Why Does My Maine Coon Throw Up?

Yuck! Why does my Maine Coon throw up? … Well, before you panic it is important to understand that Maine Coon vomit is more common than you think.

Cats have a more delicate gastrointestinal system than humans, and throwing up is typically an indicator that they have eaten too quickly, or are not being fed a proper diet. Low-quality cat food can contain certain byproducts that are difficult for your cat to digest, which can result in your cat throwing up.

It’s definitely not uncommon for cats to throw up every so often. For some cat owners, cleaning up a spot of vomit becomes almost routine, if a bit inconvenient.

While throwing up is typically an indicator of illness in humans, cats can throw up for a variety of reasons.

If you have found yourself wondering why does my Maine Coon throw up, this article will give you an in-depth explanation for all the different possible reasons.

While a low-quality diet is the most common reason for vomiting in cats, there are still a host of other possible causes, as well.

Read on to discover why your cat might be throwing up, as well as how you can prevent it and when you might need to seek veterinary assistance.

Maine Coon Vomiting

Before we cover the reasons why your cat might vomit, let’s first take a look at what throwing up is and what it looks like.

In general, cat vomit can fall into two different categories:

Chronic
Acute

Chronic vomiting is when your cat throws up somewhat regularly, at least once a month and up to once or twice every day.

Acute vomiting is when a cat who does not regularly throw up suddenly begins to do so.

When a cat vomits, it will retch a few times before expelling a liquid substance.

Cat vomit is usually clear, white, brown, or yellow, and these different colors can be indicative of different causes.

Yellow, white, and clear vomit are typically regurgitated from an empty stomach.

White and clear vomit can also be a result of a cat regurgitating from the esophagus rather than from the stomach.

Brown vomit could be from eating brown food, but it could also be caused by internal bleeding.

We will cover the answer to the question of why does my Maine Coon throw up, in the next section of this article.

Causes Of Maine Coon Throwing Up

If you’ve found that your Maine Coon is throwing up, you will probably want to find a remedy to this situation.

Here are the main reasons that can cause a cat to vomit. These should help you quickly determine why does my Maine Coon throw up:

1. Poor Diet

This is possibly the most common cause of vomiting in cats.

Low-quality cat foods can contain byproducts such as bones and feathers which are extremely difficult for your poor cat to digest.

If you suspect that your cat is vomiting due to a poor diet, you should consider gradually weaning your cat onto higher quality food.

2. Diet Change

Cats can be quite sensitive to abrupt changes in diet. If you have just switched to new cat food, this is likely the underlying cause.

To treat this issue, try weaning your cat off the old food by mixing in portions of the new and old cat food together, then gradually decreasing the quantity of old food.

3. Hairballs

If you’ve ever felt your cat’s tongue, you’ll know that it’s quite rough; almost like sandpaper.

This is because cats’ tongues are specially designed to remove excess fur while they are grooming themselves.

Sometimes, however, this fur can build up, leading to a hairball that your cat cannot digest.

Owners can help their Maine Coon develop hairballs, by grooming their cat more frequently. This is especially the case during the shedding seasons of spring and summer.

This can help lessen the amount of hair that your cat is swallowing, and decrease the frequency of hairballs.

4. Eating Too Quickly

If your Maine Coon chows down on its food the moment it is fed, it is likely eating far too quickly.

Humans have a vertical esophagus, which means our food can go down more easily along with the help of gravity.

Cats, however, have a horizontal esophagus. If your cat eats too quickly, the food may hit your cats’ lower sphincter, causing your cat to promptly vomit up the food it just ate.

Owners can treat their Maine Coon by feeding their cat smaller portions of food at a time, to lessen the chance of vomiting.

5. Unhealthy Treats

If you feed your cat treats too frequently, or you give your cat human food, your cat could be prone to vomiting.

Treatment involves only feeding your Maine Coon food that is specially designed for cats, as well as the occasional treat.

6. Allergies

Your cat may also be vomiting due to a food allergy.

Some common cat allergies include:

Corn
Seafood
Preservatives
Artificial Colorings

If you suspect your cat might be allergic to the food it is eating, you should experiment with different types of foods.

Take note of which foods cause your cat to vomit, so you can narrow down a list of possible food allergies.

