Gastritis, or inflammation of the stomach, is produced by overfeeding and too frequent feeding, or feeding with irritating food, or by the ingestion of foreign bodies or poison in the stomach. It may also be secondary to constitutional diseases.

The symptoms of gastritis are vomiting, first of the contents of the stomach, then of a thick, frothy mucus, and later, perhaps, of blood. The animal shows pain upon pressure on the stomach just at the lower border of the last ribs, which is more or less severe according to the intensity of the inflammation.

If the cat is in freedom, and is able to get at fresh grass, it will itself eat a sufficient quantity to act as an emetic, which affords temporary relief. In the house-cat this can be replaced by a dose of a strong solution of Glauber's salts - a teaspoonful to a quarter-tumbler of water - of which several teaspoonsful can be given. This will act as an emetic, and a certain portion will be absorbed and act as a laxative. Should the vomiting continue, and there be much pain, give five to ten drops of paregoric, with two or three drops of extract of ginger, and a teaspoonful of a solution of gum arabic and water, and repeat every few hours.