Cat vomiting. Any ideas before I go to vet?

[elinorbellowed]

She is 12, so oldish I suppose, but has always been very healthy. She practically lives outside in summer but coming in much more in this weather.
She has thrown up a few times before, often when we have left her overnight. I think (know) that she overeats when there is more food down and the sick is barely digested, or full of fur. It's maybe happened once every couple of months.
This time seems different. She's throwing up inside every day. Twice this evening and it's obviously really distressed her - she's doing a weird yowling beforehand. She lost a lot of weight this summer, but fur good and eyes shiny. I wonder if she's been sick outside and I haven't noticed.
She has dry food and water. Anyone experienced similar?
I realise now, typing this that I have already decided to take her to the vets, but wanted to get some advice/support here as well. Thanks.

[bibbitybobbitybloodyaxe]

No experience but glad you are taking her to the vets. Cats are sick a lot (at least mine is) but yowling beforehand doesn't sound so normal.

I do hope all is ok. At 12 she is oldish but not old old.

[MyLittleFluffball]

Poor little baby. "Lost a lot of weight" = alarm bells for me. I don't want to scare you but that's what happened to my cat over quite a fast period, triggering our taking her to the vet and ultimately her being diagnosed with Stage IVB Multicentric Lymphoma (i.e., terminal cancer).

The same cat did, at around the age of 12 years, begin throwing up any dry food. I don't think this had anything to do with cancer - she died aged 14 years and the cancer seemed to develop quickly and aggressively, e.g., within a few months at most. We resolved the problem by no longer feeding her any dry food, and the throwing up immediately stopped. But please take your cat to the vet and make sure the vet does a thorough physical examination to check for any unusual lumps, etc.

[elinorbellowed]

The thing is, she was a bit on the plump side, and we've been moving house - so lots of change for her, and I thought that was why. You wouldn't think she was thin to look at her, it's just in comparison to how she was. Now feeling guilty, but she doesn't seem ill, just the throwing up, and until the weather changed, was the happiest cat in the world with a new big garden to explore.

[MyLittleFluffball]

My cat also wasn't emaciated after she'd lost weight - she was 3.5 kg instead of her usual 4.5 kg, she is a small-framed cat - but she was thin for her.

Don't feel guilty. There are many possible reasons why your cat is throwing up. Cats hide their illness until they can't hide it. As an owner you can't psychically know that there is something seriously wrong when your cat is acting like they are the happiest cat in the world. And I should emphasise that my situation was the worst case scenario, your cat's weight loss may just be due to throwing up frequently, which may be caused by something much less serious.

[elinorbellowed]

Thank you for comments Mylittle and bibbity. You've helped me think about this a bit more sensibly. I'll find a vet tomorrow (don't have one yet, but there's a surgery five min away) and get in as soon as possible.
Will update!

[bibbitybobbitybloodyaxe]

Yes, please do. No need to panic, vomiting can be caused by all sorts of things.

[elinorbellowed]

Hello. Called vet and the nurse said judging by age and symptoms to be prepared for renal failure, so had bad afternoon at work with imagination running wild.
However, very lovely and quite handsome vet says bad constipation, gave her an enema and sent me away with some exlax if that doesn't work. He says the thinness is flea allergy - she is frontlined, but new house has ex-owners dog fleas which she is reacting to.
I am rather impressed with them because he clearly could have talked me into an expensive and traumatic blood test, but he won't do that unless he's confirming a diagnosis. Her fur isn't greasy, which is the other big symptom of renal failure and he said the kidneys and thyroid were normal size.
Very relieved.
Thank you for moral support!

[GirlTuesday]

I hope the vet had words with the nurse. Not very professional for her to be attempting to diagnose over the phone and frightening you so much.