My husband and I are at our wit's ends. We have four cats who throw up all over our house. We just moved into a brand new house, and I cannot tell you the arguments we have had over these cats. My husband just wants to get rid of them all. I know they can't help it, and I certainly don't want to just send them packing, but it is becoming SO stressful. I have tried the Nature's Miracle stuff, Resolve, and we have a carpet shampoo machine, but nothing seems to work, there is still a slight pink stain, no matter how much I rub. I have looked all over the web for non-dyed cat food and I know that would help, but I can't find any. Does anyone know of any food like that and/or ways to get these stubborn hairball stains out?? We paid alot of money for this house and the cats are just demolishing our carpets. I appreciate any suggestions- thank you so much!
my only 2 solutions are to get rid of the carpeting or get rid of the cats
There are actually several nondyed foods available. We are currently using Sam's club cat food and so far no issues with vomiting cats.
Other foods you can try are these:IAMS sensitive stomach,IAMS healthy naturals,Purina One has one for sensitive stomachs,and Purina Cat Chow Naturals. Those are a few we have used with ours. They have done good on all of them. Science Diet also has one for sensitive stomach.
As for getting the stains out that is tough been there and done that too. But here are a few things that might work. Club soda..pour on stain and rub a little. Then blot it all up. There is also vinegar. Again pour on stain(be generous) cover with a towel and stand or step on to blot it up. The vinegar route has worked for me several times. And last shaving cream the white foamy stuff not the gel. Spray a glob of it on the stain and rub in with a brush or towel. Then let it dry and vacuum up after.
Not saying they will work but worth a shot to try at least. I know the vinegar trick has worked for me. Also great for laundry.
We use Iams cat food hairball formula and it has worked wonders. It is more expensive but worth it not to have the hairball problem.
So sorry! All I know is that Iams is a really good brand, and a friend of mine noticed it seemed to go down better with his cats.
Nature's Miracle is about the best. Spray it on and let it sit for a bit. Then use a brush to scrub it. A lot of the carpet cleaner stuff will leave a residue that shows up in a few days. It will also show up if you have the carpet cleaned.
I would go to Pet Smart or some other pet place and get a good food. Iams and Science Diet are the ones my vet recommends. Look for one with a hairball formula or for sensitive stomachs.
This will sound strange but one thing I found that helped with hairballs was butter. Get the unsalted real butter. Cats love it. I put a dish with a stick of butter someplace near their food. They will lick the butter which lubricates the hairballs and helps them to digest them. Just put the dish somewhere so the neighbors won't think you are strange and the kids won't get into it. LOL
If all else fails, talk to your vet for recommendations.
I know you paid a lot of money for the house, but when you got the cats, you made a commitment to their lives, so I applaud you for not going the route your husband is steering you. I work in animal rescue, and I can tell you you have no chance of finding a home for four cats right now. We have so many, we have zero cages, and many in shelters and rescues die because they pine away living in cages, or they get exposed to the new cats coming in (and of course the ones in shelters are euthanized).
I also appreciate that you are okay with hairballs, and realize they come with the cats, but you just want some dye free foods. I haven't read the other responses yet, but I can definately help you there. Assuming you are in the OKC metro area, go to a specialty feed store or pet store. There is one on the south side of the city - can't remember the name of it, but it is a pet store in a strip mall in the parking lot of the huge Homeland (Penn/104th area - sorry I'm not any help on that one if you don't know the area already), and there is one called Britton Feed and Seed on Britton, just east of Western. There are a few others, but those two are the ones I'm familiar with.
What you are looking for is a brand like Eagle Pack, Felidae, or Merrick (Wellness). They carry other brands that are also very good. Neither of these particular stores carries the crap that the discount stores sell, ALL of which is not good for your cats due to the fillers and allergens. Science Diet and Iams are just overpriced foods that are not worth the hype. The only reason vets carry SD and recommend it is because they make money off of it. All of the brands I mentioned will keep your cats healthier, you will have fewer hairballs, there is no dye, they will eat less, the cats will probably live longer (don't tell your hubby that!), and you will have fewer vet bills. The price is usually equal to or LESS than SD and you have much better quality food. Look it up on the internet under a keyword such as "quality of pet foods" - of course be sure no particular brand is sponsoring the site.
