Cat vomiting and diarrhea: symptoms, causes and what to do

Author: Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation: 2 August 2021
Update Date: 12 May 2024
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Diarrhea in Cats: Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment
Video: Diarrhea in Cats: Causes, Symptoms, & Treatment

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Gastrointestinal problems are one of the biggest causes of visiting the vet, whether cat or dog. Cats are usually more sensitive to environmental changes than dogs and any changes in their homes, for example, simply repositioning or moving a piece of furniture are enough for the cat to become stressed and manifest this stress through diarrhea and vomiting. Therefore, it is important to know your animal and be aware of any changes in the routine and the consequences that this entails.

In addition to stress and anxiety, there are many other causes and illnesses that can cause cat diarrhea and vomiting, which are more or less serious depending on the cause. If your cat has any of these symptoms, continue reading our PeritoAnimal article to learn more about cat vomiting and diarrhea, what you can do when this happens and what to give to the cat when it has diarrhea and vomiting.


Cat vomiting and diarrhea: other symptoms

Cats are reserved and independent animals that try to hide that they are sick. Only when they can't take it any longer do they show symptoms, complicating the task of the concerned tutor and the veterinarian. If you have several cats at home, you have noticed that one of them has these symptoms and you can't figure out which one has a problem, here are some tips to try to find out:

First of all is to observe the behavior of each one. Usually a cat with diarrhea and vomiting presents other symptoms in addition to the above, such as:

  • Apathy;
  • Less appetite;
  • Weight loss;
  • Different body posture;
  • Abdominal discomfort;
  • Abdominal bloating or flatulence (cat with diarrhea and swollen belly);
  • Dehydration (by the bad condition).

After observing these symptoms in your cat, it is important that you isolate each of the animals in different divisions, if you cannot isolate them at the same time, isolate them alternately. Place your pet's food bowl, water cooler and litter box in a closed room for one to two days and watch the litter box for signs of vomiting.


When you find out which animal is sick you should take it to the veterinarian so he can medicate you. Diarrhea and/or vomiting that persist for more than 48 hours or intermittent untreated are worrying and demand medical treatment before they can cause more serious problems.

Cat vomiting and diarrhea: causes

Cats are animals very sensitive to their environment and very susceptible to gastrointestinal problems that can be caused by numerous problems. Below is a list of possible causes for cats with diarrhea and vomiting:

Cat vomiting and diarrhea: fur balls

As we know, cats are very clean animals and like to maintain hygiene, as well as taking care of their fur, spending about a third of the day licking themselves. Also, their tongues are rough, which makes them ingest a lot of hair while doing the hygiene.As a result, many cats accumulate trichobezoars (hairballs) throughout the gastrointestinal tract, causing dry cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and, in more severe cases, loss of appetite and gastrointestinal obstruction, which is an urgency because, very often the tutor says "my cat is vomiting white foam and diarrhea’.


Cat vomiting and diarrhea: dietary changes

Abruptly changing your pet's diet, whether in brand or type of feed, can be enough reason for the stomach or intestines to react badly, present changes and cause the above-mentioned symptoms. Whenever you want to change your pet's diet, you should check with your veterinarian what the best diet is and how you should make the transition. It is best to carry out the transition for about a week (7 days) starting with providing a greater proportion of the old diet and little of the new, arriving in the middle of the week with half of each and ending with a greater proportion of the new than the old, until there is only the new.

Cat vomiting and diarrhea: changes in routine or stress

Cats are animals of habit and very sensitive to any novelty that may arise. A new family member, home visits, new home, new furniture or space may be enough to trigger a gastrointestinal upset like this.

Cat vomiting and diarrhea: food intolerance or allergy

Cats are carnivorous mammals by nature, however their gastrointestinal tract has evolved over time and adapted to current diets. However, you should not forget that you should not provide your pussy with human food, as certain ingredients or foods can be toxic to cats and cause death. Most animals have food intolerance to dairy products or are allergic to some types of protein. Do not feed cow's milk or dairy products to your pet as it may react badly, vomit and have diarrhea.

