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As with people, a variety of things can cause a cat to vomit. For one thing, they vomit more easily than most animals do, some appearing to do so for no apparent reason. Disgustingly, a cat might vomit undigested food right after eating, and then eat it again. Cats that go outdoors will often eat grass, which seemingly aids in vomiting.
Vomiting is the result of a stimulation of the particular part of the cat's brain, which might be thought of as the vomiting center. As the need to vomit is perceived by the cat, the cat will appear anxious and may seek his or her owner out for reassurance or help. One of my older cat will begin making smacking noises with her mouth, then stand up, and start making a specific type of audible signal that she needs to throw up. If she is near me, she will look at me while it's going on, clearly wanting me to do something about it. She will call me loudly enough that I can usually hear her wherever I am in the house.
And I do. I pick her up from her cat bed, or wherever she is, and move her to a place that can be more easily cleaned, and then I'll lightly pat her on the back until she throws up. She always throws up three times. The first will be just a small amount of mostly liquid, then the bulk of it comes up, followed by another small amount of liquid.
Vomiting unrelated to eating may be associated with an infectious disease, kidney or liver disease, or a central nervous system disorder. However, the most common cause of vomiting in a cat is swallowing fur or some other indigestible material, such as grass. One of my cats once swallowed a fairly long piece of sewing thread. She vomited a portion of it up, and I was able to gently pull the rest out. It was gross though, because it kept coming and coming and coming.
Another cause of vomiting might be overeating, or eating too fast, as sometimes occurs with multiple cats, where one might feel the need to eat as quickly as possible. A change in food could result in vomiting as the cat's system adapts to the new food. This may even occur when switching from a cheap grocery brand to a much better brand of food. Sometimes that can be avoided by mixing the new food with the old for a time.
If a cat vomits once or twice but otherwise appears perfectly normal, the problem is likely not serious, and can be treated at home. I understand that's not the problem here, because the opening post speaks of throwing up on a daily basis, but I'm trying to cover other things, as well.
Diseases that are associated with vomiting include feline panleukopenia, tonsillitis, sore throat, and an infected uterus, but there will usually be other signs of illness as well. For example, in a young cat, sudden vomiting with fever is a sign of panleukopenia. Another serious cause of vomiting is peritonitis.
A serious cause of vomiting in cats is ingestion of antifreeze or medications, such as aspirin. My wife and I are very careful around the house because, between us, we're taking a variety of medications, and our youngest cat will grab anything that is dropped on the floor and eat it without hesitation, so if I drop a pill, I make sure someone is restraining Ella until I find it.
Repeated vomiting -- The cat vomits, continues to retch, then brings up a frothy or clear fluid. This may be the result of spoiled food, grass, hairballs or other indigestibles, but it could also be a sign of a disease such as infectious enteritis, which causes an irritation of the stomach lining,
Sporadic vomiting -- The cat vomits sometimes, but not on a regular basis. This is probably not related to food. If the cat has a haggard look, or appears listless, consider kidney or liver disease, but chronic gastritis, worm infestation, or diabetes are possibilities.
Vomiting blood -- Fresh blood in the vomitus suggests a break in the cat's intestinal lining between its mouth and the upper small bowel. Often, this is the result of a foreign body, but tumors or ulcers are possibilities. When the cat vomits material that resembles coffee grounds in consistency, that would suggest digested blood, and indicates that the bleeding point is in the stomach or an outlet of the stomach. Vomiting blood definitely requires a veterinarian.
Fecal vomiting -- If the vomitus looks and smells like fecal matter, consider an intestinal obstruction. Blunt or penetrating abdominal injuries are also possibilities. Either way, it is time for a veterinarian.
Projectile vomiting -- A forceful vomiting indicates a complete blockage of the upper gastrointestinal tract. This could be from foreign bodies, hairballs, tumors, or strictures. In rare cases, brain disease can cause this as well.
Vomiting foreign objects -- Hairballs may form large wads that are too large to pass through the gastrointestinal system, but other objects, such as cloth, bone splinters, sticks, stones, and anything else the cat may have picked up from the floor, may be involved.
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