Cat retching, ended up pooping on the floor?

[skygem]

Hey guys, I'm a new pet parent and am worried for my little guy, so please hear me out.

My boy, Rayleigh has been with me for two weeks now and is an 8-10-year-old dsh.

This morning I was woken to him retching for a good few minutes, followed by the sound of him pawing at the ground as if to bury something.

I got up to see if he was okay, and noticed that he had had an accident, presumably due to how hard he was hacking. This is the first time he's gone outside his litterbox since I got him so naturally I'm pretty worried about the little guy. He didn't vomit anything up, but there was quite a bit of saliva at the spot where he had been retching.

So I guess my question is, is this a wait and see situation, or should I take him to the vet today?

 

[neely]

Hi and welcome to TCS! From your description it sounds like he had a hairball and the hacking caused an accident. Does he have an appetite and is he playful? I would suggest keeping an eye on him and if it continues then call the vet and ask their opinion. In the meantime, I thought this Article that discusses how to treat and prevent hairballs might have some helpful information for you:
How To Treat – And Prevent – Hairballs In Cats – TheCatSite Articles

We'd love to see a pic of your boy Rayleigh. Best of luck and please feel free to let us know how he's doing.

 

[skygem]

Hi and welcome to TCS! From your description it sounds like he had a hairball and the hacking caused an accident. Does he have an appetite and is he playful? I would suggest keeping an eye on him and if it continues then call the vet and ask their opinion. In the meantime, I thought this Article that discusses how to treat and prevent hairballs might have some helpful information for you:
How To Treat – And Prevent – Hairballs In Cats – TheCatSite Articles

We'd love to see a pic of your boy Rayleigh. Best of luck and please feel free to let us know how he's doing.

Hi, thanks so much for the welcome and the reassurance! I figured that was what was going on, but I guess I'm just paranoid because I've never had a cat before and wanted to make sure I wasn't overlooking anything. He was too shy to let me groom him the first week, so furballs aren't a surprise (he absolutely loves it now though, and purrs the whole time).

He definitely still has his appetite (breakfast time is soon so he's starting to get antsy and trying to herd me towards the kitchen, haha).

And as for the pic, I'm always happy to show off my handsome boy!

 

[abyeb]

He is handsome! Check out the article that neely posted, and keep us updated. If the frequency of such events increases, or you notice any more concerning behavior, then I agree with Neely that a call to the vet would be in order.

 

[skygem]

Just thought I'd update y'all because my Rayleigh has continued to throw up every couple of days, usually early in the mornings Since the 1st, it's happened 5 times on separate occasions, and I've got an appointment for him on the 15th with his vet.

I'm curious if anyone has any ideas what it could be. He throws up small portions of undigested food, and it's pretty forceful, sometimes causing him to pee a little (though he hasn't pooped after the first time). It happens for a couple minutes, and he gags like he's trying to get a hairball out, but it never does.

Then a few minutes later, he's perfectly fine. He's eating and playing normall too.

 

[abyeb]

Here’s an article to get you started: Your Cat Throwing Up? – TheCatSite Articles

It might be as simple as him eating too fast. Charlie gets multiple meals spaced throughout the day for this reason. It’s also helpful if you spread the food out instead of mounting it in the middle of the bowl. If giving kibble, you could try a slow feeder or kibble dispenser ball. Since Rayleigh is an adult, it’s fine to meal feed him.

Of course, there are other possible causes for vomiting in cats, as the above article describes. If you think it could be hairball-related, you could try feeding Laxatone to help him pass them. Intestinal parasites are another possibility. Be sure to bring a fresh stool sample to your upcoming vet appointment. Since this pattern is continuing, I would suggest trying to get an earlier appointment time, if possible. In addition to bringing a stool sample, be sure to describe what is going on in as much detail as possible, and try to keep track of how long after eating he vomits. The more info your vet has to work with, the easier it will be for him or her to figure out what’s going on.