Yowling before throwing up?

[Kirsten]

Does anyone else's cat do that? My Lily does that every time before she's getting sick, like tonight, when she threw up her food - and a big hairball!
It's a loud, painful cry, and meanwhile, I know what it means - time enough to make her leave the carpet. It's such a heartbreaking sound!

Luna, btw, doesn't do that. The only exceptions were when she once got sick at the vet's (in her carrier), and when she was so terrible ill in March 2009 that she couldn't stop vomiting for days. I suppose her stomach hurt terribly from the constant vomiting, and she cried in pain (not as loud as Lily, but more miserable). Needless to say, it's been one of the most horrible nights I've ever been through.

[Grace]

Reese does it - sounds like she's dying. Abby sometimes has a small yowl, but not like Reese.

We had Phineas - big, gorgeous, orange and white love bug. He'd go out and eat grass and then puke. And he made the most awful noises before each barf.

I actually don't mind the noise so much - as you said it gives us time to spread some paper underneath. It's those silent hairballs that drive me nuts

[Freckles]

Freckles used to do that. Gave me time to jump up and move her from the carpet to the kitchen linoleum. Easier to clean up.

[ToBeEvergreen]

Mario will do that. He lets out what we call the saddest sound on earth (except when he makes a similar yowl during bathtime). He sounds like he's being tortured, and then he hacks something up and walks away. Makes the same noise if he can't find me, and rarely, when he is scared.

[chocolatepuppy]

Missy makes the most awful yowling noises before she throws up. It makes the hairs stand up on your neck!

[Kirsten]

Poor babies! They do make heartbreaking sounds, don't they? I bet they hate throwing up, or maybe it even scares them. And who could blame them?

[Freedom]

Yes, 2 of mine do this. Thank goodness I've been able to find a food brand which cuts down on hairballs!

[krazyaboutkatz]

Yes, Storm does this. I think that he's the only one. Sky is usually the silent barfer but sometimes he'll make a strange face with is tongue sticking out before he barfs. Ziggy will just explode when she barfs so she never gives any warning. Sky and Ziggy are my scarf and barf kittes so it's usually just food not hairballs that they're throwing up.

[pomtzu]

None of my cats ever did this, but one of my son's RB cats did. He would let out with the most ungodly sounding yowl, that you would think he was about to die. At least it gave us time to get him off the carpet or furniture tho. He'd hack and barf away, then go about his business like nothing happened.

[Barbara]

Tigris did it. I am sure it sounded worse then it felt because he was famous for getting a hairball out and asking for food immediately after

[Catty1]

moosmom has a wonderful word description of the pre-barf sounds many cats make: "urka urka urka..."

[smokey the elder]

Diamond yowls before horking up a hairball; it alerts me to get some paper towels!

[katladyd]

My only cat who pukes is Mac, and he's a silent scarf and barfer. All the better to make you step on his "deposits" on the carpet in the middle of the night!

[kb2yjx]

Ralph Syracuse would go: WOE WOE WOE before he would throw up. It was like the general alarm and I appreciated him doing that, I could gather up my cleaning material.

[Medusa]

Oh yes, all of my cats yodel before vomiting. It's how I know to run and get the paper towels and cleaning solution.