Cat Vomits when not getting attention...

[thesmithsfl]

Hey Everyone! Newbie with a question here...

Our 2 year old male DSH, Buddha, is very affectionate and when not napping or playing with our other cat, he very much desires our attention. He will climb up on whatever he can reach to get your attention (the couch, bed, computer desk, counter top) and rub himself all over us and lick our hands, etc.

The problem is that Buddha has taken to regurgitating his food. It only happens when one or both of us is home AND no one is paying attention to him. For example, If I'm cooking and my wife is studying for her graduate exams, and we haven't spend 5 or 10 minutes with him, we might hear his food coming up.

He's never done it when we're not home, except this past Saturday when I kept coming in and out of the apartment for several trips of carrying laundry from the laundry room and he had coughed it up on the mat by the front door.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Our cats eat Purina One hard food (and have since they were old enough to eat it).

This has been going on for a few months now, and when I buy Purina One Sensitive System Formula, it seems to lessen the problem, but maybe not all the way... I have to try it more...

Any suggestions? Are we just stressing him out by not giving him the attention he wants? Tonight I've been holding him (he likes to be held like a baby) for a few minutes every time I come back in the apartment and he's looking for attention. So far, so good for tonight.

HELP!!!

 

[hissy]

Has he been to the vet? Honestly, cat's don't vomit to get our attention. So, there is something wrong with him, perhaps the food, perhaps a health issue, or just stress. You should get him checked out with your vet. He is probably vomiting when you aren't around and just getting rid of the evidence as all cats do.

 

[sassy's mom]

Yes, get him checked by a vet. I just went through a situation like yours with our cat and it turned out to be a kidney infection. The cat getting sick could be a symptom of numerous ailments, so a cautionary trip is probably in order.

I hope he gets well soon.

 

[worriedmommy]

I don't think he does it to get attention. It is not normal for them to throw-up. Get him checked by a vet.

 

[barbb]

I had a cat like that, where it seemed like she was trying to get our attention by vomiting or pooping outside the box. Anytime we deviated from our routine and came home an hour later than usual she was ill. It turned out that she had irritable bowel syndrome which is aggravated by stress.

So it could indeed be that you are seeing some things that seem psychological but also have a tie to the physical.

Indeed you should see a vet ASAP. In addition, if it turns out that stress is a factor, giving your kitty structured feeding and play times and a set routine (in addition to your love) will all help him feel more secure and should help reduce his stress.

 

[blast-off-girl]

Bussy, my cat, does that too! However, I honestly believe he does it for attention when he doesn't get his way. He tends to do it before dinner when I'm running late (which isn't often). If he doesn't get his wet food ASAP (chop! chop!), then he vomits spit/saliva because his stomach is empty.

He's been doing this for years and it's just a psychological issue.

 

[thesmithsfl]

Thank you all for your advice. The funny thing about him is that he doesn't hide the "evidence". My wife does not pick up "gross" things. So if he does it when she's home and I'm not, it will still be there when I get home later.

I didn't think he was doing it FOR attention, but because he wasn't getting any...

Either way, to the vet we go!

 

[Colourcloud]

My kitty 11 year old kitty Rudy started over eating..at night when I watch TV. I used to keep his kibble bowl full, so he could eat “at Will” but he developed a habit of wanting me to watch him eat, he will meow, want me to follow him into his room, and OVER EAT as he would KEEP doing this, which led to him overeating and throwing up. . My vet had me get a tray with tiny sections where he couldn’t wolf his food down. Then at night I remove his kibble. I DO leave him a teaspoon of canned food so he eats his canned pumpkin ..which helps soften his stools. .So early this morning, at 5am morning he woke me up, cuz he wanted to go into a room that I close at night..it’s near my bed, and I wouldn,t let him. A few minutes later,, after I went back to sleep, I heard him vomit, right next to the closed door he had wanted to go inwhere I could see and hear him....but I thought it was kind of suspicious, that he chose THAT exact place to vomit. His food is in another room,so he had to,go,eat it, then come into my room to puke.It was just a tiny bit..but he got what he wanted..I let him into the room. Except for that, he is active, happy, self groomed, and I monitor his liquid intake...my precious kitty, died of kidney decease 12 years ago..so I know the signs. So I think cats CAN vomit when they wish, and now I have re enforced that behavior. (To clarify, this kitty is my BABY..I DOTE on him..and worry constantly about him, as he ages. Seriously, he is like my child! )
Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Thanks TO BE FAIR..this is a REALLY stressful time, with COVID19 and all the fearful emotions I have..which he could be reflecting.

 

[SpecterOhPossum]

Not to be offensive but cat's genuinely are not intelligent enough to force themselves to throw up to get some kind of response from you. That's a bratty human thing.

 

[Colourcloud]

Point taken..but ya never really know..

