The digestive problems in cats are of constant concern for the tutor / y for / the veterinarian. Digestive diseases have very characteristic signs and symptoms, but not all are treated in the same way, so it takes some skill on the part of veterinary personnel to astutely diagnose what is really happening.
We must remember that the causes of a digestive disease are very diverse, but specifically in felines there are certain references that leave us clues. There are diseases in felines that, although they are not closely related to the digestive system, end up having as a consequence some signs such as vomiting or diarrhea. In this article we will emphasize on feline vomiting accompanied by a lack of appetite, its causes and possible treatments 
depending on the pathology or condition that has generated them. So read on to find out why your cat is vomiting and not eating.
Why does my cat vomit and not eat?
The moment a cat begins to experience persistent vomiting, there is a very high chance that it will start rejecting food. If the pet is not medicated in time, the clinical picture that it may present will be in appetence. Loss of appetite for long periods of time should be avoided in any animal, but in felines it is very delicate, as it can cause quite serious liver problems. Many factors lead to loss of appetite (gradual or abrupt) in cats, however, vomiting will be a sign that will help the guardian to realize that something is wrong and, in most cases, it will be the reason for consultation.
As we mentioned earlier, there are various pathologies in felines that can end up producing vomiting. The veterinarian should act quickly to alleviate the symptoms that may be causing pain or discomfort to the animal or, in the worst case, gradually deteriorating its health. The pertinent complementary examinations must be carried out and the results of these examinations associated with the clinic in order to reach an accurate diagnosis in the shortest possible time.
The most common causes of vomiting and poor appetite in cats are the following:
- Diet: many times the guardians come to the clinic with the complaint that their kitten has been used to vomiting lately. If your cat appears healthy and vomiting and poor appetite persist, the condition is most likely caused by a change in diet or an improper diet. In case your kitten is not fed with processed food and you follow a BARF diet, you must bear in mind that the proteins that your cat has to consume must also be approved for human consumption. Sometimes, many owners feed their cats the leftovers from slaughterhouses (skin, hooves, beaks, feathers, etc.). This practice will result in persistent vomiting and, due to both discomfort and poor nutrition, refusal of food.
- Meal frequency: not all animals have the same eating habits and the guardian must know how his kitten is used to eating. In case you feed your cat once a day with a considerable portion, you should supervise if it eats too fast. If you have several cats, you should check if the kitten that is vomiting and lack of appetite finishes its food first and is going to eat the others. The solution is simple: if there are several cats and some have this behavior, they should be fed in separate rooms. In case your kitten eats a considerable amount of food too quickly, divide the portions to avoid this vomiting by an abrupt intake.
- Foreign bodies: sometimes a foreign body can obstruct the digestive tract, causing vomiting in cats. It should be taken into account that due to the type of taste buds that the cat has, it can swallow a certain amount of hair when grooming. As hairballs form, they can be dense enough to clog the digestive tract and cause the kitten to vomit.
- Gastritis: it is an inflammation of the stomach that can be associated both with the ingestion of food in poor condition, and with prolonged fasting. The owner must verify that she is feeding her kitten quality food that meets all the nutritional requirements of her pet and that of course, there is no possibility that it is spoiled. In the event that the owner divides the food ration to give it to the feline twice a day, he must be careful with the hours, since if the cat is adequate to eat at certain times, the production of stomach acids will increase, causing gastric inflammation. And vomiting in case it is not fed on time.
- Pancreatitis: the pancreas produces enzymes necessary for digestion, and when this function is compromised, the feline’s quality of life decreases markedly. One of the characteristic signs of pancreatitis is persistent vomiting.
- Parasitosis: Too high a load of gastrointestinal parasites is also a characteristic sign of vomiting in cats. Many times it is also associated with diarrhea.
- Neoplasms: tumors in any part of the digestive system will lead to persistent vomiting in cats, because the function of the affected organ is not performed correctly.
There are other pathologist that are not closely associated with the digestive tract and that can cause the cat to vomit and not eat, such as:
- Feline Leukemia Virus
- Feline immunodeficiency virus
- Feline hyperthyroidism
- Feline infectious peritonitis
- Hepatic lipidosis
- Kidney failure
My cat vomits and does not eat or drink
Having classified the most frequent causes of vomiting and loss of appetite in cats, we can describe a little the causes why your little feline may not want to drink water either.
First of all, it is important to clarify that, under normal conditions, the domestic cat does not tend to drink water too often. However, this is closely associated with their diet, since if they hunt or their diet is wet, they will drink very little water. Your hydration requirements increase if your diet is based on concentrated food. This peculiarity occurs due to the origin of the domestic cat, which is made to resist dehydration.
If your kitten not only stops drinking water, but also has persistent vomiting and a lack of appetite, it is most likely that he is in the presence of a systemic disease. The same thing that happens with a lack of appetite and vomiting happens with a lack of water, that is, if your cat is experiencing vomiting or other uncomfortable symptoms, there is a possibility that he will stop drinking water. Therefore, it is possible that these symptoms are due to kidney failure, a viral disease, etc.
What can I do if my cat does not drink water?
There are different origins in this problem and the first thing you should do is give some solutions in case your cat does not drink water and does not have any pathology. You must remember that stress in cats causes quite marked behavior problems and the lack of water or food intake is one of them.
- Change the water constantly: if the water remains in the drinker for too long it can get dirty or acquire a temperature that your cat does not like. You must constantly renew the water in the trough so that your cat feels stimulated to drink it normally.
- Do not change the drinking fountain: if your feline pet is used to having the drinking fountain in a space, the change may mean that, due to stress reasons, it does not ingest the amounts of water due to its requirements.
- Offer fresh or bottled water: tap water often does not meet the necessary hygienic requirements and may taste bad. Make sure you give your pet the best on the market to prevent him from drinking water for reasons of unsanitary conditions.
If all these measures are already applied in your home and your cat’s lack of water intake is accompanied by other symptoms such as vomiting, you should immediately go to the veterinarian to carry out the pertinent tests, since it could be taking any of the previously named pathologist.
My cat vomits yellow and does not eat
There are different ways to have a presumptive diagnosis from home to suspect that it may be happening with your pet. Having already mentioned the most common causes of vomiting and poor appetite in cats, we can put certain tools into practice to approach a particular condition. One of these ways is to see what the vomit looks like. If the food is digested, if it is only chewed (regurgitated), if it is a liquid and the color of the liquid, they will give us important clues about the current pathology.
Generally, the yellowish color, in many cases greenish, in feline vomit is associated with bile (gall). This may indicate that the patient has not eaten for a long time and that he vomits bile because he has nothing else in his stomach, however, pancreatitis and liver damage are also associated with vomiting of bile.
My cat vomits white foam and does not eat
The prolonged fasting are the primary cause of the frothy vomiting in cats, since production of gastrin and hydrochloride acid accumulates because the animal has an empty stomach and to alleviate the discomfort that this occurs, it is normal cat store barf. It can also be accompanied with bile and if the owner allows this to happen periodically, it can cause chronic gastritis in the animal, reducing its quality of life.
Vomiting and lack of appetite in cats due to stress
We must consider that a kitten is not always unappetizing due to pathologist. Many times stress is a trigger for loss of appetite in felines, vomiting and lack of water intake, so the first thing you will have to evaluate if your cat vomits and does not want to eat is its environment. Sudden changes in the environment or in the feline’s routine cause it to become stressed and changes will be seen both in food intake and in the frequency of defecation and urination. Of course, all the aforementioned pathologist lead to incompetence, but it is important to keep your pet comfortable most of the time.
What to do if my cat vomits and does not eat?
If your cat suddenly loses its appetite, there are tools you can use while contacting your veterinarian:
- Heating your food to bring out the smell is quite a viable option. Felines often respond to the aroma of food.
- Offer him food that is not normally in his diet but that you know he likes and is suitable for cats. For example, if your cat only eats dry food, offering canned food is more than recommended to diagnose if the lack of appetite is absolute or if it is only having a fickle appetite.
- Tapping the food bowl gently on the ground tends to attract your pet, as it also increases the aroma of the contents and makes it more attractive to eat.
It should be taken into account that these are tools used only and exclusively when the loss of interest in food and vomiting are due to stress or factors that are not associated with diseases. It should be done while the veterinarian comes to perform their care. Avoid giving medications without veterinary supervision, since you expose the life of your pet.
