Why is my cat growling when I pick him up after he threw up?

Poor Nermal! Some cats do act aggressive when they don't feel well. You could try leaving her alone for the next few hours to see if she calms down and begins acting normal again once her stomach has settled. If there is no improvement in the next 24 hours, or if she continues to vomit through the day or develops any other symptoms, it would be best to take her to the vet for an exam. He/she can do some diagnostic testing if needed to help determine the problem and get her started on appropriate treatment.

Poor Theodore! He could have hairballs, or he could have a GI illness, pancreatitis, a foreign body, or may have eaten something rotten. Given that he's not lethargic and seems normal, I'm going to suggest you try withholding food and feeding a bland diet to see if that helps. I recommend withholding food for 12-24 hours, then feeding a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in his normal diet. If the vomiting continues in the absence of food, he vomits the bland diet, develops diarrhea, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, he will need to see a vet right away.

Vomiting and increased vocalizations can sometimes indicate pain or distress. This could be due to GI upset, underlying illness, etc. If the symptoms continue, worsen, or you see additional issues such as increased vomiting, attempting to urinate or defecate but can't, loss of appetite, etc, then it would be best to seek veterinary care ASAP to find the underlying issue.

Signs of pain could be due to a trauma to soft tissues or bones, or possibly internal diseases like a pancreatitis or a gastroenteritis. An immediate clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

All of those signs are very concerning that something more serious is going on. If Theo hasn't eaten at all in two days and can't keep anything down, it is best to seek care from your vet or another vet ASAP as this can indicate more severe illness or underlying issue. More thorough workup such as bloodwork or X-rays are also a good idea to try and find the cause such as an infection, virus, obstruction, etc that could be causing the underlying issue.

Vague behavior changes like you are describing can be the first sign of illness in an older cat, so if you feel something is wrong I would encourage you to see your veterinarian again. Blood work might be recommended to rule out kidney or liver disease. The vomiting could be a sign of inflammatory bowel disease or even an intestinal mass and if the blood work is normal an abdominal ultrasound might be recommended. Finally, the vocalizing and hissing could be a sign of pain from something like arthritis and there are some supplements and now pain medications that can be used in cats.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Storm. Poor boy. Yes I would be worried about him, it sounds like he is feeling pretty bad. Feed him a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then add back in his normal diet. if he refuses to eat the bland diet, vomits the bland diet, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, he will need to see a vet immediately. I hope this helps.