My cat is throwing up and scooting. Why are these new behaviors?

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Vomiting and regurgitation are sometimes seen with conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, dietary indiscretion, pancreatitis and chronic kidney disease, among many other conditions. The scooting could make worms likely. Given Sasha's young age and the fact that she is otherwise doing fine, dietary indiscretion appears more likely. It may be something as easy as just changing her diet to something that she can tolerate better. However, an examination by a veterinarian as well as minimal diagnostic data would be needed to rule out more concerning things. You can start by changing her diet to a sensitive stomach type diet. If no improvement, have her examined by a veterinarian to start therapy if needed based on findings. Good luck!

I would be more inclined to think that your kitty is obstipated (inability to defecate). As the pet gets backed up there is no where for the ingested food to go, so the cat vomits it back up. Also the stomach will be firm and distended with feces that collect in the colon. Cats that cannot poop for several days will also get full anal glands, this causes irritation of the bum and scooting. Your poor kitty needs to be take to the vet to likely have an enema placed to relieve the impacted feces right away. I would recommend taking kitty in to your local vet by tomorrow at the latest. I would caution against using over the counter enema's because most contain phosphate, and this component is toxic in cats. I would agree that intestinal parasites are still a possibility here, but obstipation would be my first concern. Your vet can easily distinguish which one is the cause of your cats current state by just feeling her belly and doing a rectal exam. I hope your kitty gets better soon!

It sounds like Minerva isn’t feeling well. The fact that she is not enjoying her favorite treats and food, as well as vomiting, is an indication that her stomach is upset. Sometimes parasites are the cause. Scooting her bottom on the floor can indicate parasites as can the upset stomach. Not all worms are visible to the naked eye and not all worms pass out in the stool. Stomach upset can also be due to many other causes including inflammatory bowel disease and bacterial overgrowth. Scooting her bottom on the floor could also be related to anal gland problems, or if she had diarrhea and could feel some of the feces still stuck to her rectum. If the signs have been going on for over 48 hours, I would recommend to have her seen by the veterinarian. Try to bring in a fresh sample of the stool in case the doctor wants to test for worms. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I am sorry to hear that Scooter isn’t feeling well. When young cats vomit I do get concerned about the possibility of an intestinal foreign body. If he isn’t feeling well then I would encourage you to have him evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible. An x-ray will likely be recommended to look for any signs of an obstruction. Anti nausea medication may also make him feel better. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

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.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Buddy. How lovely of you to take in this stray kitten!! Yes I suspect it's the kitten food causing Buddy to have an upset stomach and vomit. Sudden changes in diet can lead to these symptoms. Feed him a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones or skin) in small amounts a couple times a day for a few days, the start slowly adding in his normal diet. If he refuses to eat the bland diet, vomits the bland diet, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, continues to have diarrhea, has blood in his stool, and/or becomes very lethargic, he will need to see a vet immediately. I hope this helps!

Poor Splash! This vomiting could be caused by a GI illness, eating something rotten, a foreign body, or pancreatitis. Given that he has been vomiting since Friday morning, it's time to see a vet as soon as possible. The vet can diagnose what is causing the vomiting so he can be treated . I would take Splash into a vet now.