My Cat Vomits: Possible Causes and Tips
It is not uncommon for cats to vomit. Occasionally the previously eaten food can come up again. In the following, we will explain why cats vomit food and what you can do about it.
Why Do Cats Vomit their Food?
If a cat's vomit contains food, this only shows that your four-legged friend's last meal was not too long ago and the food has not yet been digested. If the stomach is already empty when vomiting, the cat will only vomit liquid or foam.
If your cat vomits food, this could be for one of the following reasons:
- Swallowed hair
- Stale cat food
- Allergies and food intolerances
- Infectious diseases
The Cat vomits Food and Swallowed Hair
Cats are known to be very clean and invest a lot of time in daily grooming. Especially indoor cats tend to clean themselves particularly extensively. When cleaning the fur with the rough tongue, it is inevitable that the animals repeatedly swallow loose hair.
Over time, these can form hairballs, which the cat regurgitates at some point. If there is undigested food in the stomach at the same time, the cat will bring that up as well.
In principle this is a completely normal process that is usually not a cause for concern. However, there is a certain risk that larger hairballs will get into the intestine, block it and, in the worst case, lead to a life-threatening intestinal obstruction in cats.
In order to avoid this, it makes sense, especially for indoor cats, to support their coat care with regular brushing. In this way, loose hair can be at least partially removed before the four-legged friend swallows it.
The Cat vomits Stale Food
Occasionally, a cat will vomit up food because it has simply gone stale. In order to avoid this, food that has not been consumed should not remain in the food bowl for too long and should be disposed of promptly. This applies in particular to wet cat food, as it spoils much faster than dry food, especially in warm temperatures.
The Cat doesn't Tolerate its Food and Vomits
Another possible cause of vomiting food is a food intolerance or allergies. These are quite common in cats. Affected animals do not tolerate certain ingredients of their food, which can lead to vomiting as well as other symptoms.
The solution to the problem is in this case very simple. All you have to do is to switch to food that your four-legged friend can tolerate better. What that means exactly can of course vary from animal to animal, as not every cat reacts to the same ingredients.
Experience has shown that our cat food varieties with insect protein are almost always very well tolerated. They contain the larvae of black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens) as a source of protein. The protein derived from these larvae is hypoallergenic and wholesome. Furthermore, the food is characterised by its complex amino acid profile, which provides the animals with all the proteins they need while at the same time being optimally digestible.
Get to know our hypoallergenic cat food with insects.
The Cat Vomits Food Due to an Infection
In addition to the above-mentioned triggers, a cat can also vomit its food due to a viral or bacterial infection of the gastrointestinal tract. In this case, the four-legged friend may also suffer from stomach pain or diarrhoea.
If the general condition of the cat is otherwise good, it is often sufficient to observe a day of fasting in the event of a single occurrence of vomiting. If the condition of the animal is deteriorating and it vomits repeatedly and may not even be able to retain water, a timely visit to the vet is strongly recommended.
Further Possible Causes for Vomiting Food
The reasons mentioned above are of course only some of the possible causes of food vomiting in cats. Various other triggers can also be responsible for the symptoms. These include, for example, inflammatory diseases of the digestive tract, parasites, medication or even potentially life-threatening poisoning.
Additional symptoms can often provide an indication of the possible cause. However, this is by no means always the case. You should therefore keep an eye on your cat and do not hesitate to consult a veterinarian in case of doubt so that they can examine the four-legged friend and take any necessary treatment measures.
Shiimun Gastro to Promote Digestion
In certain situations food supplements can be beneficial to help keep cats' digestive system healthy. For this purpose we have developed Shiimun Gastro, a special preparation based on Shiitake.
The natural food supplement is easily digestible and, thanks to its special recipe based on carefully selected ingredients, can make a valuable contribution to healthy digestion.
Get to know Shiimun Gastro for cats.
My Cat Vomits Food – When Should I Go to the Vet?
As already mentioned, if your cat vomits food just once in a while, this is not a cause for concern. It usually only becomes problematic if the four-legged friend vomits repeatedly or other complaints such as persistent diarrhoea occur.
Some of the possible symptoms that make a visit to the vet advisable include:
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Intense thirst
- Stomach pains
- Bad breath
- Fever
- Exhaustion
The Cat Vomits Food – Our Conclusion
As you can see, a cat can vomit food for a number of reasons. Fortunately, in most cases the cause is harmless. However, it is also possible that the reason for the vomiting is more serious and a visit to the vet is required.
Regardless of this, it is worthwhile to pay attention to the diet of your four-legged friend and, if necessary, to switch to hypoallergenic or at least generally higher quality cat food. You will find the right products for this purpose in our shop with cat food from the I love my cat range.