My neutered cat won't eat, threw up, and yowls all night. Is he sick?

Petey is a very handsome boy! Kittens do start weaning off their mother's milk around five weeks of age, so that is normal and wouldn't likely be a cause of him being skinny. He could be yowling at night because he's intact and sexually mature. He's letting you know he wants to go outside to prowl for females. To stop that behavior, I would have him neutered. Keep in mind as well that intact cats mark their territory with urine, and he could start spraying around the house. That's a very hard smell to get out, and neutering him will stop that. As for being skinny, he may naturally be a thinner cat or he could have intestinal worms. Those would cause him to have trouble gaining weight. I would give him a deworming treatment if he isn't up to date on them, and you can get one from your vet's clinic. I'd also recommend a health check with the vet just to make sure everything is ok with him health wise. I hope this helps :-)

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, this warrants a veterinary evaluation. From what you describe, he is likely becoming dehydrated. They would be able to help with hydration and to treat the primary issue with supportive care. Good luck and have a great day! I wish him a quick recovery!

It is possible the hairball caused the vomiting and some digestive upset. I would continue to monitor Snaer, and see how he does over time and if his appetite returns. If he doesn't return to normal within 24 hours, vomits more, stops eating, or seems painful in his abdomen, bringing him back to your vet for more care is best. You can also try a bland meal or two of plain, boiled chicken (or a little added to his regular food) to help settle his stomach and entice him to eat.

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.

Is he a young cat? If so he may be looking for something to do such as hunting. If he is an older cat then I would be worried about possible hyperthyroidism or diabetes. You may want to consider different toys or tall cat trees that allow him to watch birds out of the window. If you have any concerns that something isn’t quite right then I would encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian to rule out any medical concerns. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

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.

It sounds like there are some subtle things that just aren't right, but nothing that is specifically wrong with Yoshi at home right now. It can be hard for me to say if it is something you should worry about since I can't examine him right now. The "whine" part could be caused by turbulence in the upper airway caused by a mass or polyp. The not eating parts of the wet food could be caused by nausea or oral pain. Occasional vomiting in cats is normal, but could also be caused by hairballs, food allergy, eating too fast, GI blockage, intestinal parasites, IBD, intestinal lymphoma, hyperthyroidism, systemic disease (liver, kidney, pancreas, diabetes), among others. It is probably a good idea to start saving up in case Yoshi's behavior become worse.