Suggestion is to get to the bottom of why the cat is throwing up. Surely there is a cause. If your vet can't find it, he/she needs to look further. However, to me it sounds as if you are not amenable to getting to the bottom of it???? If the cat means something to SO, perhaps you could help him find the root of the problem?

If it were just hairball, it shouldn't smell and there are products for that at a petstore.

Did you cat have bloodwork? How old is the cat?

As for cleaning, what about some disinfectant in warm water and clean the spot thoroughly then use papertowels to really dry the area?

Good luck.

The cat eats so much that she pukes...there are two cats here and it's just too impossible to keep an eye on what she eats all the time. There's nothing wrong with her except she's so dumb she doesn't know when she's full! We have cleaned and cleaned and cleaned the spots and there is still odor...the wet vomit sinks in deeply and without taking the sofa apart(which is not an option), there's no getting to the root of the smell. The cat is about 6 or so and has always done this since she was a kitten.

I once had a Sphynx cat that would do this. She would eat so fast and so much she would vomit. At the time I had 3 cats. I seperated the Sphynx for feeding, placed her in the bathroom, gave her half her food waited a while and gave her the the other half. While this seems like a process when put into practice it really doesn't take that much extra time. Certainly no more then a few extra minutes out of your day.

As for the odor, have you contacted a professional upholostry cleaner? DH & I own / operate a Building Mainteance Company (it's one way to put yourself through college :-). Febreeze & other products of this nature don't work because they are just attempting to mask the odor. What you need is an enzyme based carpet spotter that is safe for upholostry. Try contacting your local commercial janitorial supply store or search online.

Personally, I only use Bridgepoint / Interlink products for carpet / upholostry care. The link below will take you to a website that sells Bridgepoint to the public, as the manufacturer does not.

In the meantime try using vineager with an extract like mint added. Spray over the effected area. This works well with urine.

Good Luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Bridgepoint Products

Because you said she is overeating I would suggest feeding her two small meals a day, separately from the other cat so she doesn't feel she has to wolf it down.

Our cat vomits when the dogs frighten her, so if you can put her in a safe comfortable place when you feed her she may vomit less.

jerri

I don't think she's dumb. If you put out food for the cat to graze on all day, you are asking for the behavior that you are complainig about. I am wondering if you aren't the one not using common sense?

If the cat eats too much, it's because you feed her too much. You are the controller of the food. She can't get her own food, right? Feed her wet food 2x per day. That's it. One can - split it up 1/2 can a.m., 1/2 can p.m.

It is possible to keep an eye on what she eats. Don't put out a bowl of dry for the multiple cats to graze on. When she finishes her wet, take the bowl away, wash it and don't fill it again until dinner. That's all there is to it. It's not as if she's raiding the fridge at all hours of the day for food?

I suggest you feed your other cat the same way in order to avoid that cat becoming obese.

I have 3 cats, one is a fatty. I've never heard of a cat eating until it threw up especially on a regular basis. I would think the vet would make similar suggestions regarding feeding to avoid the problem in the future.

Get a professional upholstry cleaner in. They use a cleaner that has sanitizer in it to get the stains and smell out. I know all about it, they just left my house since my old gal (12 yr. old lab) had a bout of vomiting for a few days this week. Just paid over $100 to have the carpet in my office cleaned. Did I want to put the money out, no, but it is part of having an animal. They get sick and you have to have it professonally cleaned if you want it done properly.

Your tone is rather disturbing to me when you talk about this particular cat. Is the other cat yours as well, or is that SO's cat? Does SO know that you don't like the cat? Maybe you could rehome her to a family that is looking for an animal to love and care for properly.

Put attractive, washable throws on the furniture. And cut way back on what you're feeding the cat. Portion control. Cats don't just eat until they throw up to aggravate you.

At the risk of starting a dog/cat disagreement, I just wanted you to know that I have been self feeding my dogs for twenty years without any difficulty what so ever. It is not you who is the problem, but the animal/cat in question.

