before last. He figured out how to claw the door to be let in, but he slinked around the apartment nervously for a while after that.