Cat throwing up food: causes of the problem and what to do about it
My cat keeps throwing up its food, Is this normal? What does it mean? Many cat owners struggle with cat throwing up and don’t know how to deal with it properly. Cat vomiting is a symptom of a range of health problems. If your cat is vomiting frequently, this is not normal, and throwing up more than once a week is a sign of a health problem that requires a prompt visit to the vet.
Before we get into the causes of cat vomiting, let’s understand the difference between vomiting and reflux.
Differences between vomiting and regurgitation
Vomiting is not always vomiting: it can also be reflux. Vomiting and reflux are two different physiological phenomena, and it is important to understand the differences to better understand your cat’s condition.
What is cat vomiting?
Throwing up is the process of expelling digestive matter (food, water, etc.) from the cat’s stomach. Cat vomiting is an active process that is usually preceded by precursor actions such as dry heaving and repeated licking of the tip of the nose. Cats then experience violent abdominal contractions, followed by the vomiting of food from the mouth. When vomiting, the cat’s entire abdomen and body are straining, and the cat can also be seen opening its mouth wide in an attempt to expel the contents of its stomach.
What is regurgitation?
Reflux only involves the expulsion of food or water from the cat’s mouth or oesophagus. Reflux is a passive process and is not preceded by abdominal contractions. When reflux occurs, the cat usually does not make any other noises or obvious abdominal movements, the cat just lowers its head and the food falls straight out of the mouth, and most of it is undigested cat food. And reflux usually occurs within 30 minutes to 2 hours after a cat’s meal.
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Why does my cat keep throwing up food? Causes of vomiting and reflux
Common causes of cat vomiting
Eating too fast or over-eating
When cats eat cat food quickly and in large quantities, the food is too late to be chewed adequately and expands as it enters the stomach, increasing the pressure on the stomach and possibly leading to reflux and vomiting in cats. This is especially common in young cats and competitive multi-cat households.
Excessive exercise after meals (common in kittens)
The cat’s stomach is full of food after a meal, and strenuous exercise immediately at this time will cause the pressure in the stomach to rise, especially if the stomach increases in size when it is overfed. The bumps and vibrations caused by exercise may cause the food in the stomach to be squeezed back into the oesophagus without being fully digested, which may lead to vomiting.
Food allergy and stomach sensitivity
Cats may be allergic or intolerant to certain food ingredients, such as certain meat, fish, dairy products, or certain additives in cat food, which may cause vomiting and diarrhoea after ingestion.
Hairballs
Cats will lick their own hair during the self-cleaning process, and inevitably some of the hair will be swallowed. These hairs gradually accumulate to form hairballs, and if they cannot be discharged smoothly, the cat will eliminate them by vomiting. This is one of the ways cats self-regulate their bodies to expel hair. Hairball Control for cats
Digestive System Diseases
Gastritis or gastric ulcer: due to inflammation or ulceration of the gastric mucosa, it causes stomach discomfort and triggers vomiting.
Enteritis or pancreatitis: Inflammation of the digestive tract or pancreatic dysfunction, which affects the digestion and absorption of food, may also cause vomiting.
Intestinal parasitic infections: such as roundworms and tapeworms, can cause inflammation of the digestive tract and vomiting.
Parasite infection
The presence of parasites in cats, such as roundworms and tapeworms, can affect gastrointestinal function, leading to indigestion and vomiting.
New environment or stress reaction
Sudden changes in living environment, noise stimulation, psychological stress caused by new members joining the family, and prolonged periods of solitude may lead to stress reactions in cats, which may include vomiting.
Poisoning or accidental ingestion of foreign objects
Cats, out of curiosity, chew or swallow objects not suitable for digestion, such as plastics, threads, plants, etc. These foreign objects stimulate the gastric mucosa and cause vomiting, and in severe cases may block the digestive tract.
Drug reaction
Cats may experience the side effect of vomiting after taking certain medications. Certain medications may cause irritation or discomfort to the cat’s gastrointestinal tract, leading to vomiting.
Hairball Disease: Hairballs accumulate in the cat’s stomach, and although mentioned earlier, this is an important cause independent of rapid eating. It is normal physiological phenomenon for cats to eliminate hairballs through vomiting on a regular basis, but attention needs to be paid if it is too frequent.
Uremia or kidney disease
Chronic diseases such as severe kidney disease or uremia can lead to repeated vomiting in cats.
Endocrine disorders
Conditions such as hyperthyroidism (hyperthyroidism) or diabetic ketoacidosis may also cause vomiting.
Tumors or organ diseases
Tumors of the digestive tract, liver or pancreatic diseases can cause your cat to vomit.
For cat vomiting, as an owner, you should carefully observe the nature and frequency of the vomit and accompanying symptoms, and seek medical attention if necessary so as not to miss the signals of potentially serious diseases. At the same time, improving dietary habits, maintaining a suitable living environment, regular deworming and immunisation, as well as the rational use of medication, are all important measures to prevent cat vomiting. If vomiting is frequent, persistent or accompanied by other medical conditions, it is important to consult a veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible.
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Causes of regurgitation in cats
Structural abnormalities of the oesophagus
Oesophageal stenosis: This may be a congenital or acquired disease that causes the diameter of the oesophageal lumen to become smaller, affecting the ability to push food downward into the stomach.
Oesophageal hiatal hernia: an abnormality at the junction of the oesophagus and stomach (oesophageal hiatus) that causes part of the stomach to pass upwards through the diaphragm and into the chest, resulting in the fundus of the stomach compressing the oesophagus and increasing the risk of reflux.
Oesophageal diseases
Reflux oesophagitis: stomach acid and digestive enzymes reflux into the oesophagus, eroding the oesophageal mucosa over time and causing inflammation and ulcers.
Oesophageal spasm or sphincter dystrophy: dysfunction of the lower oesophageal sphincter, which is unable to effectively stop the reflux of stomach contents into the oesophagus.
Heart disease
Valvular regurgitation: e.g. mitral regurgitation, aortic regurgitation, etc. In case of heart valve closure insufficiency, blood can flow backward into the heart chambers or blood vