Cat help?

[Curmudgeoness]

I just talked to my sister, who had a couple months old kitten show up at her home in the woods a few months ago. It was doing well and seemed healthy, but four days ago, it started to throw everything up that it eats. She has tried giving Vaseline in case it was a hairball. She has tried feeding very small amounts at intervals. But the cat is still throwing up. The belly is not swelled and the cat is acting normal. The kitten is using the litter box as usual. She lives over an hour away from a vet and is trying to avoid the trip if possible. What else can she try?

[narnian60]

1. This is a dangerous situation.

The kitten is probably dehydrated already. A vet visit is imperative.

[Curmudgeoness]

2. I tend to agree.

I did tell her to watch for dehydration, and a pinch of the skin at the nape of the neck did not show dehydration at this point. But I think that the cat has to go to the vet as well.

[narnian60]

3. Stop the Vaseline, also.

Could exacerbate the problem.

[Curmudgeoness]

4. May I ask why? nt

[narnian60]

5. My vet told me that too much of it

can cause deficiency in fat soluble vitamins.

[ginnyinWI]

6. could be a parasite

...especially if you also see diarrhea. Is the kitten eating too much, too fast? I don't think it would throw up every time, though. Something is wrong and needs to be checked out. Bring a stool sample to the vet if you can--they will want one. It needs to be less than 24 hours old and kept refrigerated. In a ziplock bag which is inside a brown paper bag is good.

note: don't feel bad; it is very, very common for kittens to have parasites, especially when they come from outdoors. Oh and be sure she washes hands very well after cleaning the litter box. Some of them can be caught by humans.