Why Does My Cat Sound Like He Is Gagging?

Cats make many noises as they wander around. Sometimes, such noises cause concern or show a potential health problem in your feline friend. Vomiting or hairballs cause the majority of gagging sounds. A hairball does not pose any health hazard to your pet, and vomiting usually means overfeeding. However, some instances of gagging point to a more serious problem.

  1. Types of Gagging

    • The severity of a feline's gagging noise ranges from minor coughing to severe choking. Short gagging episodes often occur when your cat vomits food. Overeating, food that does not set well or motion sickness can cause these episodes. Longer spells usually indicate hairball---tube-like balls of hair, sometimes mixed with food or fluid, that cats gag up after grooming themselves. However, lengthy gagging occurs when your feline chokes on a foreign object.

    Effects of Gagging

    • Most cat gagging sounds should not cause a panic. Some types of coughing come as symptoms of allergies or asthma. The reflex of gagging does not pose any harm to a feline's respiration system or larynx. However, frequent hairballs and heavy licking of the fur point to signs of a larger problem such as a rash or an infection on the skin. You should have the exact health problem properly diagnosed by a trained, licensed veterinarian.

    Misconceptions on Gagging

    • Several misconceptions revolve around the topic of why cats gag. Hairballs, a natural and common occurrence in feline life, pose no threat to your cat's health. Cats develop allergies just like people, and they develop lung and respiratory problems as well. They sometimes sneeze or cough like humans. For the best way to figure out whether your feline has a serious medical problem, view him at rest. Compare the healthy behavior with the ill behavior in order to figure out the culprit.

    Emergency Assistance

    • If your cat chokes on a foreign object, first aid should begin immediately. Signs of a problem include when your cat paws at his face, tries to cough but is unable to, or has difficulty, breathing. The Heimlich maneuver serves as the most successful way to relieve your feline of a foreign object (see References section for instructions). Remove any objects such as collars before doing this. If the object does not come up, contact a veterinarian quickly.

    Prevention/Solution

    • Your vet may diagnose medication to help lower the occurrences of hairballs. Grooming your cat with a groomer's brush also alleviates the amount of hair your cat swallows. To keep your cat from choking on foreign objects, keep areas he typically explores free of small items he could easily chew on---especially with kittens. Contact a veterinarian if your cat becomes ill or develops a serious gagging problem. Early help can stop a serious problem from getting worse.