Cat licking Butt

by Karen
(Chepachet, RI)

My male cat of 7 years old always licks his sisters butt. Can he get sick w/ e-coli doing this? They both vomit a lot since they were kittens. We've tried since they were kittens Purina One Sensittve System dry cat food, Purina One Hairball Formula, Purina One Healthy weight and Hairball Formula, Iams Hairball Formula. They don't eat soft cat food never have. They do vomit hairballs and they eat too fast and vomit there food too.We also have well water they drink daily. Help!!!!


Reply
Hi
My old cat used to vomit everyday and this was due to her eating too quickly. the solution is to put smaller amounts of food down for them so that they can't physically eat too much all at once. It will mean feeding them more meals but smaller amounts.

As for the bottom licking, no he won't get sick. Cats wash their own bottoms etc and so they are much more immune to these bacteria. As for why he does it, well it may be a scent thing. Is your female cat spayed? Sometimes cats will just do this as mutual grooming.

best wishes kate

Comments for Cat licking Butt

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Stop feeding your cat Purina brand anything
by: momma2threefurballs

If you want your cat to throw up rarely, which is normal, then feed it good food. Do some research. Purina has been linked to poor health, and even death, in cats. You do not have to spend a fortune. I am very low income, have three cats, and I feed them Rachel Ray Nutrish, Sam's Club brand grain-free dry (usually available online only), or Costco brand grain free, salmon (orange bag, not their maint.). They all run around $20 for a large 14 or 16lb bag. When I switched to Rachel Ray, my cats were all completely new cats within a week: tons of energy, playful, more affectionate, shiny coats, and ZERO throwing up.
Another solution
by: Anonymous

My almost-6-yr old cat had the same problem - randomly throwing up every time she ate. She used to eat little niblits at a time, so I knew she wasn't overeating or eating too quickly, so I did the same as another poster - a very lengthy and expensive process (with prescription diet!) later and she will still sometimes throw up randomly.

We tried feeding her multiple times in small portions, but our days get really hectic sometimes and that makes it pretty unhappy for her.

The other thing that we found helps really well is to feed her twice per day, but soak it in warm water first. This helps it puff up so she seems to feel full faster and stops eating sooner. This has been a life-saver for us so that our busy lives don't make her suffer (she's a huge loaner and only wants interaction when it's food LOL!)

I hope this helps, if the other ideas didn't!!
Cat throwing up
by: Anonymous

My cat (8 years old, weighs 20lbs) used to get sick every single day, usually after eating his meals. I took him to the vet for this as I had tried several different foods- keeping him on the new foods for months at a time to ensure he had time to adjust- and nothing helped.

The vet checked him over $250 later and told me he is fine, and recommended portioning his food- along with purchasing a Hypo Allergenic food (I bought the Science Diet brand). An allergy test for cats runs a few hundred dollars, so that was not in my budget.

It's been 5 months that my cat has been on his food and I feed him around 4-5 times per day, equaling a total of a bit more than 1/2 a cup per day, but each time he is fed he gets very minimal amounts- since doing this his vomiting has reduced significantly!

He now throws up only if I over feed him or he gets at my other cats cheaper food after his meal is done.

Feeding your cat a tiny amount of food, several times per day (I feed when I wakeup, before I leave for work, once I am home, and twice in the night before bed), is a great way to decrease vomiting - but if the vomiting continues, consult a vet!

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