As to the aroma/stench generated by the vomit, there are several products in any good pet products store that may work. I currently prefer a product called Nature's Miracle which does a wonderful job of eliminating organic smells. No need to dismantle the furniture.

Good luck!

ark_girl... you already confessed to hating cats so I think you have to take the high road.. not only for the cats sake, but for your SO, who is attached to the cat. And as a responsible pet owner, it's your's and his duty to figure out the problem and how to deal with it.

I disagree with simpleman and believe you -are- the problem. Not all animals eat only what they need. As others suggested, don't free feed a cat that will eat until it throws up. 2 small meals a day as suggested. If overfeeding is the problem, then it's safe to say it will stop. If it continues then you know something more serious needs attention.

I don't think your SO's cat is dumb at all, perhaps the opposite. Maybe she prefers to have him to herself and hopes her behavior will make you move out. *hehe*

Anyway, good luck and please.. give the kitty a break. Pukey cats need love, too! :)

The cat probably senses you hate her.lol..I agree with feeding her 1/2 can twice a day. You control the food. I have eight indoor cats and one eats so fast she sometimes throws up a little bit but on the whole I have very little puking going on. And if they do, it doesn't smell..usually just a furball. Are you sure she's well?

We have a cat that does this sometimes as well and he's perfectly healthy. He was a shelter kitten; apparently the mother was killed before the kittens were weaned and they were all growth stunted when they were brought into the shelter. We we adopted our cat, he was 6 months old and about the size of a six week old kitten. He eventually caught up and them some, but he's prone to wolfing his food. I joke that we should have named him Scarlett, because he's clearly planning never to be hungery again. He will sometimes eat too much too fast and throw up, luckily on the wood floors. It doesn't smell like vomit though, just like wet cat crunchies. Which is not very nice.

Do you know if the food is the same as the cat was fed before? Another kind of food may help as well.

I had a cat that would eat so fast she would throw up as well, and it didn't matter how much I fed her, even when I tried to limit how much she was intaking she would wolf it down and then puke anyway, so I tried switching around cat food, fancy feast was the only canned cat food I could give her that wouldn't make her puke, and seems the real reason she was eating so fast to begin with was because she was hungry, as she wasn't able to keep anything down there was nothing in her tummy! once she started keeping food down she stopped eating so fast and I was then able to keep the dry out all the time for her to graze on:)

Cats are true carnivores. Their digestive systems have developed to digest raw meat. Many cats have problems with dry and even canned cat food...vomiting, loose stools, IBS, colitis, urinary tract problems, etc. Their digestive systems are reacting to a diet not meant for them. If you are interested in trying a raw meat diet for your cats, google search for "raw meat diet cats" and you will find many sites explaining how to make it. It saved my one cat's life (serious colitis) and reversed severe obesity in my other cat. (Went from 22 lbs. to 14 lbs)Good Luck.

The gulping fast eating, followed by puking can create a very hungry kitty that then gulps more and eats even faster... its a sad vicious cycle.

I think there are some great suggestions here, switching foods, controlling food, (feed her one kibble at a time over several hours to get her past her hunger and then gradually increase the amount), isolate her in an easy to clean room until after she has puked.

Raw food is great for this situation too, Raw meat cannot be gulped as it has to be torn and chewed. Raw isn't for everyone, but if you are interested in feeding raw check out www.naturesmenu.com. I think if you start raw, you would still need to start small, a little bit at time until she gets past hungry, then start increasing the food.

You probably will need to seperate your cats when you feed them. You cannot free feed one cat, while the other cat gulps everything down. Free feeding is over for your kitties.

As for odors, have you tried simple solution, its an enzymatic cleaner, great for pet odors. You can get it at almost any pet store.

I am serious when I say everything has been tried! Although the raw meat has not...that's about the only thing never tried. My BF used to feed this cat a tiny spoon full of food every couple hours closed away in her own private domain...the whole day was devoted to feeding a cat...it was total silliness!!!!! Still she would puke anyway...I DO agree it's because of how fast she eats. When a person works all day long, you can't feed a cat every couple hours!

