Cat Not Eating and Throwing Up: Causes, Dangers & What to Do

When a cat vomits once and goes back to eating normally, it’s usually not cause for panic. When a cat stops eating altogether, there’s often a simple explanation. But when your cat is not eating and throwing up at the same time, you’re dealing with a fundamentally different — and far more urgent — situation.

These two symptoms together form a dangerous feedback loop. Vomiting empties the stomach and causes nausea, which kills appetite. Without food intake, the body begins breaking down fat reserves for energy, which can trigger a life-threatening liver condition in as little as two to three days. Meanwhile, dehydration from repeated vomiting accelerates everything.

This is not a “wait and see” situation. This guide will help you understand why your cat is throwing up and not eating, identify the most likely causes, and know exactly when to get to the vet — because timing matters more here than with almost any other symptom combination.

Why This Combination Is Concerning

A healthy cat that skips one meal is rarely in danger. But a cat that is actively vomiting AND refusing food faces a specific, well-documented medical risk: hepatic lipidosis, also known as fatty liver disease.

Here’s what happens: when a cat stops eating, the body mobilizes fat stores and sends them to the liver for processing into energy. But the feline liver is not designed to handle a sudden flood of fat. The liver cells become overwhelmed and infiltrated with fat, impairing liver function. According to the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, hepatic lipidosis can begin developing within 48 to 72 hours of a cat not eating — and it can be fatal without aggressive treatment.

This risk is even higher in overweight cats, but it can affect any cat of any age or body condition.

The vomiting component makes everything worse. Each episode of vomiting:

• Depletes fluids and electrolytes
• Further irritates the stomach, increasing nausea
• Makes it even less likely the cat will accept food
• Can cause aspiration pneumonia if the cat is weakened

This is why a cat throwing up and not eating demands a faster response than either symptom alone. You’re working against a clock, and the window before serious organ damage begins is measured in days, not weeks.

If your cat is vomiting but still eating, the situation may be less urgent — check our pillar guide on Why Is My Cat Throwing Up for a broader overview.

8 Common Causes of a Cat Not Eating and Throwing Up

Many conditions can cause one symptom or the other. The following eight are the most common causes when both symptoms appear together.

1. Gastrointestinal Obstruction

A foreign body lodged in the stomach or intestines is one of the most dangerous and time-sensitive causes. Cats are notorious for swallowing things they shouldn’t — string, ribbon, hair ties, small toy parts, and rubber bands are the most common culprits.

A linear foreign body (like string or thread) is especially dangerous because it can saw through intestinal walls as the gut tries to move it along, causing perforation and sepsis.

Key signs: Repeated vomiting (often projectile), complete refusal of food and water, abdominal pain when touched, lethargy, and sometimes a string visible under the tongue or hanging from the mouth. Never pull a visible string — it may be anchored deeper in the digestive tract, and pulling can cause fatal intestinal tears.

Urgency: This is a surgical emergency. If you suspect an obstruction, go to the vet immediately.

2. Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis — inflammation of the pancreas — is one of the most common reasons for the vomiting-plus-appetite-loss combination in cats. Unlike dogs, cats with pancreatitis often present with subtle signs that can be easy to miss until the condition is advanced.

Key signs: Vomiting, complete appetite loss, lethargy, abdominal pain (cat may hunch or resist being picked up), and sometimes fever. The vomit is often bile-tinged yellow liquid. If your cat is not eating and throwing up yellow liquid, pancreatitis should be high on the list of suspects. Check our Cat Vomit Color Chart to help identify what the vomit color may indicate.

Urgency: Requires veterinary diagnosis and treatment, typically within 24 hours. Severe pancreatitis can be fatal.

3. Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects an estimated 30-40% of cats over age 10, making it one of the most common conditions in senior cats. As the kidneys lose function, toxins build up in the bloodstream (uremia), causing persistent nausea, vomiting, and appetite loss.

Key signs: Increased thirst and urination (early stages), decreased appetite, vomiting (often clear or foamy), weight loss, bad breath with a chemical odor, and lethargy. If your cat is throwing up white foam and not eating, kidney disease is a strong possibility, especially in older cats. Our guide on Cat Throwing Up White Foam covers this foam type in detail.

Urgency: Requires veterinary blood work. While CKD is a chronic condition, an acute crisis (where the cat stops eating and starts vomiting) needs prompt treatment with IV fluids.

4. Liver Disease

Beyond hepatic lipidosis (which can be both a cause and a consequence of not eating), other liver conditions — including cholangitis (bile duct inflammation), liver infections, and toxic liver damage — can cause severe vomiting and appetite loss.

Key signs: Vomiting (often bile/yellow), jaundice (yellowing of the gums, ear skin, or whites of the eyes), dark urine, lethargy, and complete refusal of food. Jaundice is the most telling sign — if you notice any yellow discoloration, seek veterinary care immediately.

Urgency: Liver disease requires urgent veterinary care. Many causes are treatable if caught early, but delays can be fatal.

