Pet/Cat Issues

There is a paste that comes in a tube at most big-box pet supplies stores. I believe it is called CatLax or something similar. There may even be more than one brand by now. You give the cat a dollop (it's liver-flavored or something cat friendly like that) and it is supposed to help dissolve the hairballs so they don't puke them up. My mom has a ragdoll (very long hair) and it has always worked well for her. Good luck!

Sounds like kitty needs to be groomed (or trimmed) as well as fed a diet that is better for hairballs. A visit to the vet would be good and also clean the litter box daily.

I would take her to the vet just to have her checked out. Since she is older, they will probably run blood tests. Vomiting is actually normal for cats, to a certain extent. Is she vomiting hair balls? Keeping her groomed can help with that. Also maybe a trim on the tush could help with the stool issues.

Since you have had her so long and you know that this is not her normal behavior, give your vet a call and give your sweet kitty a big hug!

We've had 2 cats that lived until they were 14 1/2 and 1 month shy of 15 years. As they got older they began to have health problems. A visit to the vet is the first thing. Make sure they do not have any health issues causing problems or allergies. Allergies to cat food ingredients is far more common then people know! Chicken and corn being high allergens. Small amounts of vomiting is completely normal, if it's a lot it's not. If the cat has looser stools and is tracking it because of that then you also have a health issue. Very long haired cats (such as our Maine Coon and her cross breed kittens that we have) can have issues with stool getting stuck in the hind quarter fur because it's super long. We will occasionally bring our Maine Coon in to have them trim the fur shorter. But we find if they're eating the right food they don't get it as bad, if at all. We were recently forced to change cat foods as the special diet one they were on was discontinued by the company. Our first choice for a replacement caused 2 of our 4 to get very loose stools without actually being diarrhea. We just got a different new choice and the situation has improved substantially.
We had our older ones when our kids were little and we now have 4 cats with a 10, 7 & 22 month old. The 22 month old has learned from day one to leave things like that alone and always does.
I would take her in to see the vet and go from there. We loved our oldest 2 until they became too sick and then we let them go. We just took care of them and having the kids around was just something we dealt with. My kitties were my babies long before my human babies came around and they deserved to be cared for, vomit, poop and all :)

First, a visit to the vet would be a good idea to make sure there isn't anything medical going on. But, from the sound of it, I'm thinking hairballs are the issue with the vomiting. It's very common. You can buy products at most pet supply stores that can help move hairballs through, I even feed my cats a food formulated to help hairballs. For the poop sticking to her fur, trim it up. A sanitary trim (around the privates) is a great way to prevent the transfer of poop.

Ah, how we love out Kitties. I am sitting here with my old male cat on my lap who is currently sick (and under the vets care) and thinking about how much I love this silly animal.

All cats get hairballs - a side effect of grooming. I feed mine Iams hair ball control formula. It is more expensive than, say, Purina, but less expensive than Science Diet, and Target often has it on sale. With that being said, my vet has instructed me to take my old male kitty off of it because it has a higher fat content and it is harder for the liver to process (and he is having liver probs right now). Since he is sooo sick right now, I am feeding only Science Diet WD, canned food. If he improves he will switch to the WD dry. I just feed him separate from the other kitties right now and instead of leaving food out all day they are all getting fed two/three times a day in separate rooms. It is a pain to separate the cats and feed them, but after a couple of days they get used to it and it becomes easier.

As far as I know, Science Diet will not "cure" hairballs - but since there are several formulas, there are some types that are easier for cats to digest, which becomes especially important in our older Kitties. Most commercial foods have higher fat, magnesium, and crude protein contents than Science Diet and this can cause stomach, stool, liver, and kidney problems in older cats. I have had cats on and off SD for years, and while pricey, I find that it really is a superior cat food and has helped many of my cats, through the years, be healthier and/or recover from illnesses. I am resigned, at this point, to having at least two cats on it for the remainder of their lives. I just will not eat out as often in order to purchase their food. LOL

Also, I remember, years ago, my vet (I think) gave me a medicine in a tube, that helped cats pass hairballs, thereby limiting the vomiting caused by hairballs. Check with your vet again, or check at PetSmart. I know there are other treatments out there.

Oh, when you take her to the vets ask them to clip the hair around her, ahem, backside. Long hairs are prone to the problem and buzzing the hair there and on the underside of her tail will help keep her clean.

Good Luck and God Bless you and your kitties (and your little dog too!!!)

I used to give my cats Iams hairball but then I read about the different types of cat food and Science Diet and Iams contain a lot of filler and chicken by-product. I now feed my kitties Nature's Recipe.

I think scooping the box once a week isn't often enough. I scoop mine daily, I can get away with ever-other-day.

I changed my litter to Swheat Scoop, it's made of natural wheat and it cut down on the puking. Cats get bits of the clay litter on their fur, and then when they lick their fur it can contribute to puking. I also use a hairball remedy as opposed to hairball food. We use Petromalt, it comes in a tube and you put a bit on their paw and they lick it off.

A trim around her booty would probably help as well!

Gotta love our kitties!