I really don't understand why cat foods are all full of fillers and junk because as the one poster said...they are TRUE carnivores!

Thanks for suggestion for deodorizers! I will be trying them soon!

Sometimes having pets and having a nice home are not simultaneously possible, LOL. How about training the cats to stay off the furniture with behavior mod or using "scat mats" or such?

The cat actually used to be trained to go to the litter box to vomit but she has just started to forget all her training? She's estimated to be about 7 but really she could be older so maybe she's starting to have dementia?

I agree with you gina...having pets and a nice house together at the same time is extremely difficult if not impossible...the problem is I'm a neat FREAK!!!!! My nose is extremely sensitive and what my BF doesn't smell at all is totally grossing me out...HAHA!

7 is not that old for a cat so I doubt her abandoning her "training" is age related. More likely it's stress related or just due to being in a new place. Feliway plugin's or spray (available at pet stores) helped our cat who stresses (licks bald spots) when we added a new cat.

As for food, you can try to find innova evo (www.naturapet.com) - it's a filler free food designed for people who would like to feed raw but don't have the time. I also would stop the free feeding and feed the cats 2-3 times a day. If nothing else, it should stop the puking at all hours and get things on a schedule of sorts... Free feeding works great for some pets, not so great for others. I have a dog who would eat himself to death and one that would do great.

For odors, I've had success with Capture carpet cleaner and I know they make one for upholstery. We foster dogs so have had our shares of accidents and all have cleaned up well. :) Sears and Lowes carry it.

arkansas_girl....In your original post you stated that you are at your wits end. In your next to last post you stated that everything had been tried, EXCEPT RAW MEAT. I think you have nothing to lose and everything to gain to try the raw meat diet. There are places online that even sell it frozen in individual portions if you don't want to make it yourself. My cat has not vomited or had any digestive troubles at all since switching to raw meat. Hope you can at least give it a trial.

What I'm saying is that she may be older than 7(My BF just cannot remember when his EX girlfriend got her, there are vet records from as far back as 2000 that we found)...as for being in a new place...she has not been taken to anywhere new and the other cat is not new either...he's at least 7 too. My BF has lived in this same place for 11 years! That natural food is interesting...may have to try that.

I know you said that everything has been tried except the raw food. However, when was the last time you brought the cat to the vet? Did you talk to the vet to disscuss this particular issue - did you go back to the vet to work with them on it as a chronic issue? Did you actually try the specialty prescription foods through your vet - i.e. I/D, Low Residue, etc. Does the vet agree with your diagnosis - the cat eats too fast? You mention that but then also mention that your BF used to feed it slow and he still threw up?? Or is that a different cat? If you could answer those questions specifically it might be easier to help.

I am also a neat freak and have a cat that has IBD - so well familiar with cats throwing up on things. We have been lucky and have always been able to remove it - usually using Resolve on the carpet. We did have one spot on a sofa that had to be professionaly steam cleaned. Our cat will probably be on pred for the rest of his life - we tried taking him off and he began to loose weight. His vomiting is now under control - but we have to keep a careful eye on his weight and if he starts to vomit again. We have used the prescription cat foods at times to calm his stomach. He was also taking pepcid AC for a prolonged period of time - but I would not recommend giving this to a cat without a vets recommendation (dosage and monitoring is very important).

arkansas_girl and silvergold, I think you both would greatly benefit by trying the raw diet with your cats. Even if you bought the frozen food instead of making it yourself, the cost works out to about $1.00/day per cat....that's $30.00/month. Add up all the vet bills, medications, special cat foods (which don't work), cleaning supplies, etc that you have spent over the years and $30.00/month doesn't sound so bad. It's worth a try, and you and your cats will be very happy and healthy. P.S. Our vet told us that our cat would have to be on prednisone for the rest of her life, which is a drug with many side effects adversely affecting the cat....that's when I looked for an alternative on the web and found out about a species specific raw diet for cats and am ever grateful I found the information. I am passing this along to you in hopes that you too will try it and be amazed by the results.

