Can Cats Make Themselves Throw Up? | Feline Reflexes

Observing your cat throw up can be concerning, a common event that often leaves pet parents wondering about the underlying cause. Understanding the mechanics behind feline vomiting helps differentiate between a normal bodily response and a sign requiring veterinary attention.

The Feline Vomiting Reflex: An Involuntary Response

Vomiting in cats is a complex physiological process, primarily controlled by the brainstem. This reflex serves as a protective mechanism, expelling harmful substances or irritants from the stomach and upper small intestine.

How Vomiting Works in Cats

The act of vomiting originates in the medulla oblongata, a region of the brainstem containing the vomiting center. This center receives signals from various parts of the body, triggering the coordinated muscular contractions for emesis.

• Chemoreceptor Trigger Zone (CRTZ): Located outside the blood-brain barrier, the CRTZ detects toxins and chemicals in the bloodstream. It then sends signals to the vomiting center.
• Vagus Nerve: This nerve transmits signals from the gastrointestinal tract, pharynx, and other organs to the vomiting center when irritation or distension occurs.
• Muscular Contractions: Once activated, the vomiting center orchestrates a sequence of events. The diaphragm contracts, abdominal muscles forcefully contract, and the stomach contents are expelled through the esophagus and mouth.

Cats exhibit a distinct pre-vomiting behavior, often characterized by restlessness, excessive drooling, and repeated swallowing. These actions precede the actual expulsion of stomach contents.

Distinguishing Vomiting from Regurgitation

It is important to differentiate between vomiting and regurgitation, as they stem from different physiological processes and carry different implications.

• Vomiting: This is an active process involving abdominal contractions and retching. The material expelled usually contains partially digested food, bile, and gastric fluids. It often has a sour odor.
• Regurgitation: This is a passive process where undigested food is brought back up from the esophagus, without effort or abdominal contractions. The material appears as swallowed food, often tubular in shape, and lacks bile or strong odor. It occurs shortly after eating.

Regurgitation often indicates issues with the esophagus, such as megaesophagus or strictures, rather than stomach or systemic problems.

Common Triggers for Feline Vomiting

Many factors can activate a cat’s vomiting reflex, ranging from benign issues to more serious health concerns. Understanding these common triggers helps pet parents assess the situation.

Hairballs

Cats are meticulous groomers, swallowing loose hair during their self-cleaning routines. While most hair passes through the digestive tract, some accumulates in the stomach, forming hairballs.

• Formation: Hairballs develop when ingested hair mixes with digestive fluids and solidifies.
• Irritation: A hairball can irritate the stomach lining, triggering the vomiting reflex as the cat attempts to expel the indigestible mass.
• Frequency: Occasional hairball vomiting (once a week or less) is common for many cats, particularly long-haired breeds.

Dietary Indiscretion

A cat’s digestive system can be sensitive to changes or unsuitable foods.

• Eating Too Fast: Rapid ingestion of food can lead to stomach upset and subsequent vomiting.
• Sudden Food Changes: Abrupt transitions to a new diet can disrupt the digestive flora and cause gastrointestinal distress.
• Spoiled Food: Ingesting contaminated or spoiled food can introduce bacteria and toxins, prompting the body to expel them.

Ingestion of Foreign Objects

Cats are curious and may ingest non-food items, which can irritate or obstruct the digestive tract.

• Small Toys: Tiny toys or parts of toys can be swallowed.
• String and Linear Objects: Items such as string, yarn, or dental floss pose a particular danger, as they can cause linear foreign body obstructions, leading to severe intestinal damage.
• Toxic Plants: Many common houseplants are toxic to cats, inducing vomiting and other symptoms upon ingestion. The ASPCA provides a comprehensive list of toxic and non-toxic plants.

Underlying Health Conditions Causing Vomiting

While some vomiting episodes are benign, persistent or severe vomiting often signals an underlying health condition requiring veterinary assessment. These conditions can range from gastrointestinal disorders to systemic illnesses.

Gastrointestinal Issues

Problems directly affecting the digestive tract are frequent causes of chronic vomiting.

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): This condition involves chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, leading to persistent vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss.
• Pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas causes digestive enzyme dysfunction and systemic inflammation, often resulting in severe vomiting, abdominal pain, and lethargy.
• Intestinal Parasites: Worms like roundworms or hookworms can irritate the intestinal lining, causing vomiting, diarrhea, and poor nutrient absorption.
• Gastrointestinal Obstruction: A blockage in the intestines, often due to a foreign body, prevents the passage of food and fluid, leading to continuous vomiting.

