Does your cat have fur balls or something more serious?

Q: My healthy seven-year-old Persian cat is frequently sick. She seems fine, then suddenly vomits. She even wakes up to be sick. I don't think it is fur balls. What could it be?

A: First, it is more accurate to redefine this as regurgitation, a physical response by the gut to something that is not sitting quite right, forcibly removing it and feeling fine afterwards. Vomiting generally occurs because of a metabolic illness, with the cat uninterested in food afterwards, which is not the case here. Regurgitation can occur in animals who get excited at meal times and eat too quickly. Feed your Persian in smaller portions to see if it helps. It's also worth knowing that fur balls don't only present in the cat bringing up actual balls of fur. It can be just a few strands of hair irritating the stomach lining, which leads to regurgitation. Try a fur ball remedy, obtained at your vet clinic and used two or three times weekly, then return to see the vet if this symptom continues.

Scott Miller, vet