Has your cat been throwing up their food right after eating it? If this is a recurring problem, then as an owner you’d understandably be worried. But in order to address the problem, you have to first find out the reason why your cat can’t keep its food down.
And that can range from the simplest reason to something more medically related. Luckily, you can find more about that in this article so that you can take the first step to making your cat feel better.
Also Read: Best Grain Free Cat Food
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Why Can’t My Cat Keep Food Down?
Ate Too Fast
Watch your cat closely during feeding time. Does it chomp down the kibble faster than you could put it in its bowl? If the answer is yes, then it’s possible the reason your cat can’t keep its food down is because it’s eating too fast. When your cat eats too fast, it implies improper chewing and can accidentally ingest a huge amount of air. That is what causes them to throw up right after eating. To avoid this, try feeding your cat in small amounts until it learns how to slow down. If that doesn’t work, try spreading out the kibble on a wide platter so that your cat will be forced to eat the scattered kibble at a slower pace than normal.
Switched Foods Abruptly
This can happen for multiple reasons, maybe your cat’s usual kibble ran out and has no stocks in the store, or maybe it got recalled. Regardless of why, there comes a time when you have to change your cat’s usual food. And if this happens without a proper transition, your cat’s stomach could get upset and thus cause them to throw the new food up.
When this happens, try to find food that is as close as possible to the old one. Make sure that you get the new food while you still have some left of the old one so that you can make a proper transition from one food to the next. You can do this by mixing the old and new food with 75% old and 25% new for a few days, then going 50-50 for the next couple of days, then 75% new and 25% old, until such time that you can feed it 100% new food with no problem.
Has Food Allergies
Another possibility is that your cat has food intolerance, which can lead to digestive troubles. If this is the case, then you have a blood test done to determine if your cat is allergic to any of the ingredients in its food. The blood test can’t pinpoint the exact allergen, but you can determine this by process of an elimination diet. Your vet will recommend a special diet to help determine and rule out which ingredient is causing the intolerance. Once the allergen is identified, you will have to put your cat on a special diet that’s formulated for its sensitive stomach.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
IBS can be used to describe a number of reasons that cause diarrhea or an upset stomach in your cat. The usual cause for IBS is diet, so you might have to put your cat on a diet made for sensitive tummies. As cats are more likely to digest natural protein sources better, you can feed them chicken or turkey as these will likely have the least amount of reaction from their stomachs.
Fatty acids like Omega 3 are also necessary for your cat to have better digestion, so adding some supplements like that can also be beneficial.
Probiotics are also very helpful in protecting your cat against bad bacteria, so you can look into treats or food formulated with it as well. If changes to your cat’s diet don’t solve the problem, then consult your vet and they may prescribe some medication depending on his diagnosis. It may be protozoa or an inflammation in your cat’s digestive system that’s causing the IBS.
Related: Read my post on Soulistic Cat Food
Poor Digestion
Cats digest their food differently from dogs, so giving them food that’s easier for them to digest can help reduce the chances of them throwing their food up. You can feed your cat raw meat or canned food, as these are the foods that are most compatible with a cat’s digestive system.
What To Do?
Regular exercise is very important, so make sure you give time to exercise your cat. Going outside can also allow your cat to eat herbs and grass found outdoors that can help them vomit out any impurities in their system. This usually helps if your cat is sick due to some toxin.
If all the previously mentioned reasons have been ruled out and your cat is still upchucking its food, then you might want to consult your vet. The vomiting may be a symptom of a more serious medical condition like cancer, kidney failure, diabetes, or some other disease.
Even if it’s not that serious, a cat that’s constantly throwing up is prone to dehydration which much be addressed immediately. If your cat is acting lethargic after throwing up, then you must bring it to the vet for proper treatment.
Conclusion
It’s only natural to be concerned about your cat’s well-being, and throwing up its food is just another one of those things that you can possibly worry about in your cat. Luckily there are pretty simple reasons on why it could be happening and you can address each accordingly once you properly diagnose what’s causing the vomiting. Hopefully your cat will be able to keep its food down after this. Wondering why your cat is kicking itself?
