[optimize990h]

Miss Mew is my >18 yrs old tabby. At least 3 X a month she vomits dry/wet cat food, then has a rest and eats up her vomit. There are no hairs in the vomitus just- well, I'll stop and not give any more descriptions.

Does she not want me to lose confidence in her? (Reason for doing the eating)

Please note when she is very angry she makes a deliberate non litter box deposit where everyone can see it.

[Perna]

I have two cats, both 12ish years old. One is long-haired and quite sensitive; if you change her litter brand or her food and/or don't clean the litter often enough, she's likely to vomit. Now that I'm better at keeping things the same/way she likes it, she doesn't vomit as often anymore.

However, my male cat is a pig and sometimes will eat too fast or too much and vomit almost instantly. I think of it as his swallowing air or something so his eating mechanisms go, "TILT!" and he throws up. But he doesn't do that too often either. I think sometimes they just have a "thing" going, something doesn't sit with them right, who knows? Cats don't have much to "do", I know my male cat eats out of boredom often.

She could just be eating too fast...cats throw up when they do. I would try and prevent her from eating her own vomit tho.
And she is old enough that you need to get bloodwork done on her if you have not before to check for things like the state of her kidneys...older cats obviously can have a lot more issues than younger ones, and you are very lucky to have one who is 18+ years old.
Cats do not "not" use the litter box out of anger; us humans project that idea onto our cats. She either does not feel well or does not like the litter, its smell, where the box is placed, etc. Why does she become angry?
I think I just repeated some of what Perna said but oops, had not read it til I was done.

[hamster-bamster]

Dry food should not be given to cats for optimal health and longevity.

[optimize990h]

This cat had been declawed before I adopted her. Some animal doctors have explained that cats who have been declawed have a higher chance of having litter box issues. One time this cat who used sleep with me, smelled another person's scent on my bed did both 1 and 2 on the bed where the person sat.

Other times she would have some issues, her needs she thought was not up to what she wanted she would "punish" me with the toilet treatment on my bed. She knew it was a bad thing to do this, yet she would do this.

Now, she does not sleep with me in my bed and she knows why. She has stopped giving my bed the toilet treatment. She does use the litter box and watches me clean the litterboxes(she wants at least 4 of them!)

I believe my cat does not want me to watch her eat or watch her use the litter box. Her body language indicates increasing anxiety if I do try to watch her.(She monitors my position with respect to her, she slows down eating, she gives me a dirty look, and she returns to her basket until I leave.)

She also sucks the juices out the pate form of wet cat food and does the same to the "in sauce" wet cat food as well. This is an old habit of hers when she do not know how to eat wet cat food. Apparently, one veterinarian feels wet cat food increases tooth plaque and wants me to feed her dry food. Another veterinarian feels that to decrease risk of constipation and increase fluid intake, I should feed the cat a 40-60% wet to dry cat food.

Also the cat was used to animal shelter kibbles(generic?)and I went through 12 different brands of dry cat food before I found a brand acceptable when I first adopted this cat.
And this cat has her favorites for wet cat food, but I did not have go through 12 brands/types of wet cat food with her.

When she was younger she would eat small portions and make the food last longer. Now, my mom who sometimes takes care of the cat must have spoilt her and like filled the whole feed dish with cat food!(I think my mom was trying to make my cat obese so the cat could have a heart attack, at least that's what my mom told me.)

The only time she is relaxed is when she is on top of me while I lie in bed(I don't let her do that because she knows why she is not on my bed). She does not like to be touched even if I belly crawled on the floor for her.

I thank you for the feedback.

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

Dry food should not be given to cats for optimal health and longevity.

True. Some cats won't eat wet. My calico turns green at the sight/smell and has never eaten or even gone near it in her life...they are picky little creatures.

My tabby also licks at it for 20 minutes and refuses to EAT it. He would die of malnutrition. He seems unable to fathom the idea of picking it up and chewing it...and he has wonderful teeth/gums...just some kind of weird issue I don't get. I've tried many kinds and forms...he doesn't get it.

I would love for both of them to eat wet, it's best for their kidneys...but they don't care what I want.

Originally Posted by optimize990h

This cat had been declawed before I adopted her. Some animal doctors have explained that cats who have been declawed have a higher chance of having litter box issues. One time this cat who used sleep with me, smelled another person's scent on my bed did both 1 and 2 on the bed where the person sat.

Other times she would have some issues, her needs she thought was not up to what she wanted she would "punish" me with the toilet treatment on my bed. She knew it was a bad thing to do this, yet she would do this.

Now, she does not sleep with me in my bed and she knows why. She has stopped giving my bed the toilet treatment. She does use the litter box and watches me clean the litterboxes(she wants at least 4 of them!)

I believe my cat does not want me to watch her eat or watch her use the litter box. Her body language indicates increasing anxiety if I do try to watch her.(She monitors my position with respect to her, she slows down eating, she gives me a dirty look, and she returns to her basket until I leave.)

