# Cat barfing...how much is too much? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 28, 2008, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226 "2008-04-28T15:15:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/1 "2008-04-28T15:15:08Z")
One of our cats is barfing about two to three times a week. The other rarely. In all other respects he seems fine. In the past when I show concern to the vet, she tells me thst is normal and not to worry. I give each Petromalt three times a week and that seems to help. Sometimes we can tell it was a hairball that caused it, other times it is just partly digested food. We have always fed him Iams kibble. Never any other food. I’m loath to take him to the vet again for two reasons: 1. The vet seems to think it is normal 2. He has had herpes since a kitten, and the stress of taking him to the vet always results in an outbreak with bad eyes, etc and takes weeks to recover. Opinions? ---
**Author:** ![FarmerChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a9a28c/32.png) [@FarmerChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FarmerChick)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/2 "2008-04-28T15:36:53Z")
[QUOTE=KlondikeGeoff] One of our cats is barfing about two to three times a week. The other rarely. In all other respects he seems fine. In the past when I show concern to the vet, she tells me thst is normal and not to worry. I give each Petromalt three times a week and that seems to help. Sometimes we can tell it was a hairball that caused it, other times it is just partly digested food. We have always fed him Iams kibble. Never any other food. I’m loath to take him to the vet again for two reasons: **1. The vet seems to think it is normal** 2. He has had herpes since a kitten, and the stress of taking him to the vet always results in an outbreak with bad eyes, etc and takes weeks to recover. Opinions? [/QUOTE] My dearly departed cat was a barfer too. It IS normal for a lot of cats to barf, disgusting, but normal. Save yourself the vet bill and relax. If it becomes more frequent, or the barf changes from just undigested food, then worry. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/3 "2008-04-28T15:37:03Z")
I have the same problem with [Cleo](http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2510497540056463754eexqtG). If she eats kibble, it comes back out as kibble. Wet food it’s hit or miss. She also has issues with licking spider webs, dust bunnies, and dirt. A good day is no vomit. On a bad day she will vomit 3 - 4 times. She also has licked her tummy, hind legs, and part of her tail bare. Cleo ate Royal Canin for eons, the vomiting started maybe 18 months ago or so. We tried other brands of kibble and not one has stayed down for any considerable time. She’s now only on wet food. Her vet thinks she developed an allergy to something in the kibble. It does seem to be worse when she is all devious and hops on the table to eat Bernie’s kibble (Bernie, the other cat, is whateverglycemic. She needs to gain weight, so we use kibble to supplement the wet food). We also use Lax’aire on her every other day - helps it all go through. Smelly, but through. Didn’t Iams recently change formulas? I know they did in the wet food, and now neither cat will go near it. They _hate_ it. IANAV, but maybe try a different brand? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/4 "2008-04-28T16:30:37Z")
That’s not very often for some cats. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/5 "2008-04-28T16:41:55Z")
God, please let a vet show up to this thread. I am sick of cleaning up cat puke. No, I’m sicker of finding it in my bear feet. ---
**Author:** ![Jillyvn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Jillyvn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jillyvn)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/6 "2008-04-28T16:51:21Z")
I had a dear little siamanx who had this problem. He was sort of sickly, definately improperly weaned, and a wee bit daft. He passed away November of 2007, and I miss him to bits. In the four years I had him, I found only one thing mitigated the puking. I bought these funky little wire metal stands that are about 1/2 inch high from the dollar store (for cooling pots I think). I put his food dishes on these stands, forcing him to extend his neck and eat slower. For him, puking seems to have been related to his intense desire to consume all of the food in the bowl as quickly as possible, chewing be damned. Best two bucks I ever spent. He’d go weeks without puking, whereas before it was daily. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/7 "2008-04-28T16:57:31Z")
This thread is cursed. My male siamese is [hhak…hhhak…hhhhhaaakkking] hacking as I type this :rolleyes: Damn! Anyway. our male siamese is a puker, check out my numerous threads to that effect. He also has pica and that really makes things worse as he eats anything and EVERYTHING. I’m off to go clean up the hack. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/8 "2008-04-28T20:30:22Z")
Compared to some cats I had growing up, that sounds almost infrequent. I wouldn’t worry at all. The grossest part for me was when I’d find them eating what they just threw up. My current tyrant doesn’t throw up at all. Ever. Not even furballs. And he’s long-haired. I find it bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/9 "2008-04-28T21:00:00Z")
