A cat that has ingested bay laurel leaves will display several very noticeable symptoms. Unfortunately, they are not unique to bay laurel poisoning, so a vet will usually be required in order to make a complete diagnosis.
Vomiting
About thirty minutes after eating the bay laurel, the cat will usually begin to vomit. Although not different in color or consistency from regular feline vomit, continued retching and vomiting are indicators of a more serious problem than normal indigestion. The animal may also throw up fragments of (or even complete) bay leaves, helping owners diagnose the problem. Sustained vomiting can be dangerous to the cat's health however, as it can cause rapid dehydration.
Diarrhea
As the body attempts to void the ingested toxins from its digestive tract, the cat may also begin to experience diarrhea. Owners should be aware that this can cause even worse dehydration than vomiting.
Digestive Obstruction
Bay leaves are very tough and even once cooked the human digestive system can have a hard time breaking them down. Smaller animals such as cats are, for this reason, very susceptible to the bay leaf causing a blockage of their digestive tract. Such a blockage can be very uncomfortable, resulting in behavioral changes such as visible discomfort and increased aversion to being touched.
Digestive Tract Damage
Raw bay leaves also have remarkably sharp edges and taper to a noticeable point. As it moves through the body, the leaf can scratch, gouge and even lacerate the lining of the esophagus and gut. The most visible indication of this is blood appearing in the cat's stool or vomit. Untreated, this can result in a reluctance to eat (causing weight loss) and even bacterial infection.