One of my older cats has been a "puker" for most of his life. I have tried many of the hairball products and foods, but the problem only seemed to get worse. When I started feeding him Science Diet Senior food, the puking all but stopped. Every now and then he will still puke, but it's when he gets into something that he shouldn't be into. We currently have two cats and our litter box really needs to be picked out every day or it is just too messy for them. We use Fresh Step scoopable litter and it takes me all of 2 minutes to clean each morning. Best stuff ever!! I agree with the others that having your cat's behind trimmed up a bit might help with the problem. If that is something that you don't think that you can do, Lakeside groomer at Canal and Schoenherr is just wonderful with cats and is very reasonably priced. We use them quite often.
K

I have a long-hair tabby who has similar problems. She also has thyroid issues. I change her litter daily, and have her shaved by groomer. That really cuts down on the hairballs. Consider that. They look funny shaved, but it sure beats all the hairballs and matted fur.

My kitties tend to puke too - but only after they're been outside and eat grass. Apparently they eat grass to make their stomaches feel better when they're hungry. I notice they puke when I don't get to feed them at a regular interval when I'm in a super busy mode. Try to feed them more frequently - but in smaller amounts?

As for the stool in his/her fur - yuck - that is a tough one. Every cat I've ever had has been a domestic shorthair so it's never been an issue. Maybe you can get the fur around his/her butt trimmed? or do it your self when she's peacefully reclining in your lap? check with your vet - see what he had to suggest.

When I eventually had to get my old, original kitty put to sleep cuz she had cancer and was in pain it was heartbreaking. She had been the patient and kind kitty when my kids were babies and toddlers mauling her with love, etc. But now we have two "new" characters - and they are equally loved (& tolerated when they puke).

Go to Mantis Pet Supply in Ypsi and buy EVO. Or, if that's too pricy, Taste of the Wild. Also make sure she's healthy and doesn't have Cancer or something; I got my first cat when I was five and we had to put her to sleep when I was 22 because she couldn't eat or drink anything. Good luck.

Do she have long fur? Is it hairballs that she is puking up? You can buy hairball remedy stuff to help that. Is the poop stuck to the fur by her butt? You could trim that fur. Have someone help hold her and just take the scissors to it - watch out for her tail!

I have a 13yr old persian mix and have had similar problems with the puke. About 5yrs ago I started getting her shaved. She's happier, I'm happier...there are no more hairballs and the puke is SOOO much less. I also feed her Chicken Soup Senior Hairball Formula dry food. I'm sure that helps but getting her shaved has made the biggest difference.

I also change the litter every day. My cat is picky and if there is too much dirty litter she won't use it...it's really not so bad if you can find a way to incorporate it into your daily schedule.

The puking if greenish or clear may be due to the food you are feeding them. Commercial brands have way too many grain fillers and it's not natural for cats to have SO MUCH of it. If you can find a somewhat affordable brand that has meats as the first 3-4 ingredients and has at least 38% protein content - you will probably have a better outcome. I was using Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover brand and it was great. I had 6 cats at the time and could keep up with the higher price tag. Now I have 13 cats and I've had to revert them sadly to a cheaper and much more inferior commercial brand just so I can afford to feed them.

Also, growing wheat grass in small heavy square planters for the cats to graze on would be beneficial to their digestive tracts too.

Maybe the problem is 'sibling rivalry' You've had your cat forever and all of a sudden, in the mind of an elderly cat, there's competition for attention.

There are products to help with hairball issues. You may want to switch to an organic food. The throwing up may be a sign the food's wrong for the cat's sensitive stomach. Try Whole Foods or Better Health for organic. It could ultimately help emotionally. An old cat might not be getting enough oxygen or whatever might be causing a 'glitch' in the brain. Good diet would possibly help. Plus having its own food would bring back some of the attention its had to share. You'd be focusing on this cat specifically.

As far as litter, after reading some of the other answers, be careful with scoopable litter. Like someone said it can get into the fur or the paws, cats lick themselves, and scoopable can ultimately 'add up' and accumulate. I heard one vet talk about finding quite a sizable amount of scoopable in the stomach of a cat having gastric troubles.

Have you used the hairball "medicine"? Its in a tube - you put it on your finger and the cat licks it off. (Smells and looks like brown sugar) My cat loved it and it solved the hairball problem.

I give my kitties 1/2 tsp of butter everyday and it helps alot to keep the hairballs to a minimum. The added plus is that they LOVE it and consider it a treat.

I had a problem with one of my cats who was overweight. She had the poopy butt problem, but after she lost weight, she was able to groom herself properly and that problem resolved. Before it resolved, though, I would take a paper towel and wet it with warm water and a little liquid handsoap and wash her butt. I know that is gross but it seemed to help her and made me worry less about it getting on things.

They have special diets for cats with stomach and/or hairball issues. Have you looked into that?

Try giving hair ball stuff - we use Defurum in a tube from Petsmart - squeeze about an inch out and it helps clear the hair thu so it comes out in the poop not puked back up

I have two cats ones older than the other. One has poop issues and now thyroid issues so its on meds twice a day and still deal with occasionally leaving poop around. On top of it i have a little one 11 month with one on the way. I also have another that is a dog-cat. he eats everything they scope out the table at dinner like a dog would n than pukes after words. So completely understand what your facing. My luck they puke downstairs by the box but sometimes it is up stairs but all i can suggest is maybe taking her to the vet to see why she does this and also maybe enforcing in your toddler tohelp mommy out and if she sees either poop or puke to come tell you and try not to let baby play in it. Good luck