Hello
Our 1.5 year old cat has always had a coughing/gagging problem. Every so often she will have a fit where it sounds like she is coughing, dry heaving or gagging. Nothing ever comes up. I have taken her to the vet regarding this problem many times. They have done tests on her, taken x-rays and could never find anything wrong with her. What could be causing these periodic fits? Thanks Karen

Dear Karen,
One idea, your cat may be having problems swallowing her food. While dry cat food is great for dental health, it can swell in the esophagus and tummy when a cat ingests too much of it at once and then drinks water immediately afterwards. Watch out for the quantities of food you serve the little gal. If you are not doing so already, try breaking out her daily feeding to twice a day vs. once a day. Keep me posted. Simba

Simba:
I was in the hospital last week, for back surgery and was gone longer than expected. I have 5 babies and 4 of them tolerated my absence rather well. One of my babies is now sick. She is not used to me being away. I’ve had her since she was 3 days old, and she has always been my very best pal..she won't let anyone but me pet her. I usually give my pets snacks in the evening, they are supposed to be good for their teeth. Otherwise they eat Iams Rice & Chicken. They have never been outside, and I'm worried sick.

My vet is going to send one of his assistants to visit her. I'm just scared that I may lose her. I've had her and her brother for 15 years, and I worry all t he time when they get sick that their time is up.
What do you think about her throwing up? Her vomit is either clear, foamy, or the color of the snack that I feed them. It's called Whisker Lickin’s tartar control, which causes her vomit to look red. She's always had wonderful Vet care. But I am so worried that her time is up, and I don't think I could handle that.

The only time we are parted is when my husband and I go on vacation once a year for about 2 weeks at a time. When we come home she is the one that cries for days at a end, and won't even let me go out without throwing a big fit. She’s my most loved kitty, and she is very dependent on me. Could my departure have upset her, or do you think there is another reason for her vomiting? My vet is sending a tech over tonight to look her over and possibly take her in. I am worried to let her out of my sight. I contacted the flu while at the hospital, could she have gotten that from me? Precious' Person Donna

Dear Donna,
So very sorry to hear that Precious is not feeling well. I hope that by the time I am writing to you she is better and you are too. About the Flu, the Cat Flu is far different from the human kind and is not transmitted from people to cats or cats to people so do not worry that you may have gotten Precious sick.
Kitties are very sensitive creatures and it is possible that Precious may have been upset at your absence. However, vomiting is not something that is usually caused by this, it is the result of other factors, such as:

Rapid ingestion of dry food and water

Itchy skin causes cats to lick their hair off...leads to hair ingestion

Intestinal blockage or a low fiber diet

Hyperthyroidism

Decreased Kidney function

Inflammatory bowel disease

Intestinal lymphoma

Worms/Intestinal Parasites

Liver disease

Chronic Pancreatitis

Your vet may want to perform tests for hyperthyroidism. He may also recommend a change in food or an intestinal biopsy. Best thing to do is let the vet do his work and let him find the cause. At 15 years Precious and her brother have lived long and happy lives. You must prepare yourself for their passing, but remember that you have other kitties that rely on you and love you. It is always very sad to lose friends, but that is because it was wonderful having them. Keep me posted on how you and Precious do. Simba

Simba,
Our kitten has been fine up until tonight, she was vomiting clear, than yellow, than green. Please help we don’t know what to do.

Hi,
Please contact your vet or local animal hospital ASAP. While the symptoms can be caused by a variety of factors, from what you have described this may be a very serious matter. Use the Vet and Hospital finder tools on the front page of KittenCare.com. - Simba

Note: Please contact your local health professional for important and emergency matters. Only a qualified veterinarian can make a diagnosis. Simba may take a few days to respond to your letter and that is too long for emergency matters.

