How to Stop My Cat From Throwing Up After Eating
Vomiting in cats is something common and happens due to preventable causes such as eating too fast, using dirty feeding bowls, and allergic reactions to new food. However, it is important to understand the different types of cat vomit and what each means just to be on the safe side.
There are a few things you can do in case your cat often vomits after eating. You can regulate the food portions, use food bowls that limit fast feeding, clean the food bowls at least once a day, and make sure your cat is not allergic to any of the foods.
Tips to stop your cat from throwing up after eating
There are a few things you can do to stop your cat from throwing up after eating. You can use these tips in combination and the chances of seeing your feline friend vomiting will drop significantly.
1). Regulate your cat’s portion sizes
One of the reasons cats vomit after eating is eating large portions of food to the point that it regurgitates. You can prevent this by reducing the portion sizes to limit the amount of food your cat eats at one single moment. Give your cat small portions every few hours instead of giving them large portions in one go.
But first, you need to determine how much food you should feed your cat so that you do give them too much or too little food. The amount of food a cat should eat largely depends on their body weight, age, activity levels, health condition, and type of food itself.
An active healthy cat with a healthy weight will need more food than an old, obese cat. That said, the general rule of thumb is that a healthy cat requires approximately 30 calories per pound. This means if your cat weighs 10 lbs, they need approximately 300 calories per day.
Most food packaging contains information about how much you should feed your cat. In case you’re not sure or your cat is not healthy or overweight, consulting your veterinarian would be a good idea. The vet will probably give you personalized recommendations based on your cat’s health, body weight, age, breed, and activity levels.
2). Use food bowls that limit fast feeding
Another great idea would be to use a non-conventional feeding bowl designed to slow down eating. Such bowls include puzzle bowls, elevated bowls, and feeding mats. A puzzle bowl has maze-like patterns on its base that make the cat work harder to get to the kibble. This helps prevent them from eating the food too fast. This type of bowl is ideal for dry food.
Elevated bowls are raised a few inches above the ground. Apart from limiting the cat from eating too fast, it ensures the stomach and mouth are well-aligned so that swallowing becomes easier, which in turn reduces the probability of throwing up. Elevated bowls are good for both wet and dry food.
A feeding mat is ideal for wet food. The food is squashed into the mat’s grooves, which forces the cat to lick the food in small amounts rather than gulping it down faster than it should.
3). Use a treat toy feeder
If you want to make feeding time fun for your cat then I suggest using a treat toy feeder. Toy feeders are little balls you can fill with dry food and your cat has to roll them around until the food comes out. This comes in handy especially if you’re often away from home during the day. You can be sure your cat will not eat too fast and experience health complications while you’re away.
4). Make sure the cat is not allergic
Another common reason cats vomit after eating is due to allergic reactions or food intolerance. Make sure the food is not spoiled and the ingredients used do not cause any allergic reactions in your cat. Check the expiry dates of the food before feeding it to your cat and make sure to store your cat’s food in a cool, dry place to prevent early expiry. Storing your cat’s dry food in an airtight container will also keep it fresh for a longer time.
5). Avoid topping up overstayed food bowls
Another reason your cat is throwing up after eating could be that you never empty and clean the food bowl once the food has overstayed. It is okay to refill the bowl but make sure the food is still fresh. For example, some foods become stale when exposed to air and humidity for several hours. That’s why it is ideal to give your cat food in small portions.
You should also clean the bowl every morning to ensure it doesn’t become a breeding ground for bad bacteria. Besides, your cat should be eating from a clean bowl and not from a bowl that has an irritating smell because you failed to clean it.
FAQs about vomiting in cats after eating
Here are a few common questions pet owners ask about cats throwing up after eating.
a). Why does my cat throw up after eating dry food
Cats throw up after eating dry food for eating too fast. Fast feeding means the cat doesn’t chew the food well enough and ingests a lot of air along with the food, which eventually leads to regurgitation.
b). Why does my cat keep throwing up after eating
A cat throws up after eating for reasons such as gorging, eating too fast, hairballs, ingesting foreign objects, icky taste, exposure to toxins, constipation, and due to health complications such as GI stasis, pancreatitis, and bowel infections.
c). Why is my cat throwing up undigested food
A cat vomiting undigested food could be an indication of a serious health issue such as pancreatitis, gastrointestinal obstruction, constipation, indigestion, parasitic infections, poisoning, and even stress. Hairballs and eating too fast can also cause undigested food vomit.
Final thoughts
Implementing these tips will reduce the chances of your cat throwing up after eating. However, you also need to know when to be concerned about your cat’s vomiting such as if the vomiting is too frequent, if the vomitus is yellow, green, red, brown, or black in color, and if your cat keeps gagging but nothing comes out.