5. Severe Infection or Virus

Several serious feline infections cause the vomiting-and-not-eating combination:

• Feline panleukopenia (feline distemper): A highly contagious and often fatal parvovirus, especially in unvaccinated kittens. Causes severe vomiting, diarrhea, and dangerously low white blood cell counts.
• Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP): A coronavirus mutation that causes systemic inflammation. The “wet” form causes fluid accumulation in the abdomen or chest.
• Severe bacterial infections: Including pyometra (uterine infection in unspayed females) and sepsis from any source.

Key signs: Fever, extreme lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), dehydration, and rapid deterioration. If your cat has both vomiting and diarrhea along with not eating, see our Cat Diarrhea Guide for more on this triple-symptom combination.

Urgency: Emergency. Viral and systemic bacterial infections can kill within days, especially in kittens and immunocompromised cats.

6. Toxin Ingestion

Cats are exquisitely sensitive to many substances that are harmless to humans or even dogs. Common toxins that cause vomiting and appetite loss include:

• Lilies (all parts of true lilies are fatally nephrotoxic to cats)
• NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen — even one pill can be deadly)
• Acetaminophen/Tylenol (extremely toxic to cats)
• Household chemicals (antifreeze, cleaning products)
• Essential oils (many are toxic when diffused or applied)

Key signs: Sudden onset vomiting, drooling, disorientation, seizures (in severe cases), and refusal to eat. Lily poisoning specifically causes kidney failure within 24-72 hours.

Urgency: Immediate emergency. If you know or suspect your cat ingested a toxin, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) right away. Do not wait for symptoms to develop.

7. Intestinal Parasites

While a light parasite load may cause no visible symptoms, a heavy infestation of roundworms, hookworms, or tapeworms can cause significant GI distress — including vomiting, diarrhea, appetite loss, and weight loss.

Key signs: Vomiting (sometimes with visible worms), diarrhea, pot-bellied appearance (especially in kittens), weight loss despite eating (early stages), and eventually complete appetite loss. If you see worms in the vomit, see our detailed guide on Cat Throwing Up Worms.

Urgency: Not typically an emergency unless the cat is a young kitten or severely debilitated. However, a cat that has stopped eating due to parasite burden needs veterinary treatment within 24 hours.

8. Dental Pain

This cause is frequently overlooked. Cats are masters at hiding pain, and severe dental disease — broken teeth, tooth resorption, stomatitis (severe oral inflammation) — can make eating so painful that the cat refuses food entirely.

Key signs: Approaching the food bowl but walking away, dropping food, chewing on one side, drooling (sometimes bloody), pawing at the mouth, and vomiting from swallowing excessive saliva or from the nausea that severe pain can trigger.

Urgency: Requires veterinary dental examination. While not a same-day emergency in most cases, a cat that has stopped eating due to dental pain still faces the hepatic lipidosis risk and should be seen within 24-48 hours.

How Long Can a Cat Go Without Eating?

Understanding the timeline helps you make good decisions:

• 0-12 hours: Generally not concerning if the cat is otherwise acting normal and has no other symptoms.
• 12-24 hours: Monitor closely. A cat that has not eaten for a full day AND is vomiting should be seen by a vet within the next 12-24 hours.
• 24-48 hours: This is the action threshold. Any cat that has not eaten for 24+ hours and is actively vomiting needs veterinary care. Do not wait longer.
• 48-72 hours: The danger zone for hepatic lipidosis. Fat mobilization to the liver is accelerating. Overweight cats are at highest risk, but all cats are vulnerable.
• 72+ hours: Serious organ damage may already be occurring. This is an emergency regardless of all other factors.

The critical point: These timelines are for cats that are ONLY not eating. When vomiting is also present, move every timeline up by at least 12 hours. A vomiting cat that hasn’t eaten in 24 hours is in the same risk category as a non-vomiting cat at 36-48 hours.

What to Do Right Now

If your cat has recently started vomiting and refusing food, here is a step-by-step approach:

Step 1: Remove food for 12 hours. This seems counterintuitive given the hepatic lipidosis risk, but continuing to offer food to an actively vomiting cat just gives the stomach more to throw up and worsens inflammation. The 12-hour fasting window allows the stomach to settle.

Step 2: Keep water available. Dehydration is a major concern. Make sure fresh water is accessible at all times. If your cat won’t drink, try offering water from a dripping faucet, an ice cube to lick, or low-sodium chicken broth (no onion or garlic).

Step 3: After 12 hours, offer a small amount of bland food. Try a tablespoon of plain boiled chicken (no skin, no seasoning) or plain boiled white fish. If the cat eats and keeps it down for 2 hours, offer another small portion. Our Cat Upset Stomach Remedies guide has more detailed protocols for gentle refeeding.

Step 4: Monitor and document. Keep track of:

• How many times the cat vomits and what it looks like (use our Cat Vomit Color Checker to log details)
• Whether the cat is drinking water
• Litter box activity (urination and defecation)
• Energy level and behavior

Step 5: Make the vet call. If the cat vomits again after the fasting period, refuses the bland food, or shows any of the red flags listed below — stop home care and contact your vet.