I have one that I thought was a congenital puker. I had been through many different brands of catfood and he just seemed to be prone to gathering hair (and grass, when he got out). My son convinced me to try one more brand and it did the trick. Now he rarely regurgitates and is twice his old weight. It’s Authority’s indoor hairball formula. It’s a store brand, Pet Smart, I think. Something with a Pet in it, anyway. I’d cut his portions back, but he’d just steal the other cat’s food. Good luck. It’s so nice not to hear that sound in the night. ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/10 "2008-04-28T21:02:05Z")
[QUOTE=Omegaman] God, please let a vet show up to this thread. I am sick of cleaning up cat puke. No, I’m sicker of finding it in my bear feet. [/QUOTE] I’ll bet your bear isn’t happy either. ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/11 "2008-04-28T21:12:24Z")
My two barf occasionally. ☹ They’re both XL medium-hair Maine Coon mixes, and have pica. (aaaargh!) They’re fed Avoderm, with the occasional tin of C&D UTI food for Daniel the Terrible. Unfortunately I can’t feed them both UTI food since Miss Minx will have horrific gastric issues. So it’s mainly dry-ish hairballs with the occasional incident of half-digested kibble. That food stand sounds like a good idea. I should try it next time I swing by the food store, or just put it on a couple bricks. Let’s just say I should own stock in Nature’s Miracle. Grumble. ---
**Author:** ![Eric\_Halfabee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Eric\_Halfabee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eric_Halfabee)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/12 "2008-04-28T21:14:08Z")
I have a calico that ralphs about 2-3 times a month regardless of what she eats. If I catch her early enough, I can get into the bathroom to do her business. It’s a lot easier to clean tile than carpet. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/13 "2008-04-28T21:20:27Z")
[QUOTE=Omegaman] God, please let a vet show up to this thread. I am sick of cleaning up cat puke. No, I’m sicker of finding it in my bear feet. [/QUOTE] [This is what the above refurs to.](http://www.crazyforbargains.com/bearfeetslippers.html) ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/14 "2008-04-28T23:49:40Z")
I’m so relieved to hear that this is normal. I’ve got one cat that wouldn’t throw up if her life depended on it (she’s a little piggie wig!), and the other is too thin, and barfs 1-2 times (occasionally more) a week. I managed to get her barfing to an even lower number of incidents, by giving her enzymes, what my sister calls “gut bugs”. I’m not sure why, but it helps, she’s down to maybe 2-3 times a month now. It even helped decrease Miss Piggy’s begging and crying for food as if she were on the verge of keeling over from starvation. (And trust me, the little gutso is NOT in need of extra food). ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/15 "2008-04-29T01:02:13Z")
I’m getting the feeling that even if a vet shows up I’ll still be screwed as it appears that cats are serial pukers. Nice. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/16 "2008-04-29T02:36:15Z")
You didn’t say how old your barfer is. Older cats can develop hyperthyroidism, one symptom of which is frequent barfing; another symptom is hyperactivity. The good news is that it is controllable by using an ointment that is smeared inside of the cat’s ear. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/17 "2008-04-29T03:26:51Z")
I have a 17 or 18 year old cat that looks like an Auschwitz victim and barfs every day. Hasn’t slowed her down. She’s more likely to throw up bile than food unless she wolfs down a lot of food at once. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/18 "2008-04-29T03:49:52Z")
One of our cats is a barfer. She does go through cycles of being more barfy and then no so much, over a few weeks. She was really bad for a while. Oh, and she only pukes on bedspreads or white carpet. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/19 "2008-04-29T10:56:15Z")
I have a 15 year old cat who’s been a puker from the get-go. My son used to call her “The Pump.” We’ve tried everything, including hairball control, geezer food, expensive food, etc. We were mixing hairball with regular lately and it didn’t seem to help at all, so we put her back on regular Meow Mix and she’s doing better than she has in years. I’ve decided not to stress about it anymore. It sucks and all, but she seems no worse for the wear. ---
**Author:** ![Lunar\_Saltlick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@Lunar\_Saltlick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunar_Saltlick)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2008, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226/20 "2008-04-29T12:23:03Z")
Ten-year old Siamese – twice per month to ten times per month. Frequency always rises in the spring. Saw the vet early on, don’t bother anymore. That’s just how it is. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cat-barfing-how-much-is-too-much/447226.md?page=2)