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From time to time, guardians will come across this very recurrent problem, which is vomiting in cats. Vomiting can be related to more serious health factors and others that are not so serious, as it will depend on the level and frequency of vomiting, general conditions of the cat, and a clinical condition that, further investigated by a professional, contribute to better ascertaining the real cause of vomiting.
First, it is necessary to determine whether the vomiting is due to an illness, in which case it is a symptom of a more serious health problem. Or, if the vomit comes from a regurgitation which usually involves no physical exertion because it is a passive contraction and the cat vomits undigested feed or saliva shortly after ingesting the food. Continue with the Animal Expert to find out why does your cat vomit after eating ration.
Cat with regurgitation or vomiting?
Sometimes, immediately after eating or even a few hours after eating the food, cats can vomit almost all the food they eat and this can be due to regurgitation, which is the act of putting food out, sometimes, mixed with saliva and mucus, due to reflux. Because regurgitation is a passive reflex, in which there is no contraction of the abdominal muscles, and the undigested food comes from the esophagus. It's the vomit itself, it is when the food comes from inside the stomach or small intestine, there is a feeling of nausea, together with the contraction of the abdominal muscles to push the food out, in which case the food may not yet be digested because it has just entered the stomach or partially digested it.
At fur balls, formed in the stomach, and which are usually more common in cats with medium or long coats, is not related to food regurgitation and is a normal process, as long as it is not frequent, as the cat itself has the ability to force vomiting through abdominal contractions just to put these hairballs out, as they cannot be digested. There are several tips to prevent the formation of these balls, read our article on that matter.
Causes for Cat Regurgitation
If the episodes are frequent, and happen every day or several times a day, it is necessary to investigate if your cat does not have any more serious health problems, such as diseases or injuries that affect the esophagus, or even obstructions in the esophagus, which make swallowing impossible. Or, if the cat vomits green, yellow or whitish, it is necessary to investigate if there is no serious illness in the stomach or intestine that makes it impossible to digest the food, especially if vomiting is associated with the animal's weight loss.
After verifying that the animal is in good health and the vomiting episodes continue to happen, your cat may have reflux problem, many times, for being eating too fast. Generally, when there are two or more cats in the environment, one of them may feel more prone to competition for food, and this is instinctive. Cats are not in the habit of chewing food, so they swallow the whole kibble and when they do this too fast they also ingest a larger amount of air bubbles. These air bubbles in the stomach increase the chances of reflux, and along with the air, the cat regurgitates undigested feed.
Transitioning food too quickly can also increase the chances of regurgitation.
In addition, we remind you that there are a number of prohibited foods for cats, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea etc. In particular dairy products, sweets, etc.
Cat vomiting - what to do?
Many tutors ask themselves "my cat is vomiting, what can I do?". You can try to offer the food in smaller portions several times a day and monitor if there is a decrease in the frequency of episodes.
And when switching your cat's food to a different brand of food, the transition should be made gradually. However, always consult your veterinarian before changing your kitten's food.
Another solution would be to invest in a specific feeder for animals that have this type of problem. Instead of using deep and small pans, choose flat, wide and larger pans. This will make the cat take longer to eat, decreasing air intake. Today, in the pet market, there are specialized feeders that mimic obstacles during meals for precisely this purpose.