My cat vomited, hasn't eaten for days, but eats from hand. Vet needed?

Poor Simba! There are many things that can cause cats to stop eating, so I wouldn't necessarily assume this is due to a hairball. Simba could have a GI problem like pancreatitis or an intestinal obstruction, a systemic illness such as liver or kidney disease, or may have ingested something toxic. If he hasn't been eating since Tuesday, this is very concerning and warrants an immediate vet visit. If your regular veterinarian isn't open, then I would recommend taking him to an emergency clinic today to be seen. The veterinarian there can do blood work and x-rays if needed to help diagnose the problem and see what kind of treatment is needed.

Shadow is a cutie. If he isn’t eating well for several days I strongly recommend a vet visit. Cats can stop eating whenever they don’t feel well which could be anything from a mild infection to a more serious disease. Since he has now started vomiting he may become dehydrated quickly. A veterinarian can perform a physical exam and then make recommendations on what other diagnostics or treatments they might recommend to help Shadow. I hope he’s better soon. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Simon. It's hard to say if you should be worried at this point but if the vomiting continues you will have to get him evaluated. Any sign of illness in a pet that persists or worsens needs to be evaluated by your veterinarian and re evaluated until the problem is resolved. Vomiting causes fluid loss and electrolyte loss and can lead to dehydration and weakness. Not sure if Simon is an indoor/outdoor cat but I would advise deworming him since intestinal worms are so prevalent. That is an easy thing to do to rule out intestinal parasites and should be done in all cases of gastrointestinal upset as long as the medication can be safely given and it is not vomited back up. Intestinal parasites are extremely common across the globe and account for the vast majority of vomiting and diarrhea cases. Other causes include inflammation, infection, dietary problems (including dietary indiscretion or eating things pets are not supposed to eat, food sensitivities/allergies), ingestion of foreign bodies or exposure to toxins, bacterial overgrowth in the gut, problems in the stomach, intestines, or even problems outside of the intestinal tract/stomach including pancreatitis, kidney/liver problems, metabolic disease (diabetes,etc), endocrine diseases (thyroid or other hormone problems), etc. A thorough history and physical exam with resultant diagnostics such as fecal tests, blood tests, and more imaging studies such as x-rays/ultrasound to try to determine what is going on. Good luck with Simon. I hope this resolves quickly with little effort.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Vomiting, especially after wanting to eat, is a concern for an obstruction or something stuck in her stomach. I would recommend having her seen by a vet and have an x-ray done. She could just have a gastritis or a sore upset stomach, however not eating for 6 days for a cat is a concern. Your vet may also check Snowball's liver values for a disease called 'fatty liver'. Best of luck with Snowball.

Three days without eating in a cat can be an indication of a significant disease process. Combining with this with the recent vomiting, some of the things that come to mind include gastritis, gastroenteritis, pancreatitis, immune-mediated conditions, dietary indiscretion, certain cancers of the GI tract, and neurologic disorders which can cause dizziness / nausea. If the anorexia persists for another 12-24 hours, I would definitely contact a veterinarian to be seen. When a cat stops eating for more than 4-5 days, it can can effect the liver and result in the need for hospitalization. Hope Mano is feeling better soon.

Hi there. Many things can cause our cats to vomit. If you have changed foods, if he eats wild game, ingestion of toxic substances, hair balls, obstruction, having a bladder blockage, etc. it is good that he is lethargic-make sure he is also eating well. You can try fasting him for around 12-24 hours and seeing if he is keeping water down. If he continues to vomit and seem very uncomfortable throughout this time, you probably need to have him seen so that it does not continue. He will probably need x rays and bloodwork to see exactly what's going on. My best to you and Simba! I hope this helps

Not eating is quite serious for a cat, and when they don't eat going on 72 hours, they will develop a fatty liver. A fatty liver is fatal without treatment, so that has to be avoided. I would take Simba into a vet immediately to get checked out. Best of luck.