Vet-confirmed stress vomiting in cats: what works

A vet-confirmed stress diagnosis with intermittent vomiting is actually a really useful starting point — you're not guessing anymore, which means you can act with some confidence. Cat anxiety is genuinely underestimated; Bombays in particular are known for being emotionally sensitive and deeply bonded to their environment, so even subtle changes can tip them over. The most effective environmental intervention for stress-related symptoms is a pheromone diffuser — but placement and consistency matter a lot. Before I point you to the right one, can I ask: do you know what's been driving the stress? And where does your cat spend most of their time — which room, and do they have a spot they retreat to when unsettled?

That timeline makes complete sense. Cats often appear to settle after a move and then the stress catches up with them a few weeks in — the novelty wears off and the reality of a new territory sets in. Retreating under the bed and withdrawing from social behaviour are classic signs she's not coping well. The good news is this is very treatable with the right approach. Given that she's anchored herself to the bedroom, that's exactly where you need to start. What does the bedroom look like in terms of plug sockets — is there a free one near where she spends time?

Perfect — that's an ideal location. My recommendation is the Feliway Classic Diffuser Starter Kit. It's the most clinically studied feline pheromone product available, and it replicates the facial pheromone cats deposit when they rub their face on things — a signal that tells them an environment is safe. Plug it in right there near the bed, at cat height if you can, and leave it running continuously. One refill covers about 30 days and roughly 50–70 square metres, so for a single room it's very effective. You should start to see a shift in behaviour — less hiding, possibly some return of social behaviour — within two to three weeks. The vomiting linked to stress often reduces as the underlying anxiety settles, but keep your vet updated on that specifically. Have you made any other changes to her environment since the move, like new food, new litter, or changes to her routine?

Absolutely it could — litter changes are a known stressor for cats, and some respond strongly to texture or scent differences. If you can track down her original brand, it's worth switching back and doing it gradually over a week by mixing the two. That combined with the Feliway diffuser would be tackling two real environmental stressors at once, which is exactly the kind of layered approach your vet was likely gesturing at when they mentioned environmental changes. Keep a simple log of when the vomiting happens — time of day, what preceded it — so you have something concrete to take back to your vet at follow-up. The Feliway Classic Starter Kit is widely available on Amazon UK; I'd go for the 30-day kit to start and then move to refills once you're seeing improvement.

Good plan — you're giving her two solid reasons to feel safer, which is more than most owners think to do at once. Give it three to four weeks before you judge whether it's working, and don't be surprised if the first sign of improvement is simply her coming out from under the bed more often rather than an immediate change in the vomiting. That increased confidence usually comes first. Hope she's back to her sociable self soon.