Expert: Becky - 9/23/2006

Question
I have taken in a young male cat that was abandoned by someone.  He has adopted us, including my other 4 cats and 2 dogs.  He is a very sweet affectionate boy and was kept outside for about 3 weeks.  He follows me everywhere, to the car, to the mailbox, trash day, etc.  So, I named him Shadow.

We are having some issues with my first male cat, 6 y/o.  He enjoys fighting with Shadow.  Now, the other three, don't seem to know he even exists.

The most urgent problem Shadow is having is vomitting.  He has had 3 episodes.  It is all liquid with a grayish tint to it.  He is of course refusing to eat and is sleeping alot.

If you have any suggestions to get us through the night, please email.

Answer
Tanya,
The male cats need to be neutered. This will cut down on the fighting.  
I'm not sure why Shadow is vomiting, it could be numerous things.   His stomach is upset and it would be best to not give him anything to eat right now. When he stops vomiting, encourage him to drink some water. You don't want him to dehydrate.  If he is still vomiting tomorrow, then a trip to the Vet is in order.  If he has stopped vomiting, feed him something bland at first, like rice or cottage cheese.  Then you can slowly bring back his favorite foods.  Kaopectate will help soothe the stomach. Give 1 tsp for every 10 lbs of body weight.  I recommend checking with your Vet first though, before giving any over the counter meds.  NEVER give cats aspirin, tylenol or pepto-bismol.  These can be lethal to cats.

If you suspect that he has gotten into something poisonous like anti-freeze, then take him to a Vet immediately!!

God Bless,
Becky