Cat vomiting and diarrhea: ingestion of foreign bodies

Cats are very curious and love to play, especially with strings and balls. You need to be very careful with those objects that the cat can access and ingest. A linear, round or sharp foreign body can damage the gastric or intestinal mucosa and even cause its rupture.

Cat vomiting and diarrhea: heat stroke

High temperatures can lead to dehydration of the animal and this dehydration can lead to a cat with diarrhea and vomiting. Don't forget to always have fresh water available and a place sheltered from sunlight.

Cat vomiting and diarrhea: toxic or poison ingestion

Poisoning or intoxication are very serious problems and, if left untreated, can lead to the animal's death. It is very common for cats that have access to the street to hunt rats or ingest rat poison. In addition, you should never self-medicate your pet, nor let it have access to medication at home, as in many cases it can be fatal.

Be aware that while some fruits and vegetables may have benefits, others may be harmful. Check out all this information in detail in this PeritoAnimal article.

All these products or foods must be kept in a safe place and if there is a suspicion of ingestion of any of them, you must immediately go to the veterinarian. However, there are some home remedies for poisoned cats.

Cat vomiting and diarrhea: liver problems

Cats are very prone to liver problems, especially the elderly, those who are overweight, and those who fast too long. In these cases, they can develop hepatic lipidosis, or also called fatty liver. The liver is responsible for several functions and when it has a problem it can cause the animal to present vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, jaundice (yellow mucous membranes), apathy, loss of appetite and weight.

Cat vomiting and diarrhea: pancreatic problems

Like the liver, the pancreas also influences the entire gastrointestinal tract and in cases of acute pancreatitis, chronic or other diseases, it can also cause the same symptoms as liver problems.

Cat vomiting and diarrhea: kidney problems

Kidney failure or disease is very common in older cats or in adults with inadequate diets. Generally, a cat with kidney problems can have the same symptoms as a cat with diabetes like, thirstexcessive, excess urineandweight loss.

Cat vomiting and diarrhea: parasitism

A cat parasitized with intestinal worms may present with diarrhea and vomiting, and in very severe cases it may expel small white dots or even the adult worm(s) in the stool or vomit. To prevent this, you should regularly perform internal deworming, with 4/4 months or 6/6 months being advised depending on the type of exposure and the animal's lifestyle.

Cat vomiting and diarrhea: viral, bacterial or fungal diseases

And, of course, any symptoms of a cat vomiting should always be considered viral, bacterial or fungal diseases that should be diagnosed by a veterinarian.

If you are looking for an article about dogs, vomiting, diarrhea and lack of appetite or dogs with diarrhea and vomiting and do not eat, you can consult these articles from PeritoAnimal: dog with diarrhea and vomiting - what can be and still be a home remedy for dogs with diarrhea and vomiting.

What to give the cat when it has diarrhea and vomiting

First of all, a cat can never stop eating for more than 48 hours as this can lead to serious liver consequences such as hepatic lipidosis, cats are very sensitive to prolonged fasting. You should take your cat to the veterinarian if you notice any of the symptoms listed above, as they may be more serious than mild, transient gastroenteritis.

At home, you can start a short fast of a few hours (8-12) to calm the animal's gastrointestinal tract by removing food and water, and then start a white diet consisting of cooked rice and chicken (no others ingredients/seasonings or bones) or fish cooked without salt or bones. Also, there are other home remedies you can give. There is also a remedy for diarrhea in kittens. After this diet can specifically provide a cat food with diarrhea to calm the digestive tract.

At the veterinarian, he can indicate which is the gastric protector, anti-emetic, probiotic and antibiotic for diarrhea in cats best suited for the case of your pussy. Metronidazole is usually one of the most indicated antibiotics and also the anti-emetic maropitant.

This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.

If you want to read more articles similar to Cat vomiting and diarrhea: symptoms, causes and what to do, we recommend that you enter our Intestinal Problems section.