Cat help please

[Ar-Pharazon]

Lately, my 6yo female cat has been throwing up quite a lot. A few of the times there have been substantial hairballs in there, but other times it's just the dry food I leave out for them. She virtually never did this prior to the past week.
The other cat, a 4yo male "marsmallow" occasionally does because he gobbles his food too fast or eats too much of the dry stuff.

I've bought the same kind of dry food for quite a while, so it's not a reaction to new food. I've been giving them both big globs of butter (country crock actually) every day. She doesn't throw up after eating wet food, which I usually give them every 2 or 3 days.
The problem is, I don't want to not leave some food out for them when I'm at work, even if I give them wet food every day I don't want to leave nothing. I think that might upset them more than whatever else is wrong with the female.

Any ideas short of going to the vet, which can be hit or miss as far as finding out what the problem is.

(large) Pic here, Maya in front and Gremlin in back, in the window on a sunny day.
You really can't see the size difference in the picture, he's about 15# and she's about 7#.

 

[RoJoHen]

I've been giving them both big globs of butter (country crock actually) every day.

Um...may I ask why? This seems incredibly bizarre.

 

[The Master of Tarquin Hill]

My first guess is stress. Have they been fighting? Is there some new drastic change in the last few months?

Also, I wouldn't give them butter every day. Maybe once a week or a few times a month.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Butter is supposed to help them get the hairballs out faster. I've even seen it recommended that you could give them a small amount of Vaseline for this.
They never actually "fight". Gremlin is always obnoxious and chasing Maya, but he's done that since 2 hours after I brought him home 4 years ago. Occasionally she chases him though, so she gets her revenge.
But yeah, I know "changes" can upset cats. The only different thing, and it's been a few months, is that I brush the male's teeth every day after the vet found he has gingivitis.

The only (remote) possibility is that since the new year, I've been back to work 5 days a week, after 3 months of 3, 4 & 5 day weekends (holidays and many saved vacation days). But I've done this pretty much the last 4 years.

 

[RoJoHen]

Weird about the butter.

Then again, I've never had a cat that actually had hairballs.

 

[The Master of Tarquin Hill]

I know that butter is good for giving cats a shiny coat, but never heard about it helping with hairballs.

You never know what they are doing when you are not there. You being gone more often is not out of the realm of possibility in terms of being stressful. Can you separate them when you are gone? Perhaps putting him in a room by himself and letting her have the run of the house/apt. will improve her mood.

If it's not stress, you may need to get medicine for her digestive tract. Just make sure to get liquid instead of pills if that is the case.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

They all get them, it's just a matter of how much they shed. The more they shed, the more hair ends up in the stomachs. Actually my male sheds a lot more than the female, but she cleans him a lot of the time, sort of the (adoptive) mother thing.
Then, of course, he's obnoxious to her, which is the son thing.

 

[AdmiralGarak]

A quick Googling says that butter should only be given in a 1/2 teaspoon quantity per day, and only for a few days. It sounds like your giving them way too much. Remember, most cats are lactose intolerant. Besides, if big globs of butter are bad for us, you can imagine how bad it is for a cat.

Best to go with hairball control cat treats in moderation.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I give them a glob scooped out of the tub with my finger, so that's not much more than a 1/2 tsp. really.
And again, it's not real butter, Country Crock is mostly vegetable oil, I think. It couldn't be worse than Vaseline.

 

[Australis]

Hmm, you'd better get her checked out. Our cat had something similar, can't quite recall what it was, the vet had to give her some drugs, I think it was some kind of bowel issue. I'll ask the tribe later.

 

[Rÿcher]

give them some grass. They sell some at pet stores growing in plastic pots by the registers at PetCo.

Also, try changing their cat food to sensitive stomach/digestive health formula. Country Crock has a lot of sodium in it. Maybe go with regular stick variety?

 

[Deckerd]

Cats just enjoy barfing. It's a cat thing.