Good luck, and feel free to e-mail me. And congratulations on the new upcoming baby!
Try Chicken Soup for the cat lovers, they have dry and wet food, no dye, no presevatives.
Holly
We feed our six cats Purina Indoor formula, which reduces hairballs, so there's less throwing up to deal with.
As for the stain, when I worked as a vet tech, we used straight hydrogen peroxide for body fluid stains. Pour straight on the stain, let it bubble up, BLOT, don't scrub, then flood it with water and keep blotting with a towel until it's as dry as you can get it.
Get rid of them !!!! Or, make them outside cats. I work for a restoration company - I have seen houses become condemned over cats (more than 4) But, it really isn't worth it. It is unhealthy for you and your family and will end up costing you a lot of money if you let it continue. Also, the odor will sit in the slab - so no carpet cleaner is going to get rid of any residual odors. You would end up having to remove the carpet and seal the slab eventually. Good Luck.
I would pick my family over the cats and get rid of them! Also, do you want your children and their things rubbed through all the cat puke?
I would try for pets again when the kids are older.
You are going to have plenty to do with the two girls that you have, plus the new baby.
My husband had animals in the house before I met him ( dog, cat, snakes and rats) All but the cat and dog were gone when I met and married him. The dog was mostly outside, but the cat was indoor (declawed) and I knew that we couldn't just throw him outside. He passed away in the fall of 2006 ( just as I found out that I was PG with our daughter)
Since then, we are both totally against animals in the house. We are building a new house right now and both of us agree that there will never be an inside animal in there. You did pay alot of money for your house and money is hard to come by and I think it's wastful to let the cats ruin your carpet!!
Tawny S
Hi have 5 indoor cats. First cats usually throw up due to worms or hairballs which are both treatable at the vets office. Wal mart has a spray that gets all of the stain out. It is not a shampoo it a clear spray and you blot it up. I swear its almost like a miracle. It is called one spot I think. The can is silver and trimmed in blue and orange. Good luck!
Why are the cats throwing up? If you can figure out the reason, you can help solve the problem, otherwise you may have to keep them in their own (non carpeted) room or outside or worst case scenario, a cat rescue. I have 2 cats and a dog and they hardly ever throw up, but some are more prone to it than others.
I use Special Kitty Indoor formula to feed them, but have used other brands too. I also feed the long haired cat some prescription hairball paste, and brush and bathe him regularly to try and prevent hairballs.
Cats can throw up for various reasons, but here are a few you can check or have them checked for. Call your vet and ask him what could be causing the vomiting.
Sometimes cats vomit when they have worms. See a vet to get this checked out.
Overeating or eating too fast can cause it. Try feeding 2-3 times a day small amounts so they can not eat too much too fast. My cats let me know when they are hungry, so I feed on demand usually first thing in the morning and a small amount when I get home from work and once more before bed time.
Also allergies to their food or environment can cause it. You can have a vet try and find out if these allergies exist, or just try trial and error with foods.
Eating things they should not such as plastic, string, plants, or garbage can cause it, make sure these things are out of reach of the cats.
Maybe something will help, I know how much I love my kitties and how hard it would be to have to find them a new home. Good luck.
Check on the web with the Natural Pet Food Store. I can't remember the address off the top of my head, but they will definitely have what you are looking for.
My dog use to throw up a lot and I never knew why. Finally one day after using the swiffer wet jet my dog walk in it and as soon as he did he puked everywhere. I went online and read reviews and other people stated that their pets were having the same problems. There is and ingredient in the swiffer mop that is similar to antifreeze and when they get the wet jet liquid on their paws it makes them sick. My co-worker says her cat was having the same problem and she has stopped using it. So be very careful if you are using this mop. BGB
First, the thing that will definitely get the stains out is BLUEMAGIC, Carpet stain and spot lifter. It's actually made for cars. Nature's Secret is good at getting out urine odors, but not for getting rid of stains. We have a new house and this product is wonderful. My carpets look like new.
