How concerned should I be about cat vomiting?

My tuxedo kitty Ritz, who has only vomited once since we adopted her as a tiny kitten a little over a year ago, and that was because she ingested some fake fur from a mouse toy (that she isn't permitted to play with now) and was also recuperating from her spay surgery.

I was home from work with a stomach bug myself today, and Ritz had been sleeping, got up off her lair and vomited. After, she was very playful and even wanted food...I removed food and water based on a vet advice web site...Her stool is fine..but she hasn't had a BM since this morning...usually her "time" for such things.

So, do kitties get human tummy flu? She seems fine now and it's been about 2 1/2 hours since the event. The expelled goods did not have anything substantial inthem - just thick semi-digested whatever---didn't have any odd smell or blood.

Should I get her to a vet or wait this out? She seems hungry, should I withhold food and water? She is spayed, and all of her shots are updated - she is not permitted to go outdoors. NO other kitties share her domain. I clean out her litter box and water dish about every other day.

Any help would be wonderful.
Ritzy's mom

Hi Ritzy's mom. I hope you both are feeling better! There are many reasons a cat might vomit, and I think your Ritz is fine. It's lucky you haven't had more incidents!!! LOL LOL.... Unfortunately kitty spew is a not so uncommon thing in my household. Kitties can get stomach upsets from anything from eating too fast, eating something they shouldn't have, having hairballs to having a stomach flu like you suggested. It's probably ok to give her food and water if she's acting ok. Be sure to give small quantites of food at first, because she may gobble it down (just to vomit it back up...my boys do this all the time) if she is hungry. Also, chicken and rice the all around feel good food does wonders for sick animals as well as humans! :D Keep us posted! I hope you two are feeling better! :)

Thanks, Wolflady! We have never fed Ritz anything but Iams kitten,then cat food, so I'm not sure I should change her diet. My spouse was teasing me that she had "sympathy hurling" because she does tend to do EVERYTHING we do WHEN we do it....we go to the bathroom, she uses her litter box, we make coffee, she drinks water, make a sandwich, she eats too...

I think she ate something odd, as she escaped to the garage for a few minutes this morning and I felt so rotten I couldn't chase her down...there isn't any motor oil or antifreeze out there, but she does have a penchant for eating the occasional bug...right now she is irritated with me because I won't let her back out into the garage.

She wanted to play "milk ring toss" big time right after being sick, so I think she is ok...see a very young, slim version of her COTD MAY 8, 2001 Thanks for your response and advice!

Ritzy's mom

Periodically, mine will just "upchuck" for no reason. Although I am one to get alarmed about little things, if the throwup thing doesn't happen too often, I don't worry. I have gotten "ribbons" of cat food on my floor periodically, just because Mimi and Butter were seeing who could eat the most! :D If it doesn't happen often, I don't think I would worry too much.

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Originally posted by Logan:
<STRONG>gotten "ribbons" of cat food </STRONG>

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Logan what a great description of cat throw up! Believe it or not in the 5 years I have had Andy he has never thrown up. Trevor, on the other hand, does it when he eats too fast and it is always when he eats canned food as he can't get it down fast enough. Since he is "dieting" he has been eating Dry IAMS Less Active and I have had no more problems other than his occasional hairball! :)

Hope sweet Ritz is feeling better!! My guys have all been upchuckers, except one. Sometimes from furballs, or eating too much or too fast. Sometimes just a little saliva or undigested food. Now I stick to a dry only diet, except for a special "wet treat" now and again. Like us humans, I'm sure their tummy's are subject to the occasional upset too! If ever I'm too concerned, I never hesitate to "bug" my wonderful vet, Dr. "Paul." :) Hugs and purrrs to Ritz!

Logan LOL :D 'ribbon'!!! So true, so true!! LOL LOL I envy those of you with cats that don't vomit very often! LOL ;)
Ritzy's mom, glad to hear things look fine :) That is too funny what a 'copy cat' she is of you...so to speak...LOL LOL She may just have eaten a bug or something that didn't agree with her. I've had that happen with my boys and bugs inside the house. Yuk! :rolleyes: Hope you're feeling better too! **hugs**

;) :D I just love this site! The chat rooms are so informative and reassuring. Ritzy is fine - no incidents since and I feel better too. I always have the vet's number handy just in case - but don't want to be the "paranoid puss owner"...all the advice given by my vet and the vet sites corroborate what all my new COTD buddies tell me...that I'm probably lucky she isn't more prone to the occasional purge.

Ritzy has a boyfriend :)....there is a young male kitty, all white with 3 black circles down one side of his back, a black tail and a little black "goatee"...I call him Maynard G Krebs Kitty, but I think hs name is Oreo (I'm guessing because the spots are about the size and shape of oreo cookies)....he is a neighbor cat who comes to the back door screen to "talk" to Ritz. Ritzy isn't permitted outside, so they will only be "window pals"... I think he would fit inside Ritzy. :eek:

So happy to hear that Ritzy is fine :) And you as well. And...what's the status of the "window romance?? :D

I had a cat (a tux) that years ago, all of a sudden developed a 'sensitive tummy'. She was about 5 years old when that happened, and had never had a problem before. I had to stop feeding any kind of wet food, and go easy on the treats. It probably is not anything to worry about at this point. If it continues or gets worse, then I would take her to the vet. I have 2 cats now, and they both upchuck daily.....ack! And usually on the rugs! Here is another thought: maybe she is in love with her new boyfriend! Lots of people get nervous tummies when they really like someone..........

hmmm..the love angle isn't one I had thought of ;) :D I'll have to dust off my digital camera and see if I can capture one of their rendesvous on film.....it's too funny. No regurgitation since that last event - Ritzy is happy and active, and silly as ever :)

Oh yes, I think kitties can get the stomach flu from humans, so I think that's why Ritz had to vomit. But obviously he wasn't feeling too bad and I'm glad to hear that both of you recovered meanwhile! :)

Kirsten