While cats may throw up once in a while, it’s a common misconception that vomiting is normal behavior. If it occurs more than once a week or consistently every few weeks, it’s time to see a vet. Such frequent or repeated vomiting is not normal and indicates an upset stomach or other health issues.
There are many reasons a cat vomits, so making an appointment with a vet to diagnose the underlying cause is crucial. It could be regurgitating its food, coughing, or a reaction to something eaten. Always keep an eye out for signs they may have ingested a toxic substance or have something lodged in their throat.
Cat Throws Up After Eating
Unravel the mystery behind your cat’s post-meal vomit from benign causes like hairballs to potential health concerns like gastrointestinal disorders. Implementing feeding strategies, dietary adjustments, and regular grooming can aid in minimizing these episodes and ensuring your cat’s well-being. Stay vigilant, and consult a vet if vomiting persists or escalates.
Why Do Cats Throw Up?
Cats might throw up if they’re not sick but have eaten too much or too fast, are reacting to a change in diet, or have ingested something they shouldn’t have, like a rubber band or piece of string. Hairballs are often to blame, especially in Longhair cats that groom often, leading to wads of fur getting stuck in their stomachs and needing to throw up a hairball every week or two to avoid blockages in their intestines. Regular brushing of their fur and using over-the-counter supplements can help in passing hairballs not painfully.
Other more serious conditions that can cause your cat to vomit include:
- Foreign objects in their digestive tract
- Food allergies
- Poisoning
- Intestinal Parasites
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Diabetes
- Hyperthyroidism
- Kidney Disease
- Cancer
Also Read: Cat Dropping Food When Eating
Signs to Look for in Your Cat
When visiting the vet, provide a thorough history of your cat’s health and behavior to help them look for signs specific to your cat.
- Lethargy or depression
- Change in appetite or eating habits
- Weight loss
- Blood in their vomit
- Pain in their abdomen (if they react harshly when you touch it)
- Frequency of vomiting
- Change in diet
- Access to plants or other foods or substances
- If other cats or animals are affected in your household
How to Know if Your Cat is Throwing Up?
Identifying when a cat is nauseous or about to throw up involves noticing signs like restlessness, salivating, or swallowing frequently. Vomiting involves contractions of the abdominal muscles to expel contents from the stomach through the throat. Coughing in cats may appear similar to throwing up; they might crouch on all four legs, stretch their neck, and cough up a froth or foam, often choosing to swallow it.
The difference between regurgitation and vomiting is in the effort; regurgitation lacks abdominal contractions and can occur soon after eating or drinking, signaling a problem with the esophagus. Consult a vet to help differentiate if your cat is vomiting, coughing, or regurgitating.
Treating Your Cat for Throwing Up
When your cat is vomiting due to hairballs, switching to a food with a hairball formula can help prevent them from forming by breaking down the hair with enzymes. If your cat is throwing up due to overeating, monitor their eating habits and change their food bowl to one that helps them eat slower, offering smaller portions more frequently throughout the day.
However, if your cat is throwing up several times a day or over multiple days, it could indicate a serious health issue that needs to be treated by a vet who can run tests to identify any underlying condition and prescribe appropriate medication.
Reasons Why Your Cat Throws Up After Eating
When you’re precious purr buddy gets too excited at dinner time, gulping down kibble as soon as it’s fed, only to start retching minutes later by their dish, it’s one of the common causes why a cat might throw up after meal time. There are two types of vomiting: Acute and Chronic.
Acute is a sudden episode of vomiting after eating too much or too fast, typically lasting a day or two. Chronic vomiting, on the other hand, occurs ongoing, around 1-2 times per day, and might include symptoms like pain, weight loss, or depression.
Ate Too Much
When excited at feeding time, cats might slurp up their food hastily and then abandon it by throwing up. This is often due to eating more than the space in a cat’s stomach can handle. To prevent this, feed your cats in smaller portions, more often throughout the day, instead of leaving a full food in the bowl for them to eat whenever they like. For those with a chonk at home, consider using an electronic feeder that dispenses a smaller amount of food at regular times.
Ate or Drank Too Fast
Finding a big blob of vomit near the food bowl, mixed with food and liquid, is a sign your cat is eating too fast. This problem often arises in multi-cat households, where one cat hastily eats before the other cats, leading to irregular eating habits and food binging.
Using an electronic feeder can solve this by needing the cat to eat less fast to get food. For feeding multiple cats, separate areas ensure they feel safe to eat at their own pace. A small puddle of clear liquid near the bowl indicates drinking too fast. To alleviate this, keep water accessible nearby at all times, so your kitties can sip water more leisurely.
