7 Shades of Sick: What Your Cat's Vomit Color Is Actually Saying

There is no sound on earth quite like a cat heaving at 4 AM.

It wakes you up instantly. You rush to find them, usually just in time to watch them ruin your favorite rug. But once the mess is made, you are left looking at it and wondering: Is this normal?

To the untrained eye, it is just gross. To a vet, the color and texture of vomit are clues. They tell a story about what is happening inside your cat's stomach, liver, or intestines.

Before you clean it up, take a closer look. Here is how to translate the "Rainbow of Sick."

The "Vomit Rainbow" Cheat Sheet

Save this chart. It helps you decide if you need a paper towel or a carrier.

1. Yellow or Green Liquid (The "Hunger Puke")

If you find a puddle of yellow or greenish slime, usually in the morning before breakfast, do not panic.

This is Bile. It is a digestive fluid produced by the liver. When a cat's stomach is empty for too long, acid builds up and irritates the lining. The body ejects this acid to protect itself. This is often called Bilious Vomiting Syndrome.

The Fix: Don't feed one big meal a day. Split their food into 3-4 smaller meals. A small snack right before bed often stops the "morning puke" completely.

2. White Foam (The "Bubbling" Stomach)

White foam looks dramatic, like soap suds.

This usually means the stomach is inflamed (Gastritis) but empty. The cat is trying to vomit, but there is no food to bring up, so they churn up air and mucus instead.

• Hairballs: Often, white foam precedes a hairball. The hair is ticking the stomach, causing spasms.
• Nausea: If they lick something nasty (like a chemical or a bitter bug), they might foam at the mouth and vomit white froth.

3. The "Sausage" (Undigested Food)

You find a perfect, tube-shaped pile of kibble that looks exactly like it did in the bowl.

This isn't sickness; it is gluttony. We call this "Scarf and Barf."

Your cat inhaled their food so fast that the stomach expanded too quickly. The brain sent a signal to "eject cargo." It essentially hit the undo button on dinner.

The Fix: Stop using a deep bowl. Spread the food out on a flat plate, or buy a Slow Feeder (puzzle bowl). It forces them to eat one kibble at a time.

4. Red or Pink (The Danger Zone)

If you see pink tinges, red specks, or liquid that looks like coffee grounds, stop reading and call the vet.

• Fresh Blood (Red): Indicates active bleeding in the mouth or esophagus. Could be a cut from a bone, a severe ulcer, or rat poison ingestion.
• Digested Blood (Coffee Grounds): Indicates bleeding further down in the stomach or intestines.

When To Call The Vet?

Cats vomit. It is their superpower. But there is a line between "cat being a cat" and "cat in crisis." Frequent vomiting is just one of the warning signs of a sick cat.

Go to the Vet If:

1. Frequency: They vomit more than twice in 24 hours.
2. Behavior: They hide, refuse food, or look lethargic after vomiting.
3. Content: There is blood, plastic, or string in the vomit.
4. Effort: They keep retching (dry heaving) but nothing comes out. This is a sign of a blockage, which is fatal if untreated.

Why is my cat throwing up undigested food?

This is typically regurgitation, not vomiting. It usually happens because they ate too fast, causing the food ("Scarf and Barf") to back up in the esophagus before reaching the stomach. A slow-feeder bowl fixes this 90% of the time.

Why is my cat vomiting white foam but acting normal?

White foam indicates an empty, irritated stomach. If they are acting fine, it might just be hunger (too long between meals) or a hairball trying to come up. Feed them smaller, more frequent meals.

What do worms in cat vomit look like?

Roundworms look like white spaghetti noodles. Tapeworm segments look like grains of rice. If you see either in the vomit, do not use over-the-counter dewormers; see a vet for the correct prescription.

Final Thoughts

Why is my cat vomiting clear liquid?

Clear liquid is usually gastric juice or regurgitated water. It often happens when a cat drinks too fast on an empty stomach. However, in older cats, it can stem from kidney issues or thyroid disease.

Vomit vs. Regurgitation: What is the difference?

Vomiting (active) involves heaving and stomach contractions. Regurgitation (passive) happens effortlessly, where undigested food just "falls" out of the mouth, usually because the esophagus is blocked or the cat ate too fast.

When to stop feeding a vomiting cat?

If your cat vomits once, withhold food for 12 hours (but provide water) to let the stomach rest. If they vomit repeatedly, do not feed them and see a vet.

Most of the time, a puking cat just needs a smaller meal or a good hairball gel. But the color tells the story. Learn the code, and you will know when to grab the carpet cleaner and when to grab the car keys.