A vomiting cat is not a happy cat and, in fact, a severe bout of vomiting is a medical emergency requiring a swift visit to your vet to diagnose the underlying cause.
But what about a cat who occasionally vomits on your carpet but otherwise looks ‘well’ - is that normal?
In a word, no. To the untrained eye, they may “look” ok but to a trained veterinarian they will have a myriad of symptoms that tell us that all is not well with your beloved pet.
Excluding the obvious medical emergency cases such as blockages, liver disease and kidney disease, there are a large number of gastro vomiting cats in circulation and the reason for that primarily comes down to their diet.
Food is medicine. Hippocrates
Cats are meat-loving carnivores and, just like us, what they eat directly impacts their health. If a cat lives off a highly-processed diet (i.e. filled with lots of chemical additives, preservatives, wheat, and by-products sprayed in chicken fat) - then it is not uncommon for you to be left with an overweight cat with vitamin and mineral deficiencies and a chronically inflamed stomach/ pancreas and liver. Some of these cats may also have inflammatory bowel disease. Vomiting, pain and diarrhoea – now that’s not a great trifecta for any member of your fur family.
Getting to the core of the issue
The vast majority of gastro issues stem from the health of your cat’s gut. The gut is the engine room that fuels your cat’s immune system and if the correct nutrients aren’t going in, this has a devastating effect on your cat’s overall health and wellbeing and a wide array of serious diseases, pain and unhappiness lining up for your cat.
So what’s the answer?
The list of antidotes to a large majority of vomiting cats are often quite simple:
- Food selection – fresh, wholesome food
- Inclusion of natural anti-inflammatories in the diet
- Inclusion of fruit and vegetables in the diet
- Inclusion of natural vitamins and minerals
- Parasite control
- Regular grooming
However, the very first thing required is a quick trip to your local vet. If your cat is vomiting then something is wrong and a visit to your local vet at the very outset can save a lot of pain and suffering for your cat. This is particularly important because cats are really good ‘closet sickies’. In other words, they won’t let you know they are sick and in pain until quite late in the progression of their disease.
So in summary, seek help early and get a fresh, nutrient-rich diet on the menu.
Dr Heidi
Holistic Veterinarian
Cat Mum to Angel, Petal, Carrot, Tigress and several transient kittens 🐱 🐱 🐱 🐾