What Makes Cats Gag? How to Prevent Them

If you have a cat, you are probably familiar with that bizarre sound. It’s a sound that worries all cat owners making them wonder what makes cats gag in the first place. 

This could be scary to first-time cat owners hearing this for the very first time.

There is a multitude of reasons that makes cats gag. They could range from what they might have ingested, the aroma from certain food, or due to some medical condition.

We’ll now dive deeper into this and look at some of the key reasons why your feline friend could be gagging as well as ways to prevent them from gagging.

What Makes Cats Gag?

Cats will gag anytime they swallow something that touches their larynx. It typically happens immediately after they ingest something foreign to their digestive system. Your cat will gag, then extend its neck while swallowing, trying to eject whatever is tickling its throat. They might also sometimes gag from certain food that comes from either allergies or disliking of that food.

Many people confuse cat gagging with coughing or sneezing, but you will notice a distinct difference between a gag and the others if you pay attention. Even healthy cats are known for gagging from time to time; it’s in their nature. 

So what exactly makes cats gag? We’ll now jump into some common reasons that causes cats to gag.

Hairballs From Excessive Grooming

Cats are known for their excessive grooming. They are always licking their body to ensure they are spotless. This always leads to them ingesting debris as well as loose fur from their body. When this fur accumulates in the cat’s belly they end up forming hairballs.

These hairballs can easily activate cat’s reflexes in their throat causing them to start gagging as a means of trying to kick out the ingested hairballs. They’ll only stop retching once the hairball has been vomited.

This is by far the most common reason why most cats gag.

Scent from Certain Food

Cats have over 65 million olfactories (smell receptors), making them very sensitive when it comes to smell. Cats have been known to gag from smelling certain food. This behavior has been attributed to them not liking the food or being grossed out by that food.

Feline asthma & allergies are underlying medical conditions that could have led to your cat gagging from the smell of certain food.

Your cat may dry heave from either not being a big fan of the food or from the food’s texture. This is mostly noticed when you try changing your cat’s diet and they end up not liking the new diet. Before taking your cat to the vet from excessive gagging, consider all the other factors including a change in diet.

Choking or Ingested Foreign Object

Chocking in cats happens when something is stuck in their throats or trachea (tube connecting the throat to the lungs) preventing air flow. Anything from foodstuff, toys, ball of strings, fur, fish bones, or even bigger debris could lead to your cat choking.

The good thing is, choking in cats is very rare due to how they are able to maneuver in such instances.

When a cat feels like it could be choking, they immediately start gagging as a preventive measure. The gagging always clears the cat’s throat and trachea preventing any blockage in the cat’s trachea region.

A cat could also start gagging uncontrollably when they ingest some foreign object. Due to their excessive grooming nature, they may end up ingesting foreign objects that could have been stuck in their fur.

You might notice your cat gagging profusely in an effort to try and push out the foreign object.

Always keep a close eye on your feline friend, in case of anything worse rush them to your local vet as soon as possible.

Indigestion or Stomach Troubles

Indigestion or acid reflux could lead to your pet friend gagging from the overpowering smells. Its very important to take your cat to your vet as soon as possible. Indigestion and stomach issues could be as a result of the cat’s diet.

Cat food working for one cat may not necessarily work for all the cats. It’s important to note this and make any necessarily adjustments in case your cat starts reacting negatively to a certain diet.

Bacterial Infections

Cats can get bacterial infections, especially from food that may not have been properly prepared.

Clostridium perfringens is a common bacterial flourishes from undercooked meat and poultry. It also grows in an area with low oxygen supply (cat’s stomach).

Feeding your cat undercooked meat or poultry could therefore lead to your cat getting a bacterial infection. The bacterial infection could lead to loss of appetite, vomiting, nausea and even gagging.

This is most common with home made food than it is with processed foods. When making your cat a Friday evening treat, always ensure that the food is well prepared to prevent them from getting any bacterial infections.

Smelly House or Household Items

Cats have a sensitive nose and this isn’t reserved for just food. House plants, citrus fruits, and many spices are very offensive to cats. They may trigger cat’s reflexes causing them to gag.

Household items with strong scents may be considered offensive cats, causing them to gag from them. Always monitor how your cat behaves within the house and identify if anything new to the house could be the reason for their gagging.

When Should You Be Alarmed By Your Cat’s Gagging? 

Cat gagging is pretty common among felines, and so is vomiting. However, if you notice that your cat is doing this more often than not, you probably need to seek a veterinarian’s assistance. 

Cats are notorious for coughing up hairballs, which happens naturally through its grooming process. They lick themselves to remain clean; however, they also ingest other debris and dander besides the typical hairs. 

Usually, your cat’s hair will pass through the digestive system without any issues. But some hairs will get stuck in the stomach from time to time and then attract other hairs to form a good-sized hairball. When this happens, the cat will need to eject it.

You will notice your cat gagging first before the hairball is released onto your carpet or tile floor. It’s basically a combination of mucus, bile, and vomit. But other objects can also cause a cat to gag. Such as:

• Foreign Objects 
• Balls of String
• Bones (Fish) 
• Thread or Fishing Line 
• Feathers 
• Any Toxic Items 

These items can all be dangerous to your cat if they can’t get them ejected from their stomach. A cat has a natural gag reflex when it feels something near its throat; this causes them to start gagging. 

However, some of these items could get lodged in their body and not be able to be ejected from the cats gagging efforts. For example, fish bones can be a real threat to your cat’s health if they are stuck inside their stomach. 

If your cat’s airway is obstructed, you should seek emergency medical care immediately. You can use a flashlight to look down your cat’s throat and see if you can see the object that is stuck. 

But, it’s best to have your vet take a look and remove the foreign object safely from your cat’s throat. Don’t ever try to pull a string or other items out of your cat’s throat; it can cause severe damage. 

How To Prevent Your Cat From Gagging All The Time

Your cat will sometimes gag regardless of what you do because they will always continue to groom themselves. However, there are a number of prevention measure to lessen the occurrences.

This includes bathing and brushing your cat regularly. Working with an anti hairball treats and cat hairball gel from your local pet supplies may also help with treating loose fur that could lead to forming of a hairball.

Fixing your cat’s diet will also help in preventing gagging. If you notice your cat gagging from a change in diet you should work towards reverting back to what they were used to or by trying some other new diet altogether.

When you decide to make them some nice treats, always ensure it’s well cooked to avoid any bacterial infection that could lead to gagging.  

Conclusion

If your cat gags a lot, you need to know the warning signs of when they are in danger. There are multiple reasons that could be leading your feline friend gag.

They could range from a change in diet, hairball accumulated from excessive grooming, scents from food or house hold items. Medical conditions such as bacterial infection or indigestion could also lead to your cat gagging.

Taking good care of your pet friend will help prevent them from gagging. In case the gagging persist seek medical assistance from your local vet.