Systemic Illnesses

Diseases affecting other body systems can also manifest with vomiting as a symptom.

• Kidney Disease: Impaired kidney function leads to a buildup of toxins in the bloodstream (uremia), which can stimulate the CRTZ and cause vomiting.
• Hyperthyroidism: An overactive thyroid gland increases metabolism and can cause digestive upset, weight loss, and vomiting.
• Diabetes Mellitus: Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious complication that often includes vomiting, lethargy, and dehydration.
• Liver Disease: Liver dysfunction can disrupt metabolic processes and toxin clearance, leading to nausea and vomiting.

Toxins and Poisons

Exposure to toxic substances can rapidly induce vomiting as the body attempts to purge the poison.

• Household Cleaners: Many common cleaning products contain chemicals harmful to cats.
• Human Medications: Even small doses of certain human medications, such as NSAIDs or acetaminophen, are highly toxic to felines.
• Pesticides and Rodenticides: These substances are designed to be lethal and can cause severe illness and death.

When to Seek Veterinary Attention

While occasional vomiting might not be cause for alarm, certain signs indicate a need for immediate veterinary consultation. Recognizing these indicators can make a difference in your cat’s health outcome.

• Frequency and Duration: If your cat vomits more than once or twice within a 24-hour period, or if vomiting persists for more than a day, it warrants a vet visit.
• Associated Symptoms: Vomiting accompanied by lethargy, diarrhea, loss of appetite, dehydration (sunken eyes, dry gums, skin tenting), or abdominal pain suggests a more serious issue.
• Blood in Vomit: The presence of fresh red blood (hematemesis) or dark, granular material resembling coffee grounds (digested blood) indicates bleeding in the upper digestive tract and requires emergency care.
• Known Ingestion: If you suspect your cat has ingested a foreign object, a toxic plant, or any harmful substance, seek veterinary help without delay.
• Changes in Behavior: Any sudden or significant change in your cat’s usual activity level, hiding, or vocalization alongside vomiting should prompt a call to your vet.

A veterinarian can perform a thorough examination, including blood tests, urinalysis, X-rays, or ultrasound, to determine the underlying cause of the vomiting and recommend appropriate treatment.

What You Can Do at Home (Temporary Measures)

For a single, isolated episode of vomiting in an otherwise healthy cat, some temporary home care steps can be considered. These are not substitutes for veterinary advice if concerns persist.

• Withholding Food: Remove food for 12-24 hours to allow the digestive system to rest.
• Withholding Water (Briefly): If vomiting is severe and continuous, withhold water for 2-3 hours. After this period, offer small amounts of fresh water frequently.
• Monitoring: Closely observe your cat for any recurrence of vomiting or development of other concerning symptoms.
• Reintroduction of Food: If vomiting has stopped after the fast, offer a small amount of bland, easily digestible food. Boiled boneless, skinless chicken or plain canned pumpkin (not pie filling) are options. Offer small, frequent meals over the next 24-48 hours.

If vomiting resumes after reintroducing food or water, or if your cat shows any signs of distress, contact your veterinarian promptly.

Preventing Vomiting in Cats

While not all vomiting can be prevented, several proactive measures can reduce its occurrence and promote your cat’s digestive health.

• Dietary Management:
  • Consistent, High-Quality Food: Feed a consistent, balanced, high-quality feline-specific diet.
  • Slow Transitions: Introduce any new food gradually over 7-10 days, mixing increasing amounts of the new food with decreasing amounts of the old food.
  • Slow Feeders: For cats that eat too fast, consider using a slow feeder bowl or puzzle feeder to regulate their intake.
  • Appropriate Portions: Feed appropriate portion sizes to prevent overeating and stomach upset.
• Grooming:
  • Regular Brushing: Brush your cat regularly, especially long-haired breeds, to remove loose hair and reduce the amount ingested.
  • Hairball Remedies: Discuss hairball control diets or supplements with your veterinarian if hairballs are a frequent issue.
• Safe Home:
  • Secure Toxins: Keep all household cleaners, human medications, and toxic plants out of your cat’s reach.
  • Foreign Object Prevention: Supervise playtime and store small objects, strings, and other potential foreign bodies away.
• Regular Veterinary Check-ups:
  • Preventive Care: Routine veterinary examinations help detect and address underlying health issues early, before they lead to severe symptoms like chronic vomiting. The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine provides valuable resources on feline health.
  • Parasite Control: Maintain a regular parasite prevention program as recommended by your vet.

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