Best Food For Older Cats That Vomit (5 Varieties That Help)
Older cats often have sensitive stomachs, and this can make them vomit regularly when their food doesn’t quite agree with them.
Giving them an improper diet will make an already bad situation worse, and it is important to make careful consideration of the type of food you buy for your feline companion.
Typically the main cause of food sensitivities in older cats are changes in food ingredients in their normal food brand, or strong smelling food.
The best cat food for older cats that vomit is made with limited ingredients that are gentle to your cat’s stomach. They are also balanced and complete to provide all the necessary nutrients.
While it is common for cats to throw up once in a while, you should monitor their condition to make sure it is nothing serious. If your cat has fever or diarrhea it may be a sign of something serious, and you should visit a vet immediately.
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Best Cat Food Choices for Older Cats that Vomit
1. Royal Canin Veterinary Gastrointestinal Cat Food
Cats with sensitive stomach require food that is easy to digest and that will give high energy even with small amounts of food.
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet is specially made for such cats, and it is prepared with ingredients that are gentle to your cat’s gastrointestinal tract.
Since cats with sensitive stomachs only eat a small portion of the food, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet has boosted calories to ensure that the cat gets enough energy even on small amounts of food.
This diet contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that are obtained from natural animal proteins.
These fatty acids help in digestion. This diet is ideal for cats that have lost weight since the boosted calories help without them needing to eat large portions.
Although a little pricey, vets recommend Royal Canin Diet Feline GI as one of the best cat foods to help prevent vomiting.
2. Royal Canin Feline Nutrition Hairball Care
Cats are heavy groomers, and during their frequent grooming sessions they swallow the hairs that get lodged in the digestive tract.
These hairs combine to form hairballs which may cause vomiting, constipation and intestinal blockage.
Royal Canin feline nutrition is specially formulated to solve problems arising from hairballs and digestive disorders.
The dry kibble is triangular-shaped, making it easy to chew and also removes plaque that gets stuck on their teeth, promoting complete dental health.
Royal Can Hairball Control contains a combination of dietary fiber that stimulates intestinal transit.
This forces the ingested hairs to be eliminated in the cats waste rather than piling up in their stomach and causing stomach upsets and vomiting.
3. Purina One Sensitive Systems Premium Cat Food
Purina One sensitive systems formula is prepared with real turkey as the first ingredient to provide enough proteins and poultry flavor that all cats love.
Turkey provides 36 grams of proteins per cup, which is adequate to build strong muscles.
Other ingredients include zinc, calcium, taurine, omega-6 fatty acids and vitamins A & E.
Purina One Sensitive Systems has a crunchy kibble that is easily digestible by older cats, cats with a sensitive stomach, and cats with hairballs.
It is supplemented with essential vitamins and minerals that support a healthy body.
Antioxidants and omega fatty acids assist in strengthening the cat’s immune system and nourishing the cat’s skin. It has zero fillers and each ingredient included has a purpose.
Most customers rate this food as one of the best diets for senior cats with sensitive stomachs, and have reported success in helping older cats stop vomiting and enjoy meals like younger cats.
4. Blue Adult Sensitive Stomach Adult Dry Cat Food
Cats with a sensitive stomach have a low appetite for food, and this may lead to weight loss.
This diet is prepared with delicious chicken, and nutritious vegetables and fruits that make this meal delicious and nutritious for your kitty.
Blue Adult cat food is prepared with de-boned chicken and brown rice as the main ingredients.
It contains natural ingredients that are enhanced with a blend of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that improve the cat’s health and immunity.
Other ingredients include taurine, omega-3 fatty acids, and magnesium.
Vets recommend Blue Adult sensitive stomach dry cat food for cats that throw up or that have stomach disorders.
5. Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and Skin Dry Cat Food
Hill’s Science cat food is prepared by a group of veterinarians, food scientists and nutritionists to meet the needs of cats with sensitive digestive systems.
It is balanced and complete for everyday feeding. It does not contain artificial colors or additives that may cause allergies and stomach disturbances.
This cat food is formulated using a rice and egg recipe, and contains a blend of omega fatty acids that nourishes your cat’s skin and coat.
It is supplemented with clinically-proven antioxidants that boost your cat’s immunity, which helps fight off illnesses and prevent common infections.
Hill’s Science sources its ingredients from trusted farmers both in the US and around the world. The ingredients are usually of high quality and natural to make this diet safe for cats.
Some customers reported success with this diet for allergy issues that force cats to lick their hair constantly.
What Causes Cats to Throw Up?
Change of Diet
Frequent changes in the cat’s diet may result in vomiting because their stomach will treat the meal as a foreign substance that their body is yet to get used to.
When introducing a new diet, the ideal method is to make the change gradual and not immediate.
This gives your cat time to get used to the new diet before they can feed solely on the new food source.
Overfeeding
Giving your cat too much food causes discomfort in the stomach and vomiting is inevitable.
Overfeeding mostly occurs when you leave a full bowl for the cat to eat.
Most cats are unable to control their eating habits and will eat until their food bowl is empty, and allowing your cat to eat too much food may result in serious conditions such as diabetes and obesity.
If you spend a fair amount of time away from home, you can use an automatic cat feeder that schedules meals automatically to make sure your cat eats a small portion in given time intervals.
This way you will have control over the amount of food that your cat eats while you are away.
Hairballs
Cats are heavy groomers and they will ingest some of their hair, which combines to form a hairball.
The hairball is a round ball of hair strands that may cause blockage of the food tract, and this will make it difficult for your desperately hungry kitty to swallow food.
The result of this will be your cat throwing up to remove the foreign substances, followed by you having to clean up the mess left on your otherwise clean floor.
Conclusion
When choosing the best food for cats that vomit, you should give careful consideration to the list of ingredients in the formula. Stay away from diets that your cat has reacted to in the past, or that contain questionable ingredients.
It is also good to seek your vet’s recommendation on the best diet for your older cat. That way you will be sure that you are giving your cat the right choice of diet.
