What to Give a Cat That Is Throwing Up?

For most healthy cats, occasional vomiting is normal. However, if it happens often, the cat is beginning to dehydrate, or you suspect something is wrong, you should take it to the veterinarian immediately. Occasional vomiting can be treated at home with some medications and strategic feeding plans.

  1. Causes

    • Common causes of non-serious vomiting in cats include parasites, viruses, hairballs, anxiety and eating too fast. No matter what the cause of your cat's vomiting, it can become lethargic or dehydrated if it vomits too much. This constitutes an emergency, so the cat should be treated immediately.

    Medications

    • If a major change has just taken place in your household, like a move or adding a new pet or child, you cat may be vomiting because of anxiety. In this case, you may want to see your veterinarian for some prescription anxiety drugs or tranquilizers that will help the cat with the condition and stop the vomiting.

      If your cat is vomiting due to hairballs, you can buy an over-the-counter hairball lubricant that will help your cat get rid of hairballs without vomiting (reference 1). Follow the instructions on the label and give your cat the recommended dose daily (reference 1).

    Food and Water

    • If your cat has just vomited, you may withhold food and some water for about three to four hours. You can give the cat small amounts of water in a tablespoon or eye dropper to keep it hydrated. After this time, you can set the cat's water dish back down and re-introduce very small amounts of food. According to Doctors Foster and Smith, withholding food for a short time allows the cat's irritated intestinal tract to settle down, reducing the likelihood that the cat will throw up again.

      When you re-introduce food, try skipping the dry cat food in favor of a bland diet for a day or so (reference 3). A bland diet that is safe for cats includes cooked and drained hamburger or chicken mixed with rice (reference 3).

      If your cat frequently eats too fast, try feeding smaller, more frequent meals instead of leaving the food out (reference 1). You can also elevate the cat's food and water dishes, which decreases the amount of air that the cat is swallowing (reference 1).