Why Do Cats Throw up On Carpet? Cats throw up for a variety of reasons. If your cat is throwing up on the carpet, it could be because she has developed an intolerance to something in her food or because she has developed a hairball obstruction. Or, if you have recently changed her food and started feeding her at specific times throughout the day, it may just be that she missed breakfast and/or dinner time and is simply hungry.
It’s possible that your cat threw up on the floor instead of in her litter box because she doesn’t like the smell or feel of the litter in her mouth or because there was some kind of change with how clean the litter was or how much of it there was. You may also notice that your cat has a habit of throwing up on the carpet when she’s nervous.
It’s possible that your cat threw up on the floor instead of in her litter box because she doesn’t like the smell or feel of the litter in her mouth or because there was some kind of change with how clean the litter was or how much of it there was.
Cats can get sick from eating grass, so seeing your cat throw up outside her food bowl is a pretty normal thing to see if you have a pet lawn. There are usually no further symptoms once this happens other than maybe additional vomiting, but if not treated properly, cats may become dehydrated and/or lose weight as a result.
Some cats like to eat plants and may ingest poisonous ones such as lilies or tulips. If your cat is vomiting repeatedly, it’s best to take her to the veterinarian immediately.
The most common reasons why cats throw up on carpets are hairballs and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Hairballs happen when a cat grooms herself by licking and swallowing loose fur, which then accumulates into hard masses that can be vomited back up. A healthy cat will naturally throw up these masses of swallowed fur without any issues. But if the swallowed fur becomes too much for the cat to handle, she’ll vomit it onto your carpet instead of in her litter box so you can clean it up.
Vomiting is also a common sign of irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, in cats. If you notice your cat vomits on the carpet soon after eating, this could be because her stomach and intestines are not working properly. Your cat may have food sensitivities or allergies that are causing this issue with her digestive system.
As hairballs are the most common cause for vomiting on carpets, IBS is usually diagnosed when one or more other symptoms are present alongside the vomiting behavior. These additional symptoms include diarrhea, constipation, weight loss, and lethargy while urinating frequently. An accurate diagnosis can only be made through proper testing done by a veterinarian.
However, if you’ve ruled out hairballs and IBS and your cat is still vomiting on the carpet, she may be trying to tell you that something is wrong with her health.