Cat throwing up or vomiting
Cats vomit for many reasons, from hairballs or something they ate to food intolerance, parasites and longer-term illnesses such as kidney disease or an overactive thyroid. A single episode in a cat that is otherwise eating, drinking and acting normally can usually be watched at home, but regular vomiting, including frequent hairballs, should not be accepted as normal and is worth a vet visit. Repeated vomiting, blood, retching with nothing coming up, not eating, weakness, straining in the litter box, or a chance your cat swallowed string or chewed a lily needs a vet now.
General health information, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about your pet, contact a vet.
How urgent is it?
Go down the list and stop at the first row that matches your pet.
See a vet now
- Retches or tries to vomit again and again but nothing comes up
- Blood in the vomit, or dark specks that look like black dots or coffee grounds
- May have swallowed string, thread, ribbon, a hair tie, tinsel or another object, or you see string hanging from the mouth, even if your cat still seems fine
- May have chewed or eaten any part of a lily or another toxic plant, or a toxic substance such as antifreeze, cleaning products or human medicines, even if your cat still seems fine
- Weak, lethargic or hiding, has a fever, pale gums, or the belly seems painful when touched
- Vomits again and again within a few hours, can’t keep food or water down, or has kept vomiting for more than 24 hours
- Straining in the litter box or going in and out with little or no urine, especially in a male cat
- Also has diarrhea, seems dehydrated, or is eating less than usual or has stopped eating
- Is a kitten or an elderly cat, or already has an illness such as kidney or heart disease
- Is also drinking more than usual, or peeing much more or much less than usual
See a vet within 24 hours
- Has vomited more than once today but is alert, eating normally and keeping water down
- Vomits more than once a week, brings up hairballs more than once a month, or is losing weight, even if your cat seems well
Watch at home
- Vomited once or brought up a single hairball, and is otherwise eating, drinking, using the litter box and acting normally
- After a single episode, watch your cat for the next day: if it vomits again or any sign above appears, call your vet
Not sure which row fits?
Describe your pet’s symptoms and get a free urgency check in about a minute.
Check my pet’s symptomsCommon causes
| Cause | What you may notice | Usual urgency |
|---|---|---|
| Hairball | A tube- or sausage-shaped wad of hair, often wet with digestive fluid; more common in long-haired cats and during shedding | Watch |
| Eating something it shouldn’t | Vomiting after eating grass, table scraps or spoiled food; often settles within a day. Many houseplants and cut flowers are toxic, so call your vet if your cat chewed one | Watch |
| Food intolerance or food allergy | Vomiting that keeps coming back, sometimes with diarrhea, itchy skin or more hairballs than usual | Within 24 h |
| Intestinal parasites or infection | Vomiting, sometimes together with diarrhea | Within 24 h |
| Longer-term illness (for example kidney disease, overactive thyroid, diabetes, liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease) | Vomiting on and off over weeks, weight loss, appetite changes; drinking or peeing more than usual alongside vomiting needs a vet now | Within 24 h |
| Swallowed string or object | Repeated vomiting, not eating, low energy, pooping less, hiding or pain; string may be seen under the tongue or hanging from the mouth | Now |
| Toxic plant or substance (lilies, antifreeze, cleaners, human medicines) | Vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy or not eating; even a small bite of a lily can cause kidney failure | Now |
| Urinary blockage | Straining in the litter box with little or no urine, crying, restlessness; more common in male cats | Now |
What you can do at home
- Keep fresh water available at all times. If your cat seems otherwise well after a single episode, keep to the usual feeding routine and watch closely.
- If your vet recommends a bland, easily digested food, give it in small, frequent portions and no other food, then switch back to the usual food gradually over several days.
- If hairballs are the issue, brush or comb your cat regularly, ideally daily, to remove loose hair. This matters most for long-haired cats and during shedding season.
- Write down when it happened, how often and what came up, and take a photo of the vomit. A short video helps the vet tell vomiting from coughing.
