# Help me with Spud, The Puking Cat! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 23, 2002, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-spud-the-puking-cat/110527 "2002-05-23T19:26:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-spud-the-puking-cat/110527/1 "2002-05-23T19:26:33Z")
First off, I want to make it clear he has no physical problems. I have asked 3 different vets about his “problem” and they have given him a clean bill of health. 8 Year old male tabby. Cutest thing and one hell of a personality (but thats another thread). So, his “problem” is that he pukes a lot. Generally, its hairballs but not always. That in itself doesn’t bother me but what _does_ concern me is that he seems to go out of his way to puke on the carpet. We of course clean it up as best we can, but our new house has white-ish carpet and it kind of stains easily. 2 questions- 1. Is there a way I can train him so he “pukes” on the kitchen floor? I don’t want to scold him when he pukes on the carpet as I am pretty sure (??) he doesn’t puke on purpose. 2. What is a good way to try to clean the “stain” out of the carpet? We have on of those hand held Bissell steam cleaners with its soap which does OK, but you can still see where it was. Is there any particular cleaner someone can recomend to take out kitty puke stains? ---
**Author:** ![Lady\_Venom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9fc348/32.png) [@Lady\_Venom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_Venom)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-spud-the-puking-cat/110527/2 "2002-05-23T19:56:15Z")
I had the same problem with one of my cats. Have you tried hair ball remedy so you don’t have to clean up ANY puke? It’s a tube of brown caramel like syrup that my cats always loved. Give it to them a couple of times a week and it pretty much gets rid of the horking up of hairballs. As for training them to only puke on the kitchen floor. The only way that’s gunna happen is if he’s got no where else to go. I actually have a Boxer that only pukes on the carpet, even if he’s in the kitchen when he starts. I use cleaner for “Pet Stains” and it works pretty well. I get mine at Walmart. Hope that helps!! ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-spud-the-puking-cat/110527/3 "2002-05-23T20:05:40Z")
I know exactly the hairball stuff your talking about. Yep! Use it with some regularity. Doesn’t help all the time though. “Pet stain remover”, eh? I will take a look for that tonight. ---
**Author:** ![UWmite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UWmite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UWmite)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-spud-the-puking-cat/110527/4 "2002-05-23T20:30:33Z")
My little Maizie is the same way. Perfectly healthy, but a bit bulimic. Overeats, then pukes. She used to do it daily, but we’ve gotten better at lowering her food intake. It was quite easy for us to just dump her outside until she’d digested for awhile, then let her back in. I’m guessing your kitty’s hairballs are more sporatic, though. I believe Science Diet makes a hairball prevention food, have you given that a shot? No ideas on the puke stains, though. We could never get them out either, although usually Resolve did a pretty good job. ---
**Author:** ![Lure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@Lure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lure)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-spud-the-puking-cat/110527/5 "2002-05-23T20:38:50Z")
I also had the puking problem w/my cat.Tried the hairball remedies (can’t get him to take the liquid and hiding the "hairball treats"in his food didn’t help.) I discovered hairball formula cat food (got the IAMS brand) and in 2 mos.only one accident,fortunately,and maybe coincidentally,he barfed on the patio.Naturally the outdoor carpeted part. He sometimes chews on greenery out there,so maybe that was the cause. As to stains-the sooner you get it up the easier.Had no problems w/just water on new growth.Oxyclean handled varying degrees of aged gook reasonably well. They don’t always deposit it on highly trafficed areas,tho mine seemed to have a thing for my bedroom floor when I’m sleeping,making discovery easier when I wake up in my usual morning haze and grope for a way to the coffeepot. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-spud-the-puking-cat/110527/6 "2002-05-23T20:57:56Z")
Spud eats almost anything if he thinks he can get away with it (Bread, Beef Jerky, Pork Chops, eggs, cheese, Roses, dry cereal, potatoes, paper, grass, etc) so I am sure that it isn’t only hairballs causing him to puke. 🙂 I would like to try some of that hairball food, but he had a urniary tract infection a couple years back so the Vet recomended a specific type of food that keeps his urine acidic so the infection doesn’t come back (its worked, too). So, I am not keen on changing his food anytime soon. I would rather the odd puke stain then have the poor little fella go through that infection again. ☹ Oxyclean, eh? Thats another one to try. I think I will do some shopping at Wal-mart this afternoon. ---
