What causes my cat to gag in the morning without throwing up?

Hi, thanks for your question. It's unusual to see vomiting and coughing at the same time, although it's possible. Typically, though, the cat is just retching and nothing is coming up. It's likely, especially if your cat is bringing up stomach contents from time to time, that this is solely a GI problem. Vomiting can have a number of causes. Depending on how old your cat is, whether it goes outside, etc, one possibility might be more likely than another. Here are some possibilities: parasites, food intolerance/dietary indiscretion (eating something that made her sick), exposure to a toxin, a blockage either in the stomach or intestines, kidney disease, liver disease, diseases of the pancreas, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer. As you can see these are all very different diseases. Your vet can help you figure you what's going on with a good physical exam and some tests, probably blood work and x-rays to start with. Get your cat seen as soon as you can.

Oh my. The best way to help your kitty is to take her in to the vet. She needs at the very least, an injection of anti-vomit medication to settle her gagging and vomiting right away. If she continues this she will become severely dehydrated and can even cause irritation to her esophagus. Then she needs to be examined to determine what is causing this. Common causes of excessive vomiting in cats is a foreign body obstruction, kidney disease and pancreatitis. I hope your kitty gets better soon!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Mittens has been vomiting and is now coughing. Cats can vomit for a number of reasons, including trying to vomit a hairball, eating something they shouldn't have, gastrointestinal obstruction, infection, inflammation, or even cancer. From the information you provided, my concern is that Mittens may have aspirated (taken fluid into the lungs) during one of these vomiting episodes, and is now coughing as a result. Aspiration pneumonia can be a scary thing in cats, and especially if Mittens is not acting himself or wanting to eat, I would recommend bringing him to your veterinarian to be examined. If your veterinarian determines that he has abnormal lung sounds, he/she may recommend blood work and chest x-rays to look for evidence of pneumonia. If present, they will likely start Mittens on some antibiotics. There are other possibilities for Mitten's cough including bronchitis or an upper airway infection, which should also be managed by a veterinarian. I hope this is helpful!

Indica may have a hairball she is trying to get rid of, so generally it is a good idea to regularly feed hairball remedy or a cat food with hairball remedy, especially if your kitty lives indoors only. Of course there may be another cause for this, such as an upper respiratory disease, a gastric problem, or a foreign body stuck in the trachea or esophagus or laryngitis. As you can see there are many possible causes, and you are doing the right thing by taking her to your veterinarian today.

Hello, Oliver may indeed be working on reliving a hairball. However, other causes for this may include a tooth infection or an upset GI tract. If he continues to do this, develops vomiting, a decreased appetite, diarrhea, or lethargy then he should be evaluated by a veterinarian. Hope this helps and best of luck.

It sounds as if your cat is trying to cough up a hair ball or something similar. I would recommend feeding her a food that is formulated for hair balls and/or try giving her Laxatone daily to help the hair balls pass on their own. If the problems persists you should have her checked by a veterinarian to make sure nothing else is going on.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, I would recommend taking Maise in to see her veterinarian soon. It is possible Maise may actually be coughing. This can be due to an upper respiratory infection, throat polyp, feline asthma, or a heart condition. Your veterinarian will do an examine and carefully listen to her lungs and heart. An x-ray may be recommended as well to get a better view of the heart and lungs. Treatment will then depend on the diagnosis. In the mean time, you can try a humidifier in areas where Maise spends the most time as this may help a bit. I hope this helps!