Hairballs
Hairballs, which resemble typical cat vomit, are something a kitten might eject every two weeks as part of a normal procedure. When a cat swallows hair while taking care of its fur, it can lead to vomit composed of balls of hair. If this happens frequently, a veterinarian may suggest treatments or diets to reduce hairball formation.
Specialized food, like Royal Canin Feline Care with a hairball formula, helps the hair pass through the intestinal tract. Products like Pet Naturals Hairball supplement in a tasty chicken flavor can also aid in managing ingested hair.
Hard to Digest Foods
As natural predators, cats are accustomed to eating meat, fat, and bones from their prey like bugs, birds, and rodents. However, modern cat foods often contain bone, organs, and by-products that can differ significantly from their ancestral diet, leading to a hard time digesting these items.
This can result in diarrhea or cause them to throw-up. If your cat is having trouble, consider a switch in their food or treats to something like Cat Man Doo’s freeze-dried chicken treats, which are a single protein source with no preservatives, and often drive cats crazy in a good way.
Ingredients in Food
For cats, choosing high quality food and treats requires careful attention to the ingredients listed on the label. Many products contain emulsifiers, dyes, surfactants, additives, and preservatives, to which cats might be reacting. Always READ THE LABEL before you buy their food. A Typical dry food label might show high quality, highly rated ingredients, but also include added preservatives and chemicals.
On the other hand, a Typical wet food label for wet food might be advertised as containing chicken or turkey, but the list of actual nutrients can be misleading. Understanding what’s GOOD and BAD in cat food is crucial, and sometimes it’s about educating yourself and trying different foods to see what works best for your cat.
Toxic Plants
Many favorite houseplants can be surprisingly poisonous to cats. It’s important to be aware of these potentially dangerous plants to ensure the safety of our feline friends. TeachAboutCat offers a comprehensive list of the most common toxic plants for cats, providing valuable information to pet owners.
- Amaryllis (Amaryllis )
- Autumn Crocus (Colchicum autumnale)
- Azaleas and Rhododendrons (Rhododendron )
- Castor Bean (Ricinus communis)
- Chrysanthemum, Daisy, Mum (Chrysanthemum )
- Cyclamen (Cyclamen)
- Daffodils, Narcissus (Narcissus)
- Dieffenbachia (Dieffenbachia)
- English Ivy (Hedera helix)
- Hyacinth (Hyacintus orientalis)
- Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe)
- Lily (Lilium )
- Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis)
- Marijuana (Cannabis sativa)
- Oleander (Nerium oleander)
- Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum )
- Pothos, Devil’s Ivy (Epipremnum aureum)
- Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta)
- Spanish Thyme (Coleus ampoinicus)
- Tulip (Tulipa)
- Yew (Taxus)
Keeping toxic plants out of areas where cats don’t frequent or cannot access is crucial for their safety. Interestingly, cats eating grass is often seen as a symptom of an upset stomach, but science debunks this theory, indicating that vomiting is merely a by-product of eating grass.
Studies suggest that this behavior could be related to expelling intestinal parasites or exercising muscles in the digestive tract, pointing to an evolutionary behavior cats still employ today. So, don’t worry about getting your own grass for them to munch on; planting cat grass seeds in a pot with soil can be a fun way to provide your kitties with their own bushy rascals to eat as it grows big.
It’s the Food
When you need to switch your cat’s food, do it slowly. Introducing new food quickly can make their digestive system overreact. Follow a ratio for transitioning: 1/4 of the new food for days 1 to 3, and 3/4 by days 7 to 10. Be aware that pet food companies often change formulas without customers knowing. Always check the best by date and label on your cat food.
If your feline friend is throwing up, keep track of the preserving product code and batch by cutting it out and taping it to a sealable container. For extra assistance during the food transition, consider adding a pumpkin puree topper for its soluble fiber, or a probiotic to help with stomach flora and give their digestion a boost.
Needs to be Groomed
Regularly grooming your cat, regardless of fur length, is essential. Vets recommend grooming long-haired cats every day using a grooming tool like the Furminator or SleekEZ to remove loose hairs, keeping their coat sleek and beautiful.
For a short-haired cat, grooming once a week is usually sufficient. If your cat has a hard time sitting still, try using nibbles or treats to establish a regular grooming pattern. Over time, they will settle down and come to expect this routine as part of their care.
Minor Disruptions
Cats, often stoic in nature, may not show they feel bad or are stressed, but an upset stomach can be a symptom of a minor issue, like a bladder infection, upper respiratory infection, or an ear infection. It could also be a sign of stress from their regular routine being disrupted. While these may not always be overly serious, ignoring them could lead to larger problems.
