Vomiting Cat: Why is my Cat Vomiting and How to Fix It.

You have just come home from work, and you notice something smelling baaad!

You are not sure what that might be, but you see a pool of muck just across the door. Yuck! Smells even worse, its cat’s puke! Could be a yellowish, brownish or whitish thick substance.

Has this happened to you at one point?

My cat has thrown up several times, and you can’t help but sympathize with your cat. Cats have sensitive stomachs, and you are likely to find your cat vomiting if something unusual gets to the stomach.

​If your cat is vomiting, don’t worry. It is common for felines to throw up once in a while, but you should monitor them to make sure its nothing serious. If the cat has diarrhea or fever, you should see your vet immediately.

Common Causes of Cat Vomiting:

Frequent Change of Diet

As a rule, you should observe proper cat feeding and the type of food that your feline is eating.

If you change the diet too frequently, your cat’s stomach will not be ready for it, and vomiting is inevitable.

If you plan to introduce a new diet to your cat, make it gradual and not too frequent. You can mix the new food with the old food for 3-5 days to allow their stomach to adjust.

Read our guide about the best cat foods to prevent older cats vomiting

Overfeeding

Are you giving your cat more food more than they can handle? Monitor your cat’s eating habits and spread the meals to several times a day.

Avoid leaving food in the feeding bowl, especially if your cat is overweight or doesn’t control their eating habits.

Also, some cats eat too fast and may not realize they are full until they empty the bowl or you take away the food.

If you have several cats, feed them using separate containers and keep them away from each other when feeding.

Regulate the time they eat and how much they eat. You may consult your vet for advice on the right amount of food to give your cat.

Stuck Hairballs

Hairballs are common among cats, and it occurs when they ingest loose hairs when eating.

These hair strands form hairballs that cause blockage along the food track, making it hard to swallow food.

The only way for the cat to get rid of the blockage is to throw up the hairballs.

For cats with long fur, you should regularly spend time grooming them to remove the loose hairs.

You can buy a grooming brush if you plan to do it yourself. Alternatively, you can let a specialist handle the grooming for you, at a cost.

See our article discussing cat foods to control hairballs

Feeding Your Cat With Low-Quality Foods

Although it may not make economic sense sometimes, you should only buy the premium foods for your cat.

Premium cat food brands are expensive, but they cut the number of trips to the vet.

Low-quality cat food is filled with fillers and food dye that are not good for your cat.

In most cases, cheap cat food does not contain the right nutrients, and they have low protein content.

If you want to have a healthy cat, switch to a premium cat food brand with a high percentage of protein (30% and above).

When purchasing cat food, always check the label to see the type of ingredients used.

Avoid foods with a high filler content, since these fillers will do more harm than good to your cat.

Also, remember to buy food that is specific to your cat. For example, there is food meant for a kitten, teen cat, adults, pregnant cats and overweight cats.

Eating Plants

Eating grass or catnip in small doses may not be a big deal, but can turn fatal if they eat too much of these plants.

When left unmonitored, cats may feed on different plants, some of which are outright poisonous.

These plants cannot be digested, and cats will likely find ways of getting rid of them.

Eating Poisonous Substances Will Lead to Cat Vomiting

Cats are incredibly curious creatures and can be sneaky sometimes.

When you leave them unmonitored at home, they may get in the closet and taste whatever they find there, be it soap, oil or detergents.

With their sensitive stomachs, cats are likely to throw up anything foreign that gets to the stomach.

Always double check your cleaning agents to make sure that the cat cannot get hold of them.

Using Dirty Water & Feeding Bowls

Most cat owners have the habit of feeding their cats using the same bowl over and over again without cleaning them.

Dirty water and feeding bowls harbor dust, bacteria and other foreign substances that are not good for your cat. Make a habit of washing the bowls before and after feeding time.

Also, you can use a covered water bowl or a filter water fountain. Cats love running water and acquiring a water fountain will encourage them to drink even more water.

Conclusion

It is scary seeing your cat puke, but this can be managed if you know the cause.

Identifying the main reason for cat vomiting will help you solve the problem much faster.

Always monitor what your cat is eating and make sure it does not get hold of foreign substances in the house.

For extreme vomiting, you should seek your vet’s help to identify and treat the problem.

Sources

https://www.carecredit.com/vetmed/article/top-5-cat-hairball-questions-answered/

http://www.wellmindedpets.com/blog/2013/11/25/the-dangers-of-artificial-dyes-in-pet-food/