There are several reasons why cats throw up or vomit. If it happens once, then there’s no need to be worried. However, if your cat vomits brown liquid, then it should be handled immediately.
It can be a serious problem when cats vomit blood. Make sure you know all the reasons your cat is vomiting blood.
Brown liquid in cats can be caused by several reasons, such as internal bleeding, intestinal blockage, fecal matter in the digestive tract, ulcers, constipation, or even cancer. Here they are, the possible reasons why your cat is vomiting brown liquid. Let’s take a look at one by one.
1. Diet
The first reason why your cat is vomiting brown liquid is its food. If food is the reason, then you should notice fairly soon right after your cat eats. If your cat keeps eating the same food for a while and doesn’t have any issues, then it is not likely the case.
Cats also frequently throw up some undigested food. There are some reasons why they vomit brown liquid as undigested food, such as excess food intake, eating too quickly, allergy, unfamiliar food, cold food and excessive movement after eating. Read more about it in causes of cats vomiting the undigested food.
Cats tend to eat their food quickly, so it may upset their stomach. It can also be caused by the food is not agreeing with them. However, food is not a frequent cause of cat vomiting brown liquid.
Cats may also throw up bile. Bile is not always the same color. However, brown bile is a bit concerning as typically cats throw up yellow bile. Brown bile may indicate some serious internal issues as it is most likely to come from your cat’s liver.
2. Health Issues
Once again, cats vomiting brown liquid is not normal. No matter what causes it, it does indicate health issues. A cat vomiting brown liquid can also indicate internal bleeding from another source.
It can also indicate constipation and ulcers. One of the worst condition causes of brown liquid vomit is feline stomach cancer.
3. Eat Harmful Items
Cats can inevitably ingest some things they should. For instance, a cat which eats a small trinket on accident. It is not supposed to be digested, and it may block up the intestines.
If this is not cleared, it can be more severe. This condition may lead to a fecal build up in the intestines, intestinal inflammation, and wounds or trauma to the tissues inside the digestive system.
Small animals can also be other causes of intestinal blockage. Cats can eat small animals, such as rodents. Your cats may get poisoned by rodent poison which will cause internal hemorrhages in your cat.
4. Hairballs
Hairballs are unpleasant, however, it is rarely dangerous. This may happen when a cat vomits brown liquid along with a hairball. This tells us that the hairball is causing intestinal blockage.
The hairball wraps itself around the intestine and it may grow in size. As a result, no more food can pass by. Hairball can also be one of the reasons why your cat doesn’t want to eat. Get the tips to get your cat to eat.
5. Fecal Matter
Fecal matter emerging as vomit is an emergency. Though not all brown liquid is feces, when it is, the smell will be unmistakable.
Fecal matter is caused by chronic constipation. When the waste is not excreted, then it will cause a blockage. As a result, it will work its way back through your cat’s body.
6. Possible Causes
There are some other possible causes of cat vomiting brown liquid, such as stomach ulcers, injury or trauma, stomach cancer, chronic inflammation. These are considered as serious problems. To make sure about it, you should immediately contact your vet to prevent the condition from getting worse.
There are some ways you can do to prevent your cats from vomiting brown liquid, such as:
Vomiting in newborn kittens is also a serious problem. If you have one, make sure you prevent it from happening to your kitten.