I need your help - Puke Problems!

[lizzielou742]

One of my kitties has been throwing up his/her food quite a bit lately. It's been going on for about a month. Maybe once a week or twice a week this happens. I haven't discovered who it is yet - it always happens when I'm asleep or at work.

A week after it started (about three weeks ago) I began switching them both over gradually to Science Diet Sensitive Stomach food, hoping that would help. It hasn't. The puke piles I find are thrown up food - not a lot of liquid in there or anything to make me think they're getting into/eating something they shouldn't be when I'm not looking. They are both acting perfectly normal, but we know how kitties can hide being sick so well.

I am inclined to believe it is Sophie doing the puking, although I have no proof. The reason for this is 1) this all started immediately after I took her (gradually) off her kitten food, about 5-6 weeks ago, and 2) the size of the puke piles isn't all that big (she's about 4-5 pounds lighter than Tito).

This also started occurring when I started free feeding them (see this thread). Could one of them simply be overeating, causing him/her to puke up what they can't digest? Could it be that one of them has a hairball? Or that one of them is sick somehow? Should I take them both to the vet? Start switching food again? Any ideas of what could be causing this are greatly appreciated!! Thank you all!

[mruffruff]

Yes, one or both of them could be overeating. When I leave the food down for too long, I get the same thing. I now limit how much time they have to eat, but feed them three times a day--morning, evening and bedtime. I haven't had a pile to clean up for a while.

Mary

[lizzielou742]

Thanks! I am really at a total loss of what to do. If I free feed them, they overeat (??) and puke. If I do controlled portions, they drive me freakin' nuts all night long wanting food. I can't win either way!!! I really don't know what to do.

[emily_the_spoiled]

Would it be possible to give them controlled portions during the day and leave just a tiny amount out at night so they don't bug you?

[Cosmicat]

Did you take Sophie off dry kitten food or wet kitten food? I'm thinking she might be having a hard time digesting the new food.

[catcrazylady]

Lizzie you've got several things going on at the same time so it's going to be hard to figure out exactly what is causing it. I'm only guessing here but Rosco and Abigail don't like the Kitten Chow. They eat like pigs when they get the big kitties chow. It may be that Sophie is really fond of the adult food and is gorging herself on it. If that is what is going on then she should soon adjust to the food always being available. On the other hand she may be having a problem with the food change. I would stick with one type of food only and see if things ease up. If she continues you may have to go to some type of special food but I would give it a little time first.

Don't panic and don't worry too much. Just keep an eye on her and Tito. If you don't see any weight loss and they are drinking plenty of water and eating I would wait a little while before I paniced. We all understand the puke thing! Leroy deposited one huge puke pile right in the seat of my chair last night while I went to the bathroom!!! YUK!

If I ever win the lottery I'm going to open a carpet store with every puke stain color I can come up with!!

[christa]

Don't you just love picking up those piles of puke?!? Ugh . . .

I feel for you! I know how scary it seems when you see puke laying in the floor but the cat seems FINE! It's very confusing! Josie pukes about once a month . . . don't know why. I think she just does it to irritate me

Didn't you say that Tito eats like a little monster? Seems like I remember you saying that he eats and eats and eats . . . big appetite . . . do you think he's gorging himself?

I've free fed Josie since she was a baby, so I have no idea what to tell you . . . just to give it some more time. I'd probably take them to the vet if they started acting sick (sleeping a lot, not eating) but otherwise, I would say that one or the other is just making themselves sick eating too much.

Keep us posted!

[catmandu]

Maybe Nutro Max,as I dont ahve nearly,the throwing up,that I used to have!

[lizzielou742]

catmandu - I had them both on Nutro MaxCat Adult Lite when the puking started, and now they're on Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach, because of the puking. I really think Tito liked the Nutro better!

ccl - I think you're right on that...I won't switch them again, I'll just let them get used to this food.

Christa - it could definitely be my little piggy Tito man is overeating. It's entirely possible he's just gorging himself. What a little fatty!

cosmicat - Sophie was on dry kitten food (Science Diet Kitten), and now she's on dry adult food (was the Nutro, now they're on the Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach).

emily the spoiled - Thanks! I started doing that last night. I took up one of their food bowls last night, and left a little bit in the other. Hopefully that works. Tito only bugged me once last night, and it was about 6:30 am, about the time I usually get up anyway.

Thanks everyone! I bought some Four Paws Hairball stuff last night, just in case it's that. Neither one of them have ever coughed up a hairball in their lifetimes, so I'm wondering if someone's got a big one going. I got this malt paste stuff you have to get the cat to lick off your finger, a tiny bit every day. Sophie loved it, but Tito hated it!! I had to chase him down and smear it on his nose so he'd lick it off. I don't know if it will help but it can't hurt. Thanks everyone for your help!!