When to Go to the Emergency Vet

Go immediately — do not wait for a regular appointment — if your cat shows any of these:

• Vomiting blood or vomit that looks like coffee grounds
• Suspected toxin ingestion (you saw them chew a lily, found an open medication bottle, etc.)
• String or foreign object visible in the mouth or protruding from the rectum
• Abdominal distension — the belly looks swollen or feels hard
• Severe lethargy — the cat is unresponsive or can barely lift their head
• Jaundice — yellow tint to gums, inner ears, or whites of the eyes
• Seizures or disorientation
• No food intake for 48+ hours combined with ongoing vomiting
• Kitten under 6 months that hasn’t eaten for 12+ hours — kittens have almost no reserves

Go within 24 hours (same-day or next-morning appointment) if:

• The cat has vomited more than 3 times in 24 hours
• No food has been consumed for 24+ hours
• The cat is also having diarrhea (dehydration risk multiplies)
• The cat is drinking excessively or not drinking at all
• You notice weight loss over recent days or weeks

When in doubt, call your vet. Describing the symptoms over the phone can help them triage whether you need an emergency visit or a next-day appointment.

What to Expect at the Vet

Knowing what’s coming can reduce your stress and help you make informed decisions about your cat’s care.

Initial assessment: The vet will take your cat’s temperature, weight, heart rate, and hydration status. They’ll palpate the abdomen to check for pain, masses, or fluid.

Common diagnostics include:

• Complete blood panel (CBC and chemistry): Checks for infection, kidney values, liver enzymes, blood sugar, and electrolyte imbalances. This is usually the first and most important test.
• Urinalysis: Evaluates kidney function and checks for urinary tract infection.
• Abdominal X-rays: Can reveal foreign bodies, intestinal gas patterns suggesting obstruction, organ enlargement, or masses.
• Abdominal ultrasound: Provides more detailed imaging of organs, can detect pancreatitis, liver changes, intestinal wall thickening, and free fluid.
• Fecal exam: Checks for intestinal parasites.

Common treatments started at the vet:

• IV fluids: Almost always the first line of treatment. Rehydrates the cat and corrects electrolyte imbalances. This alone can make a dramatic difference.
• Anti-nausea medication: Drugs like maropitant (Cerenia) or ondansetron to stop the vomiting cycle so the cat can begin eating again.
• Appetite stimulants: Mirtazapine (oral or transdermal) is commonly used to restart appetite once nausea is controlled.
• Pain management: If pain is contributing to appetite loss.
• Nutritional support: In severe cases, a feeding tube may be placed to prevent hepatic lipidosis while the underlying cause is treated. This sounds drastic but is often life-saving and well-tolerated by cats.

Cost expectation: An emergency visit with basic blood work and X-rays typically runs $500-$1,500. Hospitalization with IV fluids and advanced imaging can range from $1,500-$4,000+. Pet insurance can significantly offset these costs if you have coverage in place before the emergency occurs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my cat throwing up and not eating but acting normal?

Cats are hardwired to hide illness — it’s a survival instinct from their wild ancestors, where showing weakness meant becoming prey. A cat that is vomiting and not eating but “acting normal” may still have a serious underlying condition. The outward appearance of normalcy does not mean internal organs are functioning well. If your cat hasn’t eaten for 24 hours and has vomited more than once, see a vet regardless of how normal they seem otherwise.

What does it mean when a cat is not eating and throwing up yellow liquid?

Yellow vomit is bile — a digestive fluid produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. A cat not eating and throwing up yellow liquid often indicates that the stomach is empty and bile is refluxing upward, but it can also point to pancreatitis, liver disease, or intestinal obstruction. If the yellow vomiting continues for more than 24 hours or your cat won’t eat at all, veterinary evaluation is needed. See our Cat Vomit Color Chart for a complete breakdown of what different vomit colors mean.

Can a cat recover from not eating and throwing up on its own?

Sometimes — if the cause is minor, like a mild stomach bug or a dietary indiscretion. Many cats will vomit once or twice, skip a meal, and bounce back within 12-24 hours. However, if vomiting continues beyond 24 hours or food refusal lasts more than 24-48 hours, self-recovery becomes increasingly unlikely and the risk of secondary complications (especially hepatic lipidosis) climbs rapidly. Do not gamble with time.

My cat is not eating and throwing up white foam — what does that mean?

White foam vomit indicates the stomach is empty and producing excess gastric acid and mucus. When combined with appetite loss, it can signal kidney disease, pancreatitis, or severe nausea from almost any cause. A cat not eating and throwing up white foam that continues for more than 24 hours needs veterinary attention. Read our full guide on Cat Throwing Up White Foam for seven specific causes and what to do for each.

Should I force-feed my cat if they won’t eat?

No. Force-feeding a vomiting cat can cause aspiration pneumonia (food entering the lungs) and increases stress, which further suppresses appetite. The only situation where assisted feeding is appropriate is under direct veterinary guidance — typically through a syringe feeding protocol or a surgically placed feeding tube. If your cat hasn’t eaten for 24+ hours and is vomiting, the solution is veterinary intervention, not force-feeding at home.

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This article is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional veterinary advice. If your cat is not eating and throwing up, consult your veterinarian promptly. Information on hepatic lipidosis referenced from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Feline Health Center.