Are you sure it is fur balls that are making them throw up? There are many products that are supposed to help with fur balls, usually some kind if jelly. Supposedly cats are supposed to like the jelly, but I had to stick it in my cat's mouth. There are treats that help with fur ball elimination made by Whiskas which I find easier. If my cats throw up a fur ball they don't usually throw up much food with it. Have you asked a vet? My daughter's cat's used to throw fur balls up a great deal, but this has improved since we started them on the treats. There is also a great tool for combing them which helps to get lots of loose fur out, if you have the time. It's called a Furminator and is carried by WalMart, and probably by pet stores. It looks a little like a razor. It's wonderful. Much better than regular combs or brushes. My cats love to be groomed with it. Even if you can only do it once a week it will really make a difference.
One of my cats tends to throw up because his kidneys are getting old, which makes him have excess acid. I feed him fancy feast, which is expensive but has easier to digest protein. It's important for cats to have proper cat food, but in addition to having dry food available all the time (my older cat does better if he has small amounts all day and night) I often cook them a little poached chicken breast in the evening or hamburger. I chop it finely and it seems easier to digest. I hope this helps.
Valerie
Hey, Leslee! We have the same problem with one of our cats. His doc said that we could put Vasaline in with his food to help with the hairballs. Also, they say to brush kitty every day and that's supposed to help too. I just don't have time to do it. I'm like you in the kids department except they are all boys. The twins are due Nov/Dec. The Vasaline seemed to help him throw up less until the stress of the pregnancy and bedrest got to him. The orange spots are hard to get out of the carpet. I use a Bissell spot lifter and try to get it up immediately, then later when I vacuume, I use some Great Value (Walmart Brand) foaming spray that has to sit like 15 minutes and that usually does the trick. Don't feel bad, my hubby makes those threats too and even calls Max "Puker" but he knows Max is my favorite so he's not going anywhere. Hope this helps or at least lets you know you are not alone.
Hey Leslee,
Saw your post and while I can't offer a cleaning solution for the carpet(our kitties are outside), I have always found coughing, and vomiting hairballs to be hard on my cats. I have for years put a capful of vegetable oil on their food every 2-4 weeks. If helps to coat the tummy and hairball coughing has been long gone. This was the treatment of choice 20 years ago. You could ask your vet, but I would hink it is still recommended. Though if all of you cats are vomiting frequently, there maybe a trigger you need to investigate.
Best Wishes,
-MB
I don't have any tips about the carpets, but you said the cat puke has a pinkish stain - do you think it could maybe be blood-tinged and maybe there is something toxic the cats are licking or eating that is causing the stomach to bleed? Just wondering if you had mentioned the pink hue to the vet, or maybe it's just hairballs and dyed food like you said, or if it is something like they are sick - if that's the case, if you treat that then maybe they'd stop throwing up and that would help your carpet problem? I feed my cats an indoor cat formula that also is supposed to help with hairballs and it seems to work usually. But my two cats have both recently begun throwing up a LOT these last three days and they usually don't do much hairball throwing up AT ALL, so I am taking mine to the vet tomorrow to make sure they aren't sick or poisoned! (such as from tainted cat food from China like what was in the news last year, licking cleaner or polish off floors and furniture, licking the toxic stuff in carpet fibers, etc.). I do have a friend that has cats who pee on the carpet, just at night, so at night she locks them in the kitchen and utility room area so they don't get on the carpet, but during waking hours they are of course allowed in the rest of the house to play with and socialize with the family. I'm not suggesting keeping yours cooped up in the non-carpet areas all the time, that's not fair to them, but maybe when you aren't there to watch them you could try it. And by the way, I didn't know cat food had dye in it, thanks for the tip! I will be looking for non-dyed kind myself, because I don't think humans or animals should ingest artificial dyes. Thanks and good luck! I hope your problem gets better so you, your family, and your cats can all coexist happily!
New House Sick Cats - B E W A R E - you might want to have the house check, gases, chemicals, before any one in the family gets sick.
God Bless