What not to do
- Do not take water away, unless a vet tells you to.
- Do not give human medicines, laxatives or hairball products unless a vet tells you to. Many human medicines are toxic to cats.
- Do not pull on a string you see in the mouth, and do not try to make your cat vomit. Call a vet right away.
- Do not leave your cat without food for long or wait it out if your cat stops eating. A few days without food can lead to a serious liver problem, especially in overweight cats.
What to tell the vet
- When the vomiting started, how often it happens and how soon after meals
- What came up: food, hair, fluid or froth, blood or black specks, and whether it came up with heaving or without effort (show the photo or video)
- Anything your cat may have eaten or chewed: string, hair ties, toys, plants such as lilies, cleaning products or medicines (bring the label or a sample if you have it)
- Other signs: appetite, energy, drinking, peeing and litter box habits, stool, weight change
- What and when your cat eats, any recent change of food, how often hairballs come up, and any itching, fleas or over-grooming
Questions owners ask
Why is my cat throwing up?
Common causes include hairballs, eating something it shouldn’t, food intolerance and intestinal parasites. Vomiting can also come from illnesses such as kidney disease, an overactive thyroid or diabetes, and from emergencies such as a swallowed string or a toxic plant like a lily. An occasional single episode is common and often harmless. How often it happens and whether your cat has other signs matter more than the vomiting itself.
My cat throws up often but seems fine. Is that normal?
Not really, even when it is hairballs. Cornell Feline Health Center advises a prompt vet check for cats that vomit more often than once a week. On hairballs, sources differ: Cornell says a hairball every week or two is not unusual, while VCA advises calling your vet if hairballs come up more than once a month, and this page follows the more cautious advice. A 2013 review in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery argues that in most short-haired cats, frequent hairballs point to an underlying problem, such as itchy skin, fleas or a food intolerance. Book a vet visit even if your cat is eating and playing normally.
Why is my cat throwing up undigested food?
Food can come up in two ways. With vomiting, your cat heaves and the belly contracts. With regurgitation, food comes back up quickly and without effort, often right after eating or drinking, and is usually undigested, sometimes in a tube shape that matches the food pipe (esophagus). Both are worth a vet visit if they keep happening, and a video helps the vet tell them apart.
What does the color or look of cat vomit mean?
Vomit can be fluid, froth, food or hair. Yellow or greenish fluid is usually bile. A hairball is usually a tube-shaped wad of hair, wet with bile and other digestive fluids. Red blood, or dark specks that look like black dots or coffee grounds, means a vet now. Color alone does not tell you the cause: how often your cat vomits and how it is acting matter more.
What can I give my cat for vomiting at home?
Do not give human medicines, home remedies, laxatives or hairball products unless a vet tells you to. Keep fresh water available. If your cat vomited once and is otherwise well, keep to the usual feeding routine and watch closely. Do not hold back food for long, because cats that go without food for a few days can develop a serious liver problem. A vet may sometimes advise a short break from food, but only do this on a vet’s advice. If the vomiting continues or your cat stops eating, call your vet.
Related symptoms
Sources
- Vomiting in Cats (Pet Owner Version), Merck Veterinary Manual
- Disorders of the Stomach and Intestines in Cats (Pet Owner Version), Merck Veterinary Manual
- Vomiting in Cats, VCA Animal Hospitals
- Vomiting, Cornell Feline Health Center
- The Danger of Hairballs, Cornell Feline Health Center
- Common Cat Hazards, Cornell Feline Health Center
- Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease, Cornell Feline Health Center
- Lily, ASPCA Animal Poison Control
- Vomiting in cats, PDSA (UK veterinary charity)
- Bowel obstruction (intestinal blockage) in cats, PDSA (UK veterinary charity)
- Hair balls in cats: a normal nuisance or a sign that something is wrong?, Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2013
- Hepatic Lipidosis: A Serious Problem When Cats Stop Eating, University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine
Last reviewed October 25, 2026