Vomiting in cats will occur at one time or another in your pet and it is usually the result of eating something to fast, something that does not agree with them, or they have become too active right after eating. This type of vomiting is not harmful and is usually a minor problem that goes away on its own.

Or is it? Although it can be only a minor problem, it can and often is the sign that their may be something seriously wrong with your cat. A signal episode is nothing serious, but if it lasts any longer than that, it can be an entirely different scenario.

Vomiting in cats, also referred to as Emesis, can be a symptom that is showing you your cats gastrointestinal system has been disturbed, but it can also be a secondary condition to some type of a disease that is related to an entirely different system in your pet.

It is very important to understand the difference between regurgitation, which is food that is expelled back from either the mouth or the esophagus, as opposed to food that is expelled or vomited from the stomach.
Vomiting by your cat is a reflux mode that expels contents from the stomach back up through their mouth. It is often triggered by an inflammation within the stomach where your pets nervous system and abdominal muscles work together.

There are two forms of vomiting that can affect your cat; acute and chronic.

Acute vomiting is the very sudden onset of this condition and in most all cases it is a one and done episode with nothing to worry about. However, chronic vomiting is something entirely different and in some cases can last up to two weeks in duration. If your cat vomits more than once, it should be considered chronic as it can suddenly turn into a potential life threatening situation.

Symptoms:

There are several symptoms that you need to watch for if the vomiting is more than a one time occurrence. The first symptom is if your cat develops diarrhea, as this can very quickly lead to dehydration in your cat which is an extremely dangerous situation. Your cat can literally go for days without food and could lose several pounds before it endangers their overall health, but if they lose more than ten percent of their body fluid, it can be catastrophic.

The next symptoms to watch for is blood in the vomit which signals that other parts of the body are involved, as well as your cat trying to vomit after a couple of episodes but nothing comes up. Although this may look innocent enough, it is a real warning sign that it is no longer a symptom, but rather a secondary condition.

You will also need to watch to see if your cats gums start to turn pale of yellow which could indicate jaundice and a liver or kidney condition, as well as if your cat develops any type of bloating or if their abdomen becomes swollen. The final symptom to watch for is a fever associated with the vomiting, as this indicates it is now something other than just a single occurrence.

Causes:

Even though acute vomiting in cats is considered a one time occurrence, there is still something that has induced the explosion from the stomach and it can very easily be something that is much more serious than it appears. There are two potential causes; gastrointestinal disorders and non-gastrointestinal disorders.

Gastrointestinal disorders can include a bacterial infection of the GI tract, as well as some type of a food intolerance do to a dietary change or a food allergy. If it is a food allergy, it may occur once, set and wait for a few days, and than occur again, in which case it is no longer acute. It can also be caused by something that has entered into the GI tract and as any cat owner can attest to, cats are notorious for accidentally ingesting string or hairballs.

However, it could also be the first signs of something much more serious such as intestinal intussusceptions which are where there has been a collapse of one part of your pets intestines into another part, or a volvulus, which is a condition where a loop has developed and has caused an obstruction. This is especially dangerous as it can also affect your cats blood supply and vomiting is the first signal.

Acute non-gastrointestinal disorders are generally much more serious and can include kidney or liver failures that are now affecting the GI tract, as well as gall bladder infections. It could also be caused by Diabetes, and again this may be your first warning signal. However, it does not end there, as it could also be caused by hypercalcaemia which is too much calcium in the blood as well as by pancreatitis that is developing.

Chronic vomiting in cats also has several potential causes. Gastrointestinal disorders include chronic colitis as well as gastrointestinal ulcerations. However, the most common causes are from a Diaphragmatic hernia or a Hiatal hernia.

A Diaphragmatic hernia is a defect or a hole in your cats diaphragm that is allowing the contents from the abdomen to enter into the chest cavity; while a Hiatal hernia is the protrusion of some type of structure, usually some part of the stomach, that is affecting the esophagus.

Chronic non-gastrointestinal disorders are much more serious and are in most cases life threatening. The cause of vomiting in cats from this form of disorder includes liver and kidney failure as well heart worm infection. Heart worm infection is a growing concern in cats worldwide and the first symptom you may see is vomiting by your cat.

Summary:

Vomiting in cats may be something as simple as your cat eating grass because their stomach is upset, or they have simply eaten or drank much too quickly. However, this is generally regurgitation and not vomiting.
Your cat will vomit periodically at times in their life, but when it does occur watch the symptoms very closely and if occurs more than once with in a few days, it is a situation that should be treated very seriously.