Hi

A couple of weeks back... our cat Tilly stopped eating. From Monday to the Friday she didn't eat a thing - so obviously she went to the vets and they gave us this special food - the idea being that it's very nice food and it would get her back into eating again.

Basically, the vet wasn't sure what was wrong with her - just suggestions that it might be due to being a in a fight and then being shocked, things like that.

She was also sick twice on the Thursday - but it looked more like spit than anything else (although shaded red)

Anyways, sure enough it worked, and she started eating again - all of last week she ate absolutely fine, and the last few days too, indeed now she is being greedy and eats her food far quicker than she ever has done before.

But... she keeps being sick. Literally every day we get home - there's some waiting for us. There's usually a big clump of fur in there as well, but it is now proper sick colour.

Obviously we're going back to the vets tomorrow... but anyone else ever had anything like this?

How old is she? It sounds like the current problem is probably due to furballs - you say there is usually fur in the sick. One of my girls suffers with this, I often come downstairs in the morning to find a furball has been coughed up.

Have you given her any furball remedy? The vet can give you katalax but it is expensive compared with the ones you can buy in the pet shop (e.g. defurrum). It works really well but you have to give it for five or six days to give it a chance to work. I try to remember to give it to my cats regularly.

If that doesn't seem to be the solution though, I would ask for blood tests.

Hi

She is just over 1 - she has quite long hair so yep, could well be furballs

Any idea how much blood tests cost?

Thanks for your help

as I posted in another thread, my cat's been off his food for a few days(having brought up a furball), vet gave him an antibiotic jab and defurrem which I've been applying since the weekend. For whatever reason, he's much better now, so the furball option might be the best/cheapest starting point. Also regular combing can help, especially if kitty has long fur, I think.

Can't remember how much bloodtests are, depends on how many and for what I expect.

I wouldn't rush for blood tests as she's only a year old - would be more of a concern in older cats. My cat had tests recently but I can't remember the cost - something like £3O I think. From your description of events, and the fact she is longhaired, furballs sound very likely.

With a longhaired cat I would definitely brush/comb her a couple of times a week to get out as much fur as possible, and give her defurrum or similar regularly. But obviously, consult your vet.

There is a dry cat food you can get which helps to prevent furballs, it is called Royal Canin Indoor Long Hair 35 cat food, they also do a 'heavier duty' one called INTENSE HAIRBALL 34 - Cat prone to hairballs. their stuff is expensive but very good and a little goes a long way. I use their specialist Maine Coon food for Betsy-the-pirate-kitty who is quite fussy. she loves it and if we try and give her any other dry food her coat goes really manky.

i have a ragdoll who is prone to hairballs and i bought a furminator brush for him since then he has never had one i do him every other day but never his tail or his ruff i use a normal brush for that

Hi Sally

Can you get a 'furminator' from somewhere like petsathome?

Tilly went to the vets - last night, it's definitely fur balls stopping her eating and then being sick - so they gave us this gel you put on her paw, and she then licks it. I forget it's name but it begins with c and ends with an x I think!!

Just hope it works

maybe my local pet shop sells them if not they have a website think its www.furminator.co.uk

maybe my local pet shop sells them if not they have a website its http://www.furminator.com/resellers/main.cfm

The gel will be katalax. You can get cheaper versions of hairball remedy in the pet shop. It does work - but you must remember to give it regularly.

You can buy the Furminator from amazon if your petshop doesn't stock it.

Thanks for the links - will get it off amazon.

And yep it's katalax. She was still stick yesterday so it needs more time to work I guess (i know it won't be perfect anyways) and indeed for the first time it's actually stained the carpet - you could still see it this morning - so will have to have another go at cleaning tonight!!

As for the katalax itself... I wish the vets had told me THAT stains as well! A bit dropped off her paw, and we had to clean that too

However Tilly loves the stuff, she just licks it out of the tube! I think she's getting high on it...

Yes most cats love he taste of hairball remedy - it's malty. Although one of my cats maintains she dislikes it so has to have it smeared round her mouth forcibly. I usually find it takes about five days to achieve a good effect - and that is with a shorthaired cat, so it may take longer for you.