Once you determine that a certain food causes an allergic reaction, you should, of course, abstain from giving that food to your cat.

7. Toxic Plants

If you have an outdoor cat, your Maine Coon may be eating plants that are toxic to it, such as chrysanthemums, daffodils, and lilies.

If your cat is only allowed indoors, you may still have toxic houseplants.

To fix this issue, do some research to determine which plants are safe and unsafe for your cat.

If you have plants indoors that are toxic, consider getting rid of the plant, or spray it with citrus oils so that your cat is discouraged from eating it.

8. Inedible Objects

Your cat might swallow an inedible object such as small toys or string, or perhaps bones and feathers if your cat hunts outdoors.

To prevent this from ever happening, make sure small objects are kept out of your cat’s reach.

If you suspect your cat has swallowed a foreign object but is unable to vomit it up, you should take your cat to the vet.

9. Diabetes

Diabetic cats can also be prone to vomiting.

Once diabetes is developed, the condition is permanent, so you should take proper precautions to avoid diabetes in the first place.

If you suspect your cat may be diabetic, you should take it to the vet right away.

If your cat already has diabetes, the best you can do is to monitor your cat’s diet closely and to provide all the required treatments recommended by your vet.

10. Poison

Vomiting can be induced by the consumption of certain poisons, including antifreeze, herbicides, bleach, and certain human foods that are poisonous to cats.

If your cat is throwing up from consuming something poisonous, you need to take your cat to the vet right away to provide proper treatment.

11. Infectious Diseases

Heartworm, feline panleukopenia, and other infectious diseases can also cause vomiting.

Treatment: If your cat’s vomiting is also accompanied by lethargy, loss in appetite, and other symptoms, it’s time to seek help from a vet.

12. Medications

If your cat is on certain medications to treat certain diseases or conditions, it can also cause vomiting.

Owners suspecting this issue are advised to discuss the symptoms with their vet, to see if there are any different medications you can use, instead.

13. Organ Dysfunction

Vomiting may be caused by certain diseases of the liver, kidneys, and pancreas. Keep a careful eye out for other possible symptoms that may indicate these diseases.

If this occurs, seek treatment from your veterinarian.

14. Obstruction

Hernias, tumors, and intussusception can all obstruct your cat’s bowels, leading to vomiting.

The solution is to seek treatment from your veterinarian.

15. Ulcers Or Gastric Inflammation

Sometimes vomiting can be a result of ulcers or inflammation of your cat’s gastrointestinal system.

Treatment: Seek treatment from your veterinarian.

16. Cancer

While rare, you shouldn’t rule out more serious underlying causes of vomiting. Keep an eye out for other changes in your cat’s health or behavior which may indicate cancer.

Treatment: Seek treatment from your veterinarian.

Warning Signs That Your Maine Coon Will Throw Up

It can be helpful to know the warning signs that your cat is about to vomit, so you can place your cat in an area that is easier to clean up after.

If your cat is about to vomit, it may drool, lick its lips more frequently, or find a place to hide.

Your cat will vomit either sitting or standing up and will begin to retch several times before finally expelling the contents of its stomach.

You will probably hear a hacking or gagging noise before your cat vomits, as well.

Keep your eyes and ears alert for these signs so you can relocate your cat to a tiled floor- stat!

When Should I Be Concerned?

We all care dearly for our cats, and it’s completely normal to feel nervous for your feline companion whenever it throws up.

However, throwing up is not always indicative of a serious underlying condition.

If your cat is vomiting but shows no other signs of being unhealthy, your cat is probably just fine.

Keep an eye out for the following symptoms, which may indicate a more serious issue:

Lethargy
Vomiting three or more times in a row
Loss of appetite
Rapid weight loss
Blood in vomit
Sudden and frequent vomiting for multiple days in a row
Diarrhea
Frequent urination

Conclusion

If you have been wondering why does my Maine Coon throw up, then you’re not alone. Vomiting can be a common occurrence with some cats, and it is not usually a cause for concern.

However, if you notice any other concerning symptoms that accompany your cat throwing up, it is time to take your cat to the vet.

It’s always important to take your cat in for regular checkups, and if you suspect that your cat may have an underlying condition, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.