Monday, May 24, 2010

Can anyone tell me WHY cats gorge and then throw up?

I feed my cat a minimal amount of dry food, and 9 out of 10 times he will wolf it down, and then vomit. Any advise on this?
Answers:
I had a cat that used to throw up constantly especially after he wolfed down his food. I fed him Iams hairball control (I feed all my cats this and rarely have hairballs) and that seemed to help. I also gave him the hairball gel a couple of times a week. The vet recommended it and said sometimes they have hairballs lodged deep in their intestines so this helps lubricate things. If your cat goes outside you might want to consider having him dewormed. Inspect the cat vomit (I know this is really disgusting) because you can sometimes actually see a worm and then you can take it to the vet and they can diagnose it better. Next time you take your cat to the vet mention this problem to him/her so they can check him out for other problems too. If you notice weight loss take him in right away! I hope this helps and I'm sorry you got a puker. Stock up on carpet cleaner!
cats puke because its hot and they cant digest thier food.it happened to my 2 cats dosens of times .just put a fan near your cat when it is asleep it it will digest thieir food.hope this helps.
Try a bit of hairball gel on the paws and the nose. Hopefully kitty will lick it off. His gut may be clogged from something like a cord that is wrapped around a roast or even dental floss. See if that helps his tummy. Try feeding a food for sensitive stomach. I feed Royal Canin Special 33 (purple bag) but the vet clinics sell some foods, and also Science Diet makes a food for sensitive stomach.
This probably isn't the case, but it was with my cat.. You said you are giving him a minimal amount of food, so is he on a special diet? He may think he's not going to get all the food he needs or is actually so hungry that when food comes he eats so fast that he makes himself sick. Try giving him more food at one time and see if he slows down his eating pace. If that doesn't help try special foods for sensitive stomachs and/or hairball treatments. If this doesn't clear up I would suggest you take him to the vet because that is definitely not healthy for him to be getting sick so often and it should be checked before he becomes malnurished.
Have you talked to your vet? Your cat may have a sensitive stomach or some other medical issue. I have had cats all of my life, and currently own two, throwing up on a regular basis is not normal.
Are you by any chance feeding him Whiskas, Friskies, or any of those other grocery store brands? They are really bad for your cat. It's so worthwhile to spend a bit more on your cat food so he's getting all the nutrients he needs and not a bunch of crap. Cats like the taste of Whiskas but it has minimal nutritional value. I had two cats years ago who both vomited up their food everyday when I fed them Whiskas. It stopped as soon as I switched to a good brand from the pet store. I now feed my cats Wellness brand and they seem to be super healthy.
If you are withholding dry food from your cat, rather than leaving the dry out for him to eat "at will", YES, he will do this because he never knows when he's going to get any more. Try, first of all, getting the hairball formula, and feeding him that for a week or two. If he likes it, and if he's NOT vomiting--there's your answer, keep feeding him the same thing. Also, leave him a larger dish of dry food that he can "pick at" at-will, and I think you'll find that this (the wolfing it down %26 vomiting) will stop--or slow down considerably. If this doesn't solve the problem, you may have to take him to your vet as he could have some kind of blockage that is keeping the food from going down %26 being digested normally. I doubt that this is the case as mine will do this occassionally if I feed him something he really likes--he'll wolf it down like a dog, then puke! Cats systems aren't made like a dogs and cannot handle an enormous amount of food at one time. But, DO try leaving him a bowl of the dry food out to eat at "at will". If he just keeps going back (eats %26 vomits, eats %26 vomits), my guess is--he has worms and needs to be seen by your vet. Best of luck with your little glutton.
one of my cats will do this if he is out of food and I put some down. he thinks that he needs to eat it quickly and this makes him throw up. try leaving food out all the time. this is what i do and they still only eat the recommended amount but do not throw up from eating too fast. good luck.
One of mine would do this and a friend suggested moving the foodbowls away from the waterbowl. It helped.

1 comment:

  1. my old siamese (18 yrs old) is just a right pig - gorges like an express train then throws up 10 mins later - usually on freshly shampooed carpets or down the side of things that are hard to move ... siamese are just notorious at being gorgers and heavers - when you discuss this with other siamese owners it seems to be a breed common trait despite what and however you feed them! My old bombay (16 yrs) hardly ever does it ... but the siamese is at it all the time!

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