# My cat threw up in the toilet. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 19, 2005, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529 "2005-01-19T13:46:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/1 "2005-01-19T13:46:18Z")
He was sitting in the sink, and hurled a 4" long hairball into the toilet, 2 feet away! Some of the juice landed in the floor, but it was still pretty impressive. _:sniff:_ I’m so proud. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/2 "2005-01-19T13:49:39Z")
Where’s that puking smiley when I need one… ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/3 "2005-01-19T14:18:11Z")
Wow, that’s so much better than the dining-room rug, which is my Molly’s favorite target! ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/4 "2005-01-19T14:47:17Z")
Thank you for sharing. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/5 "2005-01-19T15:03:15Z")
When I hear the “cat starting to throw up” sound, no matter _how_ asleep I am or how far away the cat is (even in the next state), I jump up screaming, “_Not on the furniture! Not on the furniture!_” ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/6 "2005-01-19T15:06:27Z")
That is one considerate feline. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/7 "2005-01-19T15:10:54Z")
So do you go around saying “My cat’s breath smells like toilet water”? ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/8 "2005-01-19T15:34:21Z")
I hope you noticed the “juice” on the toilet seat before sitting down? I wish my cats were that thoughtful and organized about where their hairballs go. That sound will wake me out of a sound sleep to push all cats off the bed just so they won’t do it on the bed … usually they get my shoes. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/9 "2005-01-19T15:39:19Z")
My old cat Snowball would make a frenzied dash to his litter box to throw up. He never threw up _in_ the litter box, nor did that seem to be his intention. He’d throw up next to it (or on the floor en route if he wasn’t quite quick enough). Still we appreciated his thoughtful attempts to upchuck where he thought it was proper to do so. He was quite considerate, that cat. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/10 "2005-01-19T15:48:01Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > When I hear the “cat starting to throw up” sound, no matter _how_ asleep I am or how far away the cat is (even in the next state), I jump up screaming, “_Not on the furniture! Not on the furniture!_” We used to do that. Then my housemate’s upchucking cat go so startled by the yell of “Off the rug!” that he started running around in a blind panic _while_ upchucking. It was EVERYWHERE! Now I just try to shove my cats onto the hardwood floor. And I bought a wet-dry Shop Vac. Clean up the initial mess with paper towels, then pour a jug of soapy water on the fresh stain, vaccuum, dump a jug of clear rinse water where the stain _used_ to be, vaccuum. Repeat as needed. If you Shop Vac the water up thoroughly, your carpet will barely be damp when you’re done. Bad cat ate spaghetti sauce. Bad cat puked scarlet cat-yak on the white rug. You’d never know it. The crew from CSI would be hard-pressed to find any trace evidence, even with their fancy purple lights. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/11 "2005-01-19T16:00:03Z")
> [@Eats\_Crayons](#): > > . . . my housemate’s upchucking cat go so startled by the yell of “Off the rug!” that he started running around in a blind panic _while_ upchucking. It was EVERYWHERE! When I was a kid we had a cat who used to scare _himself_ throwing up and would run all over the house—we nicknamed him “Jackson Pollack.” ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/12 "2005-01-19T16:35:57Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > When I was a kid we had a cat who used to scare _himself_ throwing up and would run all over the house—we nicknamed him “Jackson Pollack.” “Pollack”… Hm. Yeah, that’s about the sound he makes when he barfs. ---
**Author:** ![josejones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5fc32e/32.png) [@josejones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/josejones)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/13 "2005-01-19T17:00:07Z")
erica, the 20 yr old, once threw up in my wife’s hair while she (the wife) was asleep. i’m sure a considerable amount of alcohol had to be involved to sleep through that. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/14 "2005-01-19T17:07:14Z")
He usually aims for the livingroom rug. He had been sleeping in the sink, so he was probably either too lazy to get out of the sink, or the hairball caught him off guard. ---
**Author:** ![violacrane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c57346/32.png) [@violacrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/violacrane)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/15 "2005-01-19T18:36:17Z")
I’m often to be heard saying “It’s OK, stay where you are!” in tones of repressed panic, whilst thrusting a newspaper under the heaving cat’s jaws. My little Cam really impressed me this one time though – she was about to throw up on my radio but when she clocked my look of sheer horror turned her head to vomit into the wastepaper basket instead. Good cat! ---
**Author:** ![Jillyvn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Jillyvn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jillyvn)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/16 "2005-01-19T19:55:47Z")
Ok, I have to ask. What is with the cat puking thing? I had a cat when I was younger, and I don’t think he ever puked. Now, I have a five month old siamese-manx cross kitten, and he pukes at least twice a week! I switched his food and he stopped for a week, but now he’s back at it. He’s completely healthy as far as I can tell, just was at the vet this weekend. Do cats just puke for no reason? He’s a short hair, and barely grooms (bad queen…), but puking! Oh the puking! ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/17 "2005-01-19T20:04:43Z")
> [@Rebekkah](#): > > Do cats just puke for no reason? They do it _solely to piss us off_. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/18 "2005-01-19T20:08:20Z")
> [@Rebekkah](#): > > Do cats just puke for no reason? He’s a short hair, and barely grooms (bad queen…), but puking! Oh the puking! Depends. Some cats get so gosh darned omiog-this-is-just-the-greatest-thing-ever _excited_ about eating their breakfast, that they wolf it down without chewing. Such Hoovering can lead to upchucking later (you dry eating your entire dinner, in 10 seconds without chewing a single bite and see how well _you_ do). It could also be a sign of other issues. Fatcat appears to be perfectly healthy even when his severe colitis starts acting up. Puking it a sign that I need to check the box for other more obvious signs that he’s having “issues” that require me to adjust his meds. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/19 "2005-01-19T20:22:45Z")
> [@hillbilly queen](#): > > He was sitting in the sink, and hurled a 4" long hairball into the toilet, 2 feet away! Was the hairball on fire? Cuz that would have been really cool. ---
**Author:** ![Jillyvn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Jillyvn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jillyvn)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529/20 "2005-01-19T20:33:38Z")
> [@Eats\_Crayons](#): > > Depends. Some cats get so gosh darned omiog-this-is-just-the-greatest-thing-ever _excited_ about eating their breakfast, that they wolf it down without chewing. Such Hoovering can lead to upchucking later (you dry eating your entire dinner, in 10 seconds without chewing a single bite and see how well _you_ do). Well, I love him, but he’s not a bright cat. I elevated his bowl so he’d have to work a bit harder getting to his food, thus slowing him down a bit and that seemed to help at first. I also think he’s chewing up his toys and swallowing bits of toy material. I’ve taken these toys away for now. Wish my cat would puke in the toilet. Sadly, he seems to think the bathroom is THE place to go to unravel rolls and rolls of toilet paper, and therefore he has been banned from the area. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-threw-up-in-the-toilet/285529.md?page=2)