The nation agrees, cats are one of our most beloved choices of pet. That doesn’t mean that at times they aren’t confusing or downright frustrating! All cat owners sometimes wonder ‘Why does my cat do that?’. Today we’re answering some of those questions!
Why Does My Cat Throw Up?
It’s a rare cat owner who doesn’t sometimes have cause to complain about cat diarrhea and vomiting but why do they do it?
There are many causes of sickness in cats, but fortunately most of them are non-serious. It’s well worth trying to understand why your cat is vomiting so you can try to help stop it happening too often – something you and your cat will both benefit from!
If your cat throws up soon after eating, and it’s composed mainly of undigested food, then your cat could be eating too fast or too much! If they bolt their food, they could trigger a gag reflex and throw it up again shortly after.
If this is a problem you and your cat are facing, it might be worth checking their diet. Check their portion size – if you’re feeding them too much, this could also be causing the problem. It might also be worth trying to switch them from dry to wet food. One of the problems with dry food is that it expands in the stomach, so what feels like a reasonable helping when your pet is eating it can soon become unmanageable.
If your cat is still throwing up at mealtimes after you make these changes, then it’s possible they’re getting fed somewhere else. This can interfere with their weight and appetite, and could stop them coming home to you! Ask around the neighbourhood and see if anyone recognises your cat, and if they do, politely ask they don’t feed him anymore!
Why Does My Cat Bite Me?
Sometimes, when you’re in the middle of petting them, your cat will turn and bite you! It’s hard to predict, unexpected and shocking, if not painful. If you can understand why your cat does this, then you can avoid it in future!
It all comes down to communication: cats have limited ways to communicate with humans: miaows and purring can convey mood or ‘ask’ for something but they’re not very specific, and if your cat needs a specific response very quickly, they can’t tell you directly!
What they can do is nip and bite. This is how kittens tell each other play has got too much, and if your cat bites you while you’re petting them, they’re telling you the same thing: that contact has got too much, they’re irritated and it needs to stop.
To avoid it happening again, look for signs like a lashing tail and ears pushing down flatter against their head. These are all signs your cat isn’t in the mood for love and if you’re stroking them, it’s time to back away!
