Cat Gagging — Why Does It Happen?

November 27, 2021

Did you just notice that your cat gagged? Do all cats gag? Is cat gagging normal? Should I be worried if my cat gags frequently?

If your brain is buzzing with any of the above questions, you are just on the right page, literally!

Before diving deep into cat gagging, what exactly is cat gagging?

Well, if you had observed your cat gagging, then you might have noticed that it occurs when something touches her larynx and she will try to swallow, extend her neck, open her mouth wide and try to spit anything inside Typically it looks like someone tickled her throat.

Is Cat gagging normal?

If your cat gags once in a while, that’s absolutely normal. But in case she is frequently gagging, it may not be a sign of a healthy cat.

Reasons for Cat Gagging

1. Eating hastily
When your cat is fed while she is too hungry to eat patiently, she may keep stuffing her throat which may result in choking. This is a normal cat gagging and nothing serious to be worried about. You can just ignore it if she stops gagging with it.

2. Gulping a foreign object
We all know that “Curiosity will kill a cat”, haha…. She might have swallowed something out of excitement, which is causing irritation and she wants to vomit it out. This will cause cats to gag.

3. Hairballs
Due to excessive grooming of oneself, your feline furry friend may have ingested a lot of her hair into her body. These pecks may roll together and become a large ball that makes her want to gag.

4. Other health ailments
Sometimes, cats that are prone to diseases in the heart, liver, kidney, and those that feel nausea also show this symptom. But in case of the presence of these ailments, your cats also show signs of vomiting, coughing, weakness, lethargy, and few others.

Preventing Cats from gagging

Try to use a slow feeder, chances of gagging due to quick eating will come down. Keep her out of excessive grooming and try to maintain her diet strictly to avoid injection of unwanted things in her system.

What to do if my cat gags?

The first thing to do is to check her airways. Vets highly recommend the cat-parents to check her airways. If you see anything, do not risk removing it yourself. Contact your vet immediately.
But if your cat has frequent hairballs, you may opt for hairball medication. Wherein, you may give her meds that are in buttery consistency that will help your cat to get rid of this. But it is safe to check with the vet for clinical safety.

In case your cat's gagging doesn’t stop, take her to the vet and consult with your veterinarian. Ask for advice to prevent it further.
Cat cheers and Kudos to Cattying….