Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have two Ragdolls...one four years old, one only 7 months. The first one started vomiting at about 2 years old, but the second one started vomiting at only 5 months. They both are very active, have great appetites, and normal bowel functions. The vet has given the first one steroid injections, which seems to help, but we haven't taken the second one in yet. I have e-mailed the breeder, but she hasn't e-mailed back. (Suspicious!) I am beside myself.

Obviously you are having a vet look at both these kitties. A few things to consider might be to get some sort of cat food designed for sensitive cats - perhaps your vet can advise you there. Also try raising the food dish to a height where the cats don't have to lean over to eat. Another thing that sometimes works is to spread the food out on a flat surface to slow down the eating.

Keep trying with your vet and also look into seeing a veterinary gastro specialist if one is in your area. You might also want to consult with a feline-only vet if possible.
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Smile, it will make them wonder what you are up to!

Hi There,

Is this vomiting chronic or occasional? You are right to be concerned, but it's very good that your cats are acting normally otherwise.

If the vomiting is chronic, there can be many causes. MadameAlto covered several of them in her post. With both cats in the household having this problem, I understand how upsetting this is to you.

A vet check is always a good idea. Not just for the cats to be examined, but for the feedback you get. It would be nice to be able to talk to the breeder as well and I'm hoping she calls you back.

Take care, and please let us know how your babies do.

Regards,
PHKitkat

Thank you both for the advice. To answer your question...the older one seems to vomit about every other week. These days its more hairballs. It didn't used to be thay way. She used to only vomit food, and we have her on hairball food, so she used to just pass the hairballs. She must be injesting more hair because of the kitten though. As far as the kitten is concerned she throws up every night or every other night. It usually about 1 or 2 in the morning. I think maybe I'll try raising the food bowl and see if that helps. Otherwise I guess I'll have to visit the vet again for the gamut of tests and ambiguous answers!

Hi,

I wouldn't worry too much about a cat vomiting about twice a month. For many cats that would be considered normal. Every night or every other night is something else, though.

Empty stomach vomiting is sometimes due to a cat having too much acid in his or her stomach. If your cats normally don't have access to food during the night, you might try leaving some out. Otherwise, you can ask your vet about giving Pepcid AC to try and keep the acid in the stomach down.

I personally am not a believer in "hairball prevention" foods. I think regular brushing is the best way to keep ingestion of hair to a minimum.

Regards,
PHKitkat