Hi maureen - actually he rarely eats the special foods anymore. They are on hand 'just in case'. He still takes pred which will continue for now - to ease any pain. We have reduced the dossage - half of a pill now. We will probably at some point try reducing it again to 1/4 - we tried during the summer and he seemed to loose weight again. As for the pepcid, DH took him off of it this past summer - we did use it again briefly in Nov/Dec but he is off of it again. The issue with food for this cat, is he is extremely picky. Most of the time he insists on eating what his 'brothers' eat - prescription diet cat food!! Is it ideal? No, but he eats it and is maintaining weight on it. He seems to instinctivly know when he needs to eat the special cat foods as he will when he is having problems.

I may sometime try the raw foods, but would worry he may not eat them either. He does not like cooked meat, so not sure if raw would make the difference. (No - we don't normally give our cats cooked meat)

Yes, ask about the Pepcid. Our vet recently put my oldest dog on it and it has helped greatly. I don't know if they use it in cats, but you could ask. She's also eating low residue food for two weeks. She will slowly go back on the Nutro Sensitive Stomach (for dogs). Have you checked out the sensitive stomach foods. There are some good ones in the event you feel that raw feeding wouldn't fit your lifestyle.

Pepcid AC is ok for cats - just think it is important to work with a vet to determine the correct dossage and verify that something else isn't a problem. Also, you have to make sure it is regular Pepcid AC - not the 'complete'formula.

I used to have a cat that was very sensitive to any colored pieces of food. If he got anything with colors in it then he would throw up a lot. Seems like I remember Nature's Recipe was one he did very well on. For the stains and odors try Nature's miricle or See Spot Go.

Lisa

As far as the deodorizers mentioned...have you guys actually used these before and know they work good? And are safe for upholstery use? I need something that doesn't really have a smell...one that just eliminates the stink!

There is a product called odor elimanator (I think that is what it is called) it is in a clear bottle with green lettering. That is the product I used when my 5 year old would get up in the middle of the night go sleep on my couch and then wet the couch. I know cat urine is stronger, but I know this was the only thing I could find that would get rid of the urine smell. I know it is safe for upolstery, that is why I mentioned it, another thing it is not that high (4 bucks per bottle) but everytime you squirt it the level goes down, but it was so worth it to me:)

Nature's Miracle or Simple Solution are bacterial and enzymatic solutions that "eat" and "digest" the organic matter left behind. It will eat a blueberry stain entirely off a cotton shirt if you keep it damp with the solution for a few days. All the yellow bile stains come right off the cream carpet in our house when the dogs vomit when we are not around and we find it dried on the carpet later. Only use water on the spot before using these solutions, do not use cleansers, etc. Get off what you can with water and paper towels, then soak it with the solution and follow the instructions.

I have used both Nature's Miracle and Simple Solution. I think they both are effective at removing pet odors. I prefer the slight odor of Simple Solution over Nature's Miracle, though both have very minimal odors.

For tough spots, sometimes I have to soak the area down and let it set, to let the solution work its way into the material.

Do I buy Nature's Miracle or Simple Solution from a Pet Shop?

Pet stores have it and so do some vets.

Yes to controlling the food intake and separation at feeding time.

Even with smaller amounts IF she eats too fast and the problem continues, try putting/mixing in rocks (about several inches in diameter) with her food. I can assure you she WON'T eat the rocks, but will have to take time to move them around to get to the food and it will slow her down. Do watch closely though the first several times and adjust number of rocks/size to determine what works best.

Had to do this with my horse once who was bolting food during rehab from surgery. Worked like a charm....in fact, I think she missed the ROCK GAME after she recovered!

What a great idea with the rocks...when I watch her eat, it's absolutely ridiculous how she eats...she crams her face into to bowl and opens her mouth as wide as she can and just gulps the food down...I'll bet the rocks would absolutely solve the problem because she could no longer eat in this manner! I bet it was hard for your horse to eat around rocks! ;)

Just wondering how everything worked out. Did u find a way to subside the problems?