Dear Simba,
I have a 10-year-old cat. Today she started vomiting blood…she did this twice. Do you know what kind of symptom this could be. She has always been a very healthy cat up until now. Thank you for any help that you can give me. Carol

Dear Carol,
There are a many possible causes of blood in vomit. These include intestinal parasites, gastric ulcers, respiratory tract infections, the ingestion of toxins / poisons, heartworm disease, bleeding disorders or foreign bodies into the intestinal tract, along with other causes. An isolated incident is not unusual. However, multiple and continued events may be cause for concern. Should you see that, a vet visit is definitely in order. Simba

Dear Simba,
My cats have been vomiting after they eat for sometime. They seem get sick soon after they eat. The problem is worse when they have hairballs but their vomit often does not contain any hair. The frequency with which they get sick fluctuates, but we can't seem to make any sense out of what is causing it. Otherwise, our cats are very healthy and seem to have no problems. They never had this problem when they were kittens, it seemed to develop in their 2nd or third year. We took them to the Vet to do blood tests and x-rays. The vet said there was no indication that anything was wrong. We have tried changing their food from various brands (with a gradual change of course) with no success. Could their problem be behavioral or allergies? We can't seem to find anything that will cure our cats of this problem. Karl

Dear Karl,
It is important that you monitor the vomiting and take notes of its consistency and frequency. There are many possible causes, here are some:

On the behavioral side

It may be may be stress. Consider where the cats eat and whether or not it is a highly trafficked or noisy area.

On the physical side

The overeating of dry food can cause vomiting. The reason is that dry food absorbs water and swells, this in turn causes your cat to vomit. (your cats’ eating of wet food as kittens may explain some things). Check the vomit for a semi-solid-partly-digested appearance.

Another possibility is feline distemper, this is usually reflected in your cats vomiting a white or clear material (given the duration, this is unlikely for you).

Your cats may have an obstruction, although their x-rays should have detected this.

Worms can also cause vomiting

An overactive thyroid can cause vomiting as well

I recommend that you start your cats on a regular hair ball treatment. One of my concerns is that your cats are not getting the nutrients they need. Vomiting is not normal. Please follow up with your vet or get a second opinion. Keep me posted. Simba

Dear Simba,
I have 3 kittens, their mother and a small dog. One of the kittens threw up several, 3 1/2-inch worms. They were long, round and thin. They seemed to curl up when they hit the air. Do I have to get rid of these cats to make sure my children and dog do not get sick? If not please tell me what I should do.

Hi
You do not have to get rid of the cats, but you do have to treat them soon. It appears as though your kitten may have Roundworm (and it is likely that his siblings and mother may be similarly infected).

Roundworms are 3-5" long, cream-colored, and live in the intestines and are amongst the most common of intestinal parasites. Roundworms can be transmitted to children if they have ingested larvae. The larvae can be found in dirt, kitty litter, feces or vomit. Transmission to humans is rare, but is possible.

As for your kittens, Roundworms can be life threatening to kitties if left untreated. Cats are usually infected by ingesting eggs or by eating rodents that carry the roundworm larvae (kittens can become infected through their mother's milk). Your vet can provide effective treatment, so please take the kitties there ASAP (you may also want to have your dog tested as well).

In the meantime, isolate the cats from your children and your pets. Clean out their litter box often, avoid feeding them raw meats, check them for fleas (see letters below) and begin worming them with something like Erliworm Liquid Wormer by Eight In One (however, go to your pet store now, buy online once you have things under better control). Also, clean your floors, carpets and furniture thoroughly since the eggs can survive for months in the environment. The risk of infection is lower now that you know. This is a treatable condition. Keep me posted. Simba

Hi,
We just found a stray kitten and with Halloween this last weekend, we had some candy out and the kitten got into it and decided he loved chocolate. He has since eaten 2 fairly big pieces of chocolate. We thought it was very strange, but that was about it. I have always heard that chocolate is dangerous for dogs. But since this happened some people have told us they heard it is also dangerous for cats, now we are worried. Will this hurt the cat? What should we do? Kelly

Dear Kelly,
Chocolate is dangerous because it has theobromine. This substance is toxic to dogs and cats. It can cause accelerated heart beats and cardiac arrest. These can lead to death. Young kittens, with their developing intestinal tracks and small hearts are at greater risk. Please call your local animal hospital or vet ASAP, before there are symptoms. They can walk you through the steps needed to induce vomiting. Simba

Note: Please consult your vet or local animal hospital for all matters that require immediate attention. Also, do not ever feed your cat or kitten any food or drink containing chocolate and/or caffeine.