Why would my cat thrash around on the floor and be sick every morning?

Answer 1

There are a number of reasons why this could be.


Grooming
Cats often groom themselves at night. It's quieter and there are less humans about to "distract" them. This leads to hairballs which may be "ejected" in the morning. If there is very little hair and too much food in the vomit, this is probably not the cause.


Allergy
The second most likely cause is an allergy. This could be to a certain food, a certain brand of cat food or even a house plant that the cat likes to lick or nibble on. Changing your cats diet and removing any house plants from their access for a few days will help determine if either of these is the issue.


Toxins
Toxic items are the third most common reason.
Not many people realise, for example, that a vast majority of "human" food is toxic to cats. There are pesticides and chemicals in our foods, including flavourings and colourings. Humans can tolerate these because of our complex digestive systems, but cats on the other hand cannot tolerate them. Stop feeding food which is marketed for humans, to a cat. Pure, fresh meat that comes straight off a bone would be fine, but things like sandwich ham often contains man-made chemicals, such as colourings and preservatives.

Human medications, pesticides, coffee, chocolate, raw eggs, alcohol, fat trimmings, grapes, onions, garlic and artificial sugars are toxic to cats.
Even fish products which are not specifically for cats could be toxic. For example, while cats love tuna, again, tinned tuna marketed for humans contains man-made chemicals such as preservatives.
Adult cats are also intolerant to milk. It is fine for kittens to drink milk specifically formulated for them. But adult cats do not need to drink milk, especially not cow milk, which is unnatural for them.
Basically, if it doesn't say "cat food" on the label, don't give it to the cat.

As for the plants that are toxic for cats, you can find a list of them here (click).


Intestinal Problems
Excessive vomiting when everything else has been ruled out could be a sign of a health problem.
These could range from Diabetes, feline hyperthyroidism, liver disease, kidney disease or cancer. Especially in older cats. If the cat is yelping or making loud noises while he or she is thrashing about, she/he may be finding something painful or uncomfortable.
You will have to see a vet for a diagnosis and treatment in this case, since the cat will need to be physically examined and cannot be diagnosed over the internet.


As always, if you are worried, see a vet for advice.