 

[Kira's Mom]

Olive oil is better than butter. Put a bit on their coats where they can lick it off while bathing- it's good for their coats and for their digestion. I've seen fewer hairballs from my cats after using olive oil.

 

[Crusher Disciple]

I've heard that pumpkin is good for upset tummies.

 

[Mr Awe]

To the OP, get your cat to the vet!! My cat had the same symptoms, lots of vomiting. Sometimes with hairballs sometimes not. It turns out she had cancer in her stomach going down into her small intestine. She passed away about 6 months after the symptoms started.

I hope that's not the case in your cat. But you need to get her to the vet to find out. In our case, it did take awhile to determine what was causing it. They had to run a number of tests to rule different things out. It wasn't really hit or miss. It was more checking the more likely possibilities first and working their way down the different options. They did arrive at the correct diagnosis but unfortunately there was nothing they could do.

Your cat might have something else but if you let it go it could become worse. Not taking the cat to the vet is ignorance, plain and simple.

Mr Awe

 

[John Picard]

I give them a glob scooped out of the tub with my finger, so that's not much more than a 1/2 tsp. really.
And again, it's not real butter, Country Crock is mostly vegetable oil, I think. It couldn't be worse than Vaseline.

Country Crock is NOT butter. Hell, I don't even think it's a real food. Look at the ingredients.

 

[nevermore]

Stop with the butter; hairballs aren't that big of a deal. Go to an indoor formula food with hairball control; get something for sensitive systems as well if you can find the right combo.

Also, is she maintaining her weight? Have you noticed any behavioral changes, drinking excess water, lethargy, sensitivity to stimuli, aggressiveness etc.? Are her eyes clear and her ears/nose cold? I would keep a close eye on her behavior and make a vet appointment. Keep a log of anything that stands out and tell the vet about that as well. Keep in mind that cats tend to hide symptoms very well, so even if she doesn't seem sick, she might be. It's best to get her checked out.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

Lately, my 6yo female cat has been throwing up quite a lot. A few of the times there have been substantial hairballs in there, but other times it's just the dry food I leave out for them. She virtually never did this prior to the past week.
The other cat, a 4yo male "marsmallow" occasionally does because he gobbles his food too fast or eats too much of the dry stuff.

I've bought the same kind of dry food for quite a while, so it's not a reaction to new food. I've been giving them both big globs of butter (country crock actually) every day. She doesn't throw up after eating wet food, which I usually give them every 2 or 3 days.
The problem is, I don't want to not leave some food out for them when I'm at work, even if I give them wet food every day I don't want to leave nothing. I think that might upset them more than whatever else is wrong with the female.

Any ideas short of going to the vet, which can be hit or miss as far as finding out what the problem is.

(large) Pic here, Maya in front and Gremlin in back, in the window on a sunny day.
You really can't see the size difference in the picture, he's about 15# and she's about 7#.

One of my cats recently had a similar problem. Is she pooping regularly? She might have a buildup of hair in her stomach that's preventing the food from passing through. You do need to take her to the vet if it doesn't stop. Ask about giving her a shot of reglan. It's an anti-nausea drug and it also stimulates their bowels. They'll give you some in a bottle to take home. Just hold her mouth open and squirt it in there. In any case, cats get dehydrated easily, so make sure she's drinking water. You can tell if they're dehydrated by pinching the skin between their shoulder blades. If it stays pinched up, they're dehydrated. If the skin snaps right back into place, she's okay. Also, give her a little laxatone once or twice a week. It's a little tube of greasy stuff you can buy at petsmart for like, ten bucks. Some like it, some hate it. If they won't eat it, squirt it on your finger and wipe it on the roof of their mouths.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

Cats just enjoy barfing. It's a cat thing.

Occasionally, but when it gets excessive, it's time for a trip to the vet. Especially if they stop eating and pooping.

 

[Sean Aaron]

I've been giving them both big globs of butter (country crock actually) every day.

It's because you're giving them that crappy edible oil product instead of real butter -- why would you buy that if you weren't lactose intolerant?