Do cats prefer to puke on carpet, rather than tile?

[TXlib]

We have two cats. One is long-haired, and pukes up the occasional hairball. The other one is bulimic; he tends to gorge himself with food, and puke shortly thereafter.

Whenever they have the chance, they puke on carpet, rather than tile or wood floor.

Either of them could be in a large room with a tile floor, and just one tiny patch of carpet, and they will never fail to puke on the carpet.

Is this something peculiar about cats, or do our cats just hate us?

[wryter2000]

1. Don't know

But snakes definitely prefer carpet to poop on. Of course, their first choice for a potty is their human.

[bif]

2. Mine puke wherever I step

Early in the morning while stumbling into the kitchen to get some coffee. They know the path I'll take and blow chunks right there. And yes, they do hate us.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

27. Ahhhhhh, the joy of petlessness! (nt)

[Heddi]

3. Of course they do

We used to live in a house that was 100% hardwood floors. We had a few area rugs here and there, and I have personally witnessed the cats standing in a room that was 98% wood floors with a small 1ftx3ft rug in the corner---start chucking, and PURPOSEFULLY walk to the rug to vomit.

I've also seen teh cats standing in the tiled kitchen, start chucking, only to run to the sofa and puke on it, or jump up and puke on the counters, or run out the room and puke on the carpet.

They're all bastards

[Shakespeare]

4. Definitely prefer carpet, unless....

...they can find a really expensive shoe to puke in, and then that would be their first choice.

[Alenne]

5. My dog does it

I have seen him walk out of the kitchen so he can throw up on the carpet.

[XanaDUer]

6. They will puke wherever is the grossest,

most-hard place to clean. That is why they are cats.

[mikehiggins]

7. absolutely! definately! without a doubt! n/t

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

8. After putting down 2,500 dollars worth of carpet in the house two months

ago and already needing a cleaning..I would have to say YES!!!

[11cents]

9. Our cats love us ...

... of course they do.

I think the carpet-puking phenomenon is an instance of the more general feline propensity to be *on* anything it is possible to be *on.* If there's a newspaper on the floor, they want to be on the newspaper. If a carpet, the carpet. If you're on the floor, they're on you. If there's a single whisper-thin bit of gossamer anywhere in an otherwise bare universe, they'll be on top of it.

[Larry Gude]

10. Carpet...

...definitely. Preferably just vaccumed.

[DCDemo]

11. It's cats

My two cats go out of their way to avoid puking on tile, wood, or bed/couch...always the carpet.

[XanaDUer]

12. There is nothing like chasing your dog away from cat vomit,

because he wants to eat it, and you are gagging from the whole disgusting scene, and because the dog is so quick, he gets some, anyway.

Pets, what a concept.

[demsrule4life]

13. All pets do this

When we bought our first Borzoi dog (stood 34 inches at the shoulder) we left the house for awhile. My wife left a package of frozen pork chops on the counter. Now dogs this tall just reach over and grab things off the counter. When we got home discovered the pork chops were gone. I knew that Kubi would have to throw up sooner or later. I took him out in the yard for an hour and nothing happened. Thinking it was safe I brought him back in the house and he went directly to the carpet and puked on it several times.

[arwalden]

14. I Always Prefer To Puke On Carpets Instead Of Tile...

... a nice bedspread is even better.

So I can understand why cats would prefer it too.

-- Allen

[omshanti]

15. I have a considerate cat. He only pukes on hardwood.

n/t

[monarch]

16. They are smart enough to do it

where it won't splash back in their faces.

[sidwill]

17. Yes.

Yes they do.

[VOX]

18. Yes. Even in a tile bathroom, they will target the bath mat!

The always go for comfort, I guess.

[omshanti]

19. so I have a freak cat?

he only pukes on hardwood. never on carpet.

[hlthe2b]

20. I think they want to make sure that after you clean up...

there is still some left over (for when they get hungry) :evilgrin:

[hlthe2b]

21. Edited for dupe post

[Melsky]

22. Mine - anywhere and everywhere

and often!

[trackfan]

26. Mine too -

at least one of them. The other one doesn't puke as often. The one forces himself to puke almost every morning at the same time. It's part of his lifestyle.

[Cadfael]

23. It's in their contract

not sure which clause...

[TXlib]

24. Don't you mean

which claws?

[SOteric]

25. Cat's in physical distress puke wherever they are most comfortable.

I keep reminding myself of this when my aging and enfeebled cat yarks something onto a pile of freshly cleaned laundry, or spits up on my best pair of work shoes.

[ComerPerro]

28. If its hairballs

Which most likely it is, you can get cat food that is supposed to help them with hairballs...

It works for my cat. Without he is always throwing up a hairball. And, of course, its on carpet..

[TXlib]

29. The hairballs only happen about once every two weeks

The other cat pukes at least 2-3X a week. He just eats 'til he bursts.

[ComerPerro]

32. ok. but I have three options

You could try the suggestion (because I think it might help out alot).
You could decide not to, because the puking is not related to hairballs (which very well could be the case).

or

You could describe to me in intimate detail what the puke looks like, and together we can determine what type of puke we are dealing with....

But, I don't think we want to do that....


LOL.

Anyway, that's what worked for my cat.
Maybe you can put a piece of old carpet down and train him to puke on that.
Also, I can hear when my cat is about to puke, so I will usually pick him up and put him on the tile. But, that only works when someone is home, of course.

And, now I think it is safe to say that I have spent WAY too much time discussing cat puke...

[nini]

30. Mine always jumps on my bed first...

..then pukes on just the right location to catch the bedspread AND a blanket or pillow..

geezzz

[nclib]

31. the bed, the couch, my lap...

wherever they are at the moment, that's where they go.