**Author:** ![hazel-rah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hazel-rah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazel-rah)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-spud-the-puking-cat/110527/7 "2002-05-23T21:07:10Z")
This may be obvious, but have you tried giving him a quick once-over with a comb and brush every day, or every other day? It might keep him from ingesting as much hair, leading to less vomiting, and if he’s anything like the cats I’ve lived with, he’ll love the attention. Do you have other cats? Is he under any kind of stress that might make him groom more than usual? -fh ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-spud-the-puking-cat/110527/8 "2002-05-23T21:29:41Z")
Best solution: [Booda Mix.](http://www.petsmart.com/cat/shopping/hairball_prevention/supplements___medications/products/product_15688.shtml) A powder that contains digestive enzymes and plant fibers that you sprinkle on their food. Works better than the caramelly stuff, is much less messy, and is cheaper in the long run. I totally swear by it. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-spud-the-puking-cat/110527/9 "2002-05-23T21:36:45Z")
Go with the daily brusing…especially if Spud is shedding his winter coat. Also…do you feed him DRY cat food? Some piggy cats gobble down the dry stuff, take a drink of water, then immediately puke. Check your houseplants. Cats naturally self-medicate outside with grasses, and barf up the hairballs. An inside kitty might be chomping on anything green. We had a stupid cat who insisting on poisoning herself by eating a Christmas poinsettia. TRAIN a cat??? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!! ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-spud-the-puking-cat/110527/10 "2002-05-24T16:31:34Z")
To answer a few questions: We brush him/de-fur him regularly. A month may go by without him puking, but then he might do it every day for 3 days… then another month goes by. Sometimes its quite obvious by the puke that it was a hairball. Othertimes, you may see some plant matter (like when he decided to dine on the roses I bought Mrs bernse last week). But, other times, nothing. Just **Tasty Looking Stomach Juices** [sup]TM[/sup]. I bought some Oxy-clean and the Big-W last night, I’ll give it a whirl and see how it works on the stains. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-spud-the-puking-cat/110527/11 "2002-05-24T18:56:01Z")
**bernse** and **Lure** – you do realize that the eating and vomiting of grass or house plants is not a sign of illness? I had occasion to post to another GQ thread just today the fact that a cat that is not getting enough folic acid (a B vitamin) in its diet – which means most of them – will consume a little greenery, which is high in it, extract the folic acid in its stomach, then throw up the indigestible remains of the plant stuff. Cats eating plant parts are not trying to induce vomiting; it’s a natural way of getting a necessary trace nutrient. ---
**Author:** ![breaknrun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@breaknrun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breaknrun)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-spud-the-puking-cat/110527/12 "2002-05-24T19:12:47Z")
wow, **Polycarp** , thanks for that bit of info. Any idea if this is true for dogs also? **bernse** , I haven’t used the products mentioned so I can’t compare but Resolve works pretty well for me. It comes in liquid or powder form. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-spud-the-puking-cat/110527/13 "2002-05-24T19:16:27Z")
> [@](#): > > you do realize that the eating and vomiting of grass or house plants is not a sign of illness? Yes. I was aware of that. As I mentioned in my OP I know he is not ill. I did not, however, know _why_ they did. Thanks for answering that. Ideally, I would like to see if there is a way I can train him to puke anywhere _but_ the carpet. Doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. So, I guess I’ll just end up resigning myself to try to keep his carpet staining to a minimum. Hopefully, the Oxy-Clean will work well! Oh well, we still love the little guy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2002, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-spud-the-puking-cat/110527/14 "2002-05-26T16:31:17Z")
::: wiping tears from eyes from laughter over “training at cat” ::: Yeah, right! May I suggest just buying a puke colored carpet? ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![evilhanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba8739/32.png) [@evilhanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilhanz)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2002, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-spud-the-puking-cat/110527/15 "2002-05-26T16:43:42Z")
My oldest cat does this. It sort of comes and goes. She might vomit 3 times in a week and then not again for 3 months. She’s perfectly healthy, brushed regularly,does not eat people food or grass, and without getting into TMI details, she is clearly not working on hairballs. I attribute it to enthusiastic gorging or to water that is too cold. You can’t train your cat to do this in a particular location. It’s quite a shocking and violent event for them. If I know it’s about to happen, I try to quickly put a piece of paper on the floor in front of her. If not, Resolve carpet cleaner and a scrub brush does the trick.