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Expert: - 6/4/2011


Question
QUESTION: Hi there
This morning my cat was not acting herself she was not moving and not drinking we tried to give her some grass, and water. When we picked her up she was meowing when you touch her stomach. please help

ANSWER: I don't understand why you would try to give her some grass but if she is still sick then you need to call a vet. Cats will sleep for long periods of time but if they are lying around and not getting up or drinking water then she could have an abscess from a cat bite, or she might have hurt her leg or back.

If she goes outside she could have been in a fight or been bumped by a car.
Without knowing her age, or if she is spayed or if she is vaccinated all I can recommend is that you call a vet right away.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: She is not an outdoor cat, she threw up last night,some cat food,and this morning she was throwing up saliva...she wasn't interested in eating or drinking this morning! The reason we tried giving her grass was because cats eat grass when they have an upset stomach! She is better now, eating and drinking..but I was wondering could hairballs do this to cats?

Answer
Only if they are so large that she can't pass them in her stool. Cats with a lot of hair will have hairy stools because they pass most of the hair that way.

Cats will eat grass to make themselves vomit but good luck getting one to eat it when you want it too!

Could be what she is eating as well. Cats do get gastritis, and other digestive diseases from bad diets, and like us, just develop them.

The most important this to remember is to never let your cat go more than two days without eating. This can cause some major liver issues, especially if the cat is overweight (which yours isn't, I am being general here).

File that away for later! I am glad she is feeling better. You might want to put her on Science Diet Indoor Cat formula which is made for cats like her. It helps with hairballs and dental care.

It is high quality food made just for indoor cats.Glad she is on the mend!

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Jana Connell RVT, CVT

Expertise

PLEASE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING TO ME: I am NOT a vet and do NOT diagnose diseases. That is only for a licensed Veterinarian to do. I will give you suggestions and steer you toward calling your vet for help. You can call the vet's office and talk to the technician there or the vet at times. Don't be afraid to call them! If you have a serious issue with your pet please post it to one of the veterinarians in here- I will tell you the same thing in my answer. IF your pet is injured or in an emergency situation, CALL YOUR VET- Do not wait and post in here. Just call the vet's office and get them in to see the vet right away. Critical treatment time is lost if you seek answers here when you should have your precious pet at the vets!! Don't sit at home waiting for an answer when your pet is critically ill or injured!! I can answer most questions about small animal and wildlife care as well as small animal nutrition. I can also answer questions about all phases of dental care for small animals. I DO NOT answer questions about birds (unless it is wildlife or songbirds) or HAMSTERS/GERBILS/CHINS/GUINEA PIGS/REPTILES/FROGS/RABBITS/PET BIRDS OF ANY KIND so please submit these questions to the appropriate sections. I, as well as other experts in here, do NOT do homework questions- that is for YOU to do! Please respect these rules for all of us. Thanks!

Experience

I have over 35 years experience in the field of veterinary medicine. I specialized in small animals and did wildlife rehab for over 25 years, mostly raptors, squirrels and opossums. I am a Small Animal Nutritional Consultant with 6 certificates from Hills Pet Foods, CNM and Purina. I also specialized in Small Animal Dentistry which is a field I truly love.

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Audubon,World Wildlife Federation, American Society of Veterinary Dental Technicians.

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Licensed with California and Oregon, RVT and CVT. Certified Veterinary Dental Technician Have over 500 logged hours of Continuing Education Credits(that means I keep up to date!).

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Nominated for Expert of the Month for the last 5 years.

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