 

[IndyJones]

The only normal reason for a cat to throw up is the occasional furball. Usually around shedding season.

This sounds like a vet visit is needed

 

[cataholic07]

Cats will throw up because of hairballs, sometimes it can take awhile for the hair ball to come up. My boy Fynn is sick for days
Cats will throw up if the food is too cold.
Cats will throw up because they overeat.
Cats will throw up because of IBS, IBD, pancreatitis, and cancer.
Cats will throw up because they are eating too quickly. If they throw within a few hours, or even just a few minutes and the food looks not digested that's not vomit, it's regurgitation. Vast difference.
Cats will throw up if they are always fed a certain time and you wait too long because the stomach juices get all ready and if it's too long it makes them not feel well.
Cats can throw up because of food allergies. If you have fed the same protein since kittenhood allergies can definitely happen.
Cats do not throw up because it's fun or they want attention, sorry. They will do stupid stuff for attention like push shit off your cabinets, jump up on stuff they shouldn't, but yah no not vomiting.

My first cat was having 3-4 hairballs a month, and vomiting quite a bit. The one vet said it was just her pancreatitis again, but after it continued for a little while longer I went to a different vet who sent me to a specialist. She had an ultrasound which showed thickening of the intestines, we did a biopsy and it turned out to be GI lymphoma.

A vet visit is very important. And feeding 3 meals a day at the very least can help prevent a cat from getting too hungry and eating too fast. Cats do best on small meals anyways. I feed my cats 4 times a day and they are happy.

Are you feeding only dry food or wet food to? Purina one is a lower quality brand based on ingredients to be honest, maybe try a different brand that has less allergens? CatFoodDB - Purina ONE Cat Food Reviews <.. can check this website to find out what allergens that food has.

 

[Colourcloud]

THankyou catoholic07. Yes, he has been to the vet recently. This has been ongoing most of his life. It is usually right after he eats..cuz he gobbles up his food on occasion, and sometimes regurgitates it immediately. He gets Hills Science Diet Duck and Venison..prescription only..and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful kitty.

 

[Beebz]

To anyone who says cats aren’t intelligent enough to vomit at will…WRONG. Cats are extremely intelligent and relationship oriented creatures. My cat throws up on purpose in very select locations at very select times. When I don’t feed her within her usual window she makes herself vomit outside of my bedroom door or at the top of the stairs. There is no leftover food or hair in the contents it’s just saliva and stomach juices (I presume). My cat is super smart. She understands specific words and commands. She knows how to sit on command and is very dog-like in ways. So I disagree with other commentators. Is it a medical problem. Yes. If a cat is upset enough to make itself vomit then it does have a psychological issue. Anxiety or narcissistic personality disorder LOL. My cat has feline princess syndrome and frankly I’m ok with it. She’s my baby and I do my very best to stick to her routine, especially her feeding routine and give her all of the love she wants.

 

[di and bob]

I think it is related to stress. I have had luck with Bach Rescue Remedy and had luck in the past with cat Calming treats, giving them a small dose, just enough to take edge off. It helped a lot with vet visits.

 

[suzeanna]

To anyone who says cats aren’t intelligent enough to vomit at will…WRONG. Cats are extremely intelligent and relationship oriented creatures. My cat throws up on purpose in very select locations at very select times. When I don’t feed her within her usual window she makes herself vomit outside of my bedroom door or at the top of the stairs. There is no leftover food or hair in the contents it’s just saliva and stomach juices (I presume). My cat is super smart. She understands specific words and commands. She knows how to sit on command and is very dog-like in ways. So I disagree with other commentators. Is it a medical problem. Yes. If a cat is upset enough to make itself vomit then it does have a psychological issue. Anxiety or narcissistic personality disorder LOL. My cat has feline princess syndrome and frankly I’m ok with it. She’s my baby and I do my very best to stick to her routine, especially her feeding routine and give her all of the love she wants.

It's not uncommon for cats to throw up when they go too long without feeding because their stomach gets too acidic. Mine started to throw up about an hour before I'd normally wake up so I started giving her a small overnight snack in a feeder and it stopped.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Beebz - I agree with the above. Shorten the time frame between meals and see if your cat stops throwing up. Stomach juices collect in a cat's stomach and if there is no food to absorb them, it irritates the stomach lining and creates enough discomfort to cause nausea. If allowed to happen often enough, it could lead to stomach ulceration.

 

[Nice Loki]

I also agree - a cat vomiting just liquid (foamy or not) is not doing it to spite you, it is definitely due to an empty stomach.

Conduct an experiment, if you usually feed 3 times a day, try splitting the same amount of food into 4 feeds a day (i.e. don't increase their calorie intake).
If anyone is experiencing these liquid messes and does change the feeding pattern, please come back and report how it goes.