Cat groomed and now throwing up nightly

by Jim
(MN)

Hello,

Earlier this week we took our cat to the groomer and got him cleaned up. He has become too large to clean himself from about mid-torso down. He weighs about 27 lbs. His fur had matted in spots and we felt the best approach was a clean start. So, they buzzed him. Now we can help clean him and brush him.

Since then our cat has started throwing up every night. We have not changed his diet at all and his feeding times are regular. The throw up tends to be a lot runnier than it used to be. Like most cats he used to throw up here and there, but never regularly like this. I was wondering if this is a direct effect from getting his coat buzzed? Maybe the combo of the hair and his food was helping with his digestion? I am not sure... Or, could it simply be a reaction to him not having his coat? I am sure this was a traumatic event for him. Both of us were there with him and he seems to be fine besides the throwing up.

Any helpful information would be appreciated. Thanks!

Jim


Answer from Kate
Hi
Having him groomed was the best thing you could have done for your cat as matts in the fur can be very painful. Also if a cat digests too much fur this will cause hairballs and these in themselves can cause problems for some cats. please see this page for more on this

https://www.our-happy-cat.com/hairballs.html

I am wondering if they may have put something on his coat which has not agreed with him. he may have licked it off and this has caused the vomiting. You could phone them to see if they put anything on him.

It may of course be coincidence or the experience may have caused him some anxiety.

The other possibility is that their may have been some loose fur left on him which he subsequently licked off and that has formed a little hairball or has irritated his throat.

My advice would be to make sure he gets plenty of fresh water over the next few days and see if the situation changes. If not then it may be an idea to have him checked by a vet. their are many causes of vomiting (see here https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-vomiting.html )

The fact that the vomit appear to be thin and watery may suggest a hairball rather than a stomach issue, so hopefully over the next few days the problem will sort itself out.

Hope he is better soon

best wishes Kate

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