An Underlying Condition
If your cat continues to throw up, it could be symptoms of a more serious underlying condition that requires immediate attention:
- Acute Kidney Failure or Liver Failure: Caused by toxins, these conditions affect the kidney and liver. Issues like poor flow of fluids, blockages, or damage from drugs and medications or excessive heat can lead to failure.
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): This affects the cat’s gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) and results in it being chronically irritated and inflamed.
- Gastroenteritis or Bacterial Infection: An upset in the GI tract can be due to parasites, viruses, or even a reaction to new food.
- Pancreatitis: This is inflammation of the pancreas, often caused by a blockage or damage to the pancreas itself.
Also Read: How to Tell If Your Cat is Eating Enough?
Serious Reasons Why Cats Throw Up After Eating
Gastric Foreign Bodies: Sometimes, cats may inadvertently ingest foreign objects like toys or string, leading to an obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract and causing vomiting. A complete obstruction, restricting normal digestion, is a medical emergency that requires immediate veterinary intervention.
Gastric Ulcers
Ulcers in a cat’s stomach or upper GI tract can be due to factors like prolonged use of certain medications, stress, or infections. These can cause pain and often lead to vomiting after eating.
Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders
Conditions like gastric dysmotility or gastric stasis can result in delayed emptying of the stomach, leading to vomiting. These disorders are often secondary to underlying systemic diseases or neurologic disorders.
Liver or Kidney Disease
Cats with liver or kidney dysfunction may exhibit vomiting as a symptom of these conditions, along with additional signs like increased thirst, weight loss, and changes in urination patterns.
Also Read: How to Help Cats with a Sensitive Stomach?
When to Seek Veterinary Attention?
Mild, Occasional Vomiting
For Mild, Occasional Vomiting, if it’s infrequent and not associated with concerning symptoms, and your cat appears healthy, a wait-and-watch approach may be appropriate. However, it’s crucial to monitor your cat’s behavior and consult a veterinarian if the vomiting persists or worsens.
Moderate to Severe Vomiting
For Moderate to Severe Vomiting, which is frequent or severe and associated with worrisome signs like lethargy, dehydration, or blood in vomit, immediate veterinary attention is necessary. Diagnostic tests such as blood work, X-rays, ultrasound, or endoscopy may be required to identify the underlying cause.
How to Prevent Your Cat from Throwing Up?
Feeding Management
In Feeding Management, provide multiple smaller meals throughout the day to prevent overeating and reduce the chances of rapid eating. Using food puzzle toys or slow feeders can help slow down your cat’s eating pace.
Dietary Adjustments: Feeding high-quality, easily digestible cat food tailored to their nutritional needs is vital. If food allergies are suspected, an elimination diet under veterinary supervision may be necessary.
Hairball Prevention: Regular grooming to remove loose hair, along with hairball remedies and specialized diets, can reduce hairball formation and subsequent vomiting.
Environmental Enrichment: Create a stimulating environment with appropriate toys and playtime to prevent ingestion of non-food items due to boredom or curiosity.
Medical Treatment: If an underlying cause is identified, treatment may include medications to manage GI inflammation, address motility issues, resolve infections or foreign body ingestion, with serious systemic conditions sometimes requiring surgical intervention or intensive medical management.
Conclusion
Vomiting in cats after eating can stem from a variety of causes, ranging from simple issues like eating too quickly or hairball formation to more serious conditions such as gastric ulcers, liver or kidney diseases, and gastrointestinal disorders. It’s important to observe your cat’s behavior and health patterns, providing appropriate dietary adjustments and environmental enrichment. Regular grooming and feeding management can also play a crucial role in prevention. However, if vomiting is persistent, frequent, or accompanied by concerning symptoms, it’s vital to seek veterinary attention. Understanding and addressing the underlying cause is key to ensuring the health and well-being of your feline friend.
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Should I Be Concerned If My Cat Throws Up After Eating?
You should be concerned if your cat throws up after eating. While it’s not always a sign they are sick, it could be due to eating too much or too fast, reacting to a change in diet, ingesting something they shouldn’t, like a rubber band or string, or due to Hairballs.
Also Read: What Should You Feed a Kitten?
Why Is My Cat Throwing Up But Acting Normal?
If your cat is throwing up but acting normal, it’s often nothing to worry about if it’s not often and there are no other symptoms. However, if regularly vomiting, a veterinary examination is advisable.
How Do I Get My Cat To Stop Throwing Up Food?
To stop your cat from throwing up food, if the vomiting is periodic or infrequent, avoid giving any food for 12 hours but offer your kitty a few tablespoons of water every 30 minutes or use ice cubes during this fasting period.
