Why do cats vomit?
Cats often induce vomiting by eating couchgrass and other herbs. This is nothing to worry about as they are only using a natural cleansing method and getting rid of excess bile, mucus, and other impurities. However, continual or acute vomiting can be dangerous for your cat and should be treated. Home remedies for cats are perfectly suited to cure the problem.
The most common cause of acute vomiting is diet. Your cat may eat something that does not agree with them or they may not be used to certain foods. Cats may also vomit as a result of hairballs. There are other possible causes such as swallowing a foreign object or traveling in a car.
Treatment
Find out what the likely cause of vomiting is, i.e. whether the problem originates from the stomach or not. If coughing is the cause, your cat may have swallowed a foreign object and you will need to seek help from a vet.
Conventional medication for vomiting includes antiemetics, antibiotics, and corticosteroids. They may relieve the symptoms but come with side effects. Some of these drugs can cause digestion problems and immunosuppressants can lower resistance to illness. Home remedies for cats are a natural alternative. They can help to restore digestive comfort and help prevent vomiting.
Diet
To treat your cat naturally, put it on a half-day fast to start with, but still give fluids. This will allow the system to cleanout. Then feed a bland diet of boiled chicken or meat and rice or potato in small amounts. Gradually return to normal meals. This may often be enough if food is the cause of vomiting.
To prevent vomiting in the future, gradually reduce commercial foods and replace them with fresh, raw, unprocessed foods. Make sure though you never change your cat’s diet suddenly as this will lead to stomach upsets.
Herbal remedies for vomiting
Certain herbs have proven to be particularly beneficial to prevent vomiting. Slippery elm, marshmallow, and mint have been used for centuries as digestive aids. Licorice is an excellent tonic and helps to soothe the lining of the digestive tract. You can add small amounts to your cat’s food.
For continuous vomiting prepare a soothing tisane (herbal tea) of gentian and sage. To make the tisane use one teaspoon of each herb and 200 ml of boiling water. Let the herbs soak for one minute and then administer by dropper, one dropperful four times a day. This will usually calm the vomiting very quickly. If your cat is agitated add a teaspoon of skullcap to the mix.
If the vomiting is severe, take a handful of spearmint, a teaspoon of cloves, cinnamon, and rhubarb, and pour 500ml of boiling water over the mix. Let it cool down and sweeten with a teaspoon of honey before you administer six dropperfuls every 20 minutes.
If the vomiting is due to food poisoning gives half a dropperful of apple cider vinegar mixed with water in regular intervals, every 10 minutes, until the symptoms disappear.
Homoeopathic remedies
If travelling is the cause of vomiting homoeopathic remedies such as kalium phosphate, aconite, cocculus and pulsatilla vulgaris may help. They are tissue salts and well known for their ability keep the stomach calm during travelling and prevent motion sickness.
Pet Alive offers a ready-made remedy with these ingredients. Easy Travel Solution supports your cat’s digestive system during air, sea, or car travel.