Cat's Stomach Pain, Vomiting, a Matter of Urgency

Bring your cat to any available vet when your cat vomits excessively and appear to have stomach pain.

By Arnold Plotnick, DVM | Posted: March 23, 2012, 8 a.m. EST

Cat Vomiting and Pain Could Mean Pancreatitis

Q: My 11-year-old house cat has been vomiting for the last five hours (four times so far). When I try to touch her stomach, she cries in pain. I changed her dry food three days ago, but her moist food and treats are the same as always. She wants nothing to eat or drink. I tried to coax her to drink some water, with no success.

In checking her litterbox, I can see that the stool is soft, but not runny. I was going to give her some tuna "juice" but have not as of yet.

Unfortunately, all vets in my area are closed on the weekends. What can I do for her? She is normally a very healthy cat. She had a full check-up three weeks ago.

A: You are going to have to call the nearest vet who is open and drive your cat there for some medical attention. A cat's persistent vomiting and abdominal pain are signs that something is surely amiss, and even though your cat received a clean bill of health three weeks ago, something has obviously developed between then and now.

Abdominal pain could be a sign of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) or pyelonephritis (inflammation and infection of the kidneys). A sudden change in your cat's diet will sometimes cause a cat to have some vomiting or diarrhea, but these are usually mild and of no real consequence. Your cat sounds much sicker than you'd expect with a simple case of gastroenteritis. Check the internet for the nearest 24-hour veterinary facility in your area.

See more causes of cat vomit here >>