She also sucks the juices out the pate form of wet cat food and does the same to the "in sauce" wet cat food as well. This is an old habit of hers when she do not know how to eat wet cat food. Apparently, one veterinarian feels wet cat food increases tooth plaque and wants me to feed her dry food. Another veterinarian feels that to decrease risk of constipation and increase fluid intake, I should feed the cat a 40-60% wet to dry cat food.

Also the cat was used to animal shelter kibbles(generic?)and I went through 12 different brands of dry cat food before I found a brand acceptable when I first adopted this cat.
And this cat has her favorites for wet cat food, but I did not have go through 12 brands/types of wet cat food with her.

When she was younger she would eat small portions and make the food last longer. Now, my mom who sometimes takes care of the cat must have spoilt her and like filled the whole feed dish with cat food!(I think my mom was trying to make my cat obese so the cat could have a heart attack, at least that's what my mom told me.)

The only time she is relaxed is when she is on top of me while I lie in bed(I don't let her do that because she knows why she is not on my bed). She does not like to be touched even if I belly crawled on the floor for her.

I thank you for the feedback.

That tooth plaque rumor is false but vets here in the US love to use it...but its not true. Think about it...dry food chewed up vs. wet is more likely to add to plaque buildup. And actually it's the state of the cat's gums the vets are really worried about (caused by the plaque); the inflammation/plaque can affect their heart health.

And cats do not like being watched while using the box....I know I wouldn't appreciate it if I were a cat. And some cats are protective of their food and want to eat alone.

Cats who have been declawed can have higher sensitivity to their paws, so depending on the cat, litter, how well the procedure was done and how they healed, some declawed cats might not be fond of the box.

And cats can urinate or defecate to mark their territory, especially of they feel their territory is threatened by a stranger, regardless of how kind that person might be.

And if your mom was serious, what a horrid thing to say...I hope she was kidding.

[optimize990h]

No, mom means it when she says it! The poor cat has to listen to the complaints about how bad her 1 and 2 stuff smells. I have seen that cat make a disgusting face as soon as the #2 was out! She does not have to be told it stinks.

Boy, if she was marking territory I am happy that she did not do #1 and #2 to mark me as her one and only.

[hamster-bamster]

I adopted a hugely overweight cat who used to be fed dry "fast food" only by the previous owner. Fought with him a lot, offering him various flavors of wet food and not offering dry food. In the beginning it was very difficult, but after a few months he lost all his extra weight and now eats any wet flavor I offer.

[-jimi-]

Older cats vomit more often. They often do it because their kidneys and/or liver don't work as well. Also it could be a glucose issue. Older cats are also more prone to stomach ulcers or just stomach distress. You could check with your vet if they have a cheap blood test set for elderly cats. Ours does. It includes blood cells, sugar level, liver function and kidney function. If you have a cat with aging liver or kidneys, there is special feed for that (a bit pricey). But if the tests are fine, it can be that the older cat just has a sensitive stomach.

Mine are middle aged to elderly and they both vomit now and then because their stomachs are becoming sensitive to the quite fatty food I feed them. Problem is they refuse eating other stuff. I try to find other foods but it is not easy.

Originally Posted by optimize990h

No, mom means it when she says it! The poor cat has to listen to the complaints about how bad her 1 and 2 stuff smells. I have seen that cat make a disgusting face as soon as the #2 was out! She does not have to be told it stinks.

Boy, if she was marking territory I am happy that she did not do #1 and #2 to mark me as her one and only.

Is the #2 solid?
If there is any tummy upset, your cat could have IBD or food allergies, although food allergies usually appear sooner (they showed up in my kitten, he eats duck and pea food now) and IBD later in life (that showed up in a cat I had who was about 6).
Has your cat been to the vet recently, regardless?

[possum220]

Given that your cat is on the old side..... it sounds like she wants to eat but is having difficulty. The litter box may not be as clean as she would like but she may also not be able to make it there in time.

Sounds like a trip to the vet is in order. She may be sick.

[optimize990h]

She always constipated. Her bowel/bladder is fine, she can control it. Bloodwork ok.

Originally Posted by optimize990h

She always constipated. Her bowel/bladder is fine, she can control it.

Of course she can control her bowel, she can't go well!
Welp, honestly...would you always want to be constipated? How uncomfortable for the poor thing. There is a stool softener for cats...and changing her food (although I know you mentioned her food issues) is probably necessary.
She most likely needs more fiber to help create bulk to help move the stool through, unless she actually has a real disease related to the constipation...one of mine does, so I know more about cats and constipation than I even want to know.
If your cat doesn't always poop in the box, it's because she relates the box with the pain of pooping and goes elsewhere.
Not only do they have a stool softener that can be given, there is also a prescription med. (here in the US it is called Cisapride).
And plus, if she likes hairball medication (most pet stores have it here in the US), just put a little on your finger (read the directions on the tube) and she should lick it off since it comes in fun flavors for cats like tuna, and plain malt flavor. If not, you can wipe the dab on her paw and she will be forced to lick it off. That can also help some in mild constipation cases.
That's a cheap place to start...plus I would tell your vet she is always constipated right away.

[optimize990h]

the vet told me to fed her canned cat food and lax was too powerful. I'll try the hairball med

[penguinsing]

I hope your cat feel better soon.