My resident cat is throwing up a couple of days after I brought a new kitten home.?

Question

I recently had to put one my cats to sleep. It was pretty sudden and awful. Her sister wasn't crying in loneliness, but I could tell she was a bit discombobulated. So, I decided to get a kitten. I rescued him from a shelter and brought him home on Saturday. The kitten is in his own room with the door shut, but I've been letting the door stay open and they've sniffed around each other with a little growling, but nothing more. I figured it would go well. This morning, my older cat wasn't acting herself. She's a bit of a pig and wasn't crying for food in the morning. She was swallowing a lot and I could just tell that she didn't feel that great. I gave her some food which she ate and then promptly threw up. She didn't run and hide after and came up on my lap, but I'm worried. Is this normal behavior for a resident cat when a new kitten is introduced? I'm a little paranoid since her sister died of renal failure and was throwing up a lot right before...should I worry?

Update:

Oh, and her food is not on the recall list.

Update 2:

Also, the kitten has been immunized for everything so far (it's too young for a few things) and my cat is up to date. The shelter assured me that it was safe to introduce them. Could they be wrong?

Mellycat123 · Accepted Answer

Have you been feeding them recall foods? Does your kitty have her shots? These are important questions to try to figure out what is wrong. If your cat doesn't have his shots the new kitty could have brought a virus  and gave it to your cat or the food that you are feeding them could cause them to be sick. Sometimes when a cat becomes stressed it can cause them to vomit alot. I know this from personal experience. My cat became so depressed and stressed out when my other cat decided to escape through a window that he formed pancreatitis from it causing him to vomit alot. He may be stressed about the new kitty coming in.  If the cat continues over the next day or two to still vomit I would get him to the vet ASAP.

j c · Answer

Your kitten may have introduced a disease like distemper into your household. Animals from shelter often well, but may  "break" with an illness shortly after. Always isolate any newcomer for 2 weeks. Get both the older cat & the kitten to a vet ASAP & be sure the vet knows the kitten came from a shelter. The sooner the better, don't wait until they get sicker.  I hope your older cat's vaccines are current. Also, kittens often are not tested for diseases like Feline leukemia, FIV etc. because the test results aren't very accurate in young kittens.

Mr. P&#39;s Person · Answer

Maybe the older cat is stressed. Especially if it is an older cat. They get very set in their ways and it takes a while for them to come around. I'm sure she will in time, but it's early days.

cloverivy · Answer

Did she vomit mostly fur?  She may have swallowed her fur due to stress.  Check her body for hot spots (bald areas), and treat them as recommended by your vet.

Anonymous · Answer

the cat is probably only nervous about being in a new place .best thing is to call your vet !

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My resident cat is throwing up a couple of days after I brought a new kitten home.?

5 Answers