general information compiled from published veterinary guidance. This is not veterinary advice and cannot diagnose your animal. Sponsored links earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Why does my cat keep throwing up?
Occasional vomiting is common. Frequent vomiting is not normal, and hairballs are blamed for far more of it than they cause.
How this was built: general information compiled from published veterinary guidance. This is not veterinary advice and cannot diagnose your animal. Sponsored links earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Go to a vet now if: your cat is straining to vomit with nothing coming up, the abdomen looks bloated, there is blood, the cat is lethargic or hiding, or it has stopped eating. Repeated unproductive retching can indicate a blockage or bloat and is an emergency.
How often is too often
Veterinary guidance generally treats more than about once a month as worth investigating. Weekly or daily vomiting is a problem to diagnose, not a hairball to manage.
The common causes
| Cause | Typical pattern | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Eating too fast | Vomits soon after eating, undigested food | Slow feeder, smaller meals |
| Hairballs | Occasional, cylindrical hair present | Brushing, more water; treat hairballs as a symptom not a diagnosis |
| Food intolerance | Intermittent, sometimes with diarrhoea | Vet-guided elimination trial |
| Intestinal parasites | Weight loss despite appetite | Faecal test and deworming |
| Kidney or thyroid disease | Older cat, weight loss, increased drinking | Bloodwork |
| Foreign body | Sudden onset, unproductive retching | Emergency vet |
Why "hairball" is a lazy answer
True hairball vomiting is occasional. Repeated vomiting blamed on hairballs often hides inflammatory bowel disease, food intolerance or chronic kidney disease. If your cat is vomiting more than monthly, ask for bloodwork and a faecal test rather than a hairball paste.
What to note before the vet visit
- How often, and for how long
- Whether food, bile or hair comes up
- Appetite, water intake, litter box changes
- Any weight change — weigh the cat if you can
- What it eats, including treats and anything it may have swallowed
Photograph the vomit. It sounds unpleasant and it genuinely helps a diagnosis.
Questions people ask
How often is vomiting normal in cats?
Occasional vomiting can happen, but more than about once a month is worth investigating. Weekly or daily vomiting needs a vet.
Is my cat vomiting because of hairballs?
Sometimes, but hairballs are over-diagnosed. Frequent vomiting blamed on hairballs often turns out to be bowel disease, food intolerance or kidney disease.
When is cat vomiting an emergency?
Unproductive retching, a bloated abdomen, blood, lethargy, hiding, or refusing food. A cat that cannot keep water down needs a vet the same day.
What should I bring to the vet visit?
How often it happens, what comes up, appetite and litter changes, weight trend, and a photo of the vomit. Bloodwork and a faecal test are the usual first steps.