Why is my cat throwing up?

Our question this week was:

Dr. Debra – I have a cat what is throwing up. She throws up about once a week and sometimes it has hair in it. Otherwise she seems healthy – she is 5 years old. Do you think this is a problem?

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Bennie B.

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email Bennie. You wrote asking why is your cat throwing up about once a week and it has some hair in it. Is your cat showing any other signs besides throwing up such as diarrhea, weight loss, lack of appetite, or lethargy?

If not – because there is hair in the vomit and the frequency is only once per week, then I’d probably use some hairball remedy of some sort (pick it up at your vet or the pet store and follow the package directions).

Try this for a week or so. You could also try a food that has a hairball treatment in it – I know Hills Science Diet makes one. You could try this for a few weeks (again, assuming your cat is otherwise 100% healthy) and see if that helps.

If there is ANY concern about your cats overall health – then I’d recommend that you see your veterinarian immediately.

A couple articles that might be helpful to you are Vomiting in Cats and Hairballs in Cats.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra

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