Archive for January, 2011

This video demonstrates a form of benign puking that I call the “gluttony puke.” Kitty has simply filled his/her stomach too full with something yummy or exotic, and tummy protests. This is one of those times when you don’t need to seek veterinary help. In fact, cats will often immediately return to their food bowls or cat grass and load up for another round.

Simone is a chow hound who has raised gluttony to an art form. Generally she keeps her meals down, as evidenced by her plump appearance. I made the mistake of leaving her alone with a pot of cat grass, and she showed no restraint. Well, it came back to bite her…literally.

*According to Thomas Aquinas, there were six ways to commit the sin of gluttony. Nimis (eating too much) and Ardenter (eating too eagerly) are but two, and Simone is guilty of both.

Many people throw things, yell, or slam doors when they’re upset. According to researchers at Ohio State University, when some cats are unhappy or pissed off, they puke.

This article on MSNBC explains that “when cats in the study experienced ‘unusual external events’, such as a change in the caretaker or feeding schedule, the healthy ones were just as likely as the chronically ill ones to exhibit sickness behaviors.”

Fortunately, the gods have smiled on me, and I’ve never had a cat who was a pissed-off puker. Mine have been hair pullers, plucking the fur from their bellies or chewing it off their backs when they’ve been stressed by a move or a new feline addition to the household. Toby wasn’t pleased when David and I moved in together; he vented by peeing on the T-shirts and towels David left on the floor of his bathroom.

Cats were already masters of the guilt trip. Now it’s our fault when they puke, too.

2011 began as most years do in our household: with a bang and a barf. The guilty party is in the foreground.

The old year ended on a happier note: the addition of two new kitties into the Cat Puke Clan. Rowan and Martin are six-month-old brothers we adopted on December 27 from Petco in Santee. Photos will be posted shortly. They’re adorable and, so far, they haven’t puked. We’re off to a good start!