My Pet World: Is vomiting normal for a cat even when the vet says nothing is wrong?

Dear Cathy,

I have a 12-year-old cat that has been vomiting almost every day since October. I have taken her to three different vets. They all did X-rays and blood work and found nothing wrong. I’ve tried changing her food to her sensitive stomach food and attempted to use raised cat dishes.

Nothing seems to work. I don’t know what else I can do. She’s an indoor cat. She eats, drinks, and plays like nothing is wrong. Do you have any suggestions to remedy this?

— Jean, Seaford, New York

Dear Jean,

If the vet says your cat is healthy, perhaps your feline has hairballs from the hair they digest when grooming themselves. Your cat may be grooming more because of age, or she may not be digesting the hair as well as she used to. You can give her an over-the-counter hairball remedy or switch her to a hairball control food, which may halt or reduce the vomiting.

Also, as pets age, they can sometimes develop allergies to specific proteins, like chicken. If you suspect this, switch her to a limited-ingredient diet (available at pet stores) with a different protein, like fish or venison. Let me know if these things help.

Dear Cathy,

My husband and I adopted our lab mix rescue when she was six months old. We were told she was nervous around people, but that was an understatement. She was terrified for the first two months and kept her tail tucked tight. Thunder and fireworks do not bother her, but she jumps if a plastic grocery bag hits the floor. She cowers and shakes when people approach.

She is smart and trains quickly. We took her to an obedience training class. She was scared, but in time, she did great. In just 15 minutes, she learned how to use a bell to let us know she needed to go out. The “sit” command took only three tries. Walking her was a nightmare and training her to walk on a leash took a long time. We started walking with some friends, and it took her about a year to trust them and not shake and hide behind me. She will be six years old this month.

We need help with her barking, growling, and charging the door when guests arrive. She does not stop right away when I say it’s okay. When she stops, I tell her she is good and give her a treat. She hides in her crate in a different room when people come in. We have blocked her access to the crate to force her to stay with the company. She is scared of kids. One time, she growled at our nephew. What can we do?

— Geralyn, Florida

Dear Geralyn,

You have made so much progress with her. I am impressed with your patience and ability to continually work with her to help her overcome what sounds like a rough beginning to life.

You’re doing everything right regarding training and exposing her to people. But don’t force her to remain with your company if she is scared. Pets are less stressed if they have an exit strategy. Her exit is to go to her crate for comfort. That’s good. You want her to know her limits and find ways to self-soothe herself.

You might consider putting her in an Anxiety Wrap® or Thundershirt® and give her some calming chews daily. These things aren’t just for storms and fireworks. They can help calm anxious dogs, which makes it easier for them to listen and learn.

In addition, teach her the “leave it” command and use this when she is barking at the door. Because she is riled up, you must get her attention before she will listen to your command. Shake a can of coins or use a Pet Corrector (available online), which makes a shhh sound. This will interrupt her barking just long enough for you to say, “leave it.” Since she is eventually stopping now, adding this interrupter to get her attention should help you with the training.

Because she growled at your nephew, she should always be monitored around children. This is another instance when she may be happier in her kennel. Please respect that and let her go to her kennel whenever she needs to escape. She is managing herself when she does this, and that’s a good thing. On the flip side, do not let anyone bother her in her kennel. That is her space, and she must always feel safe there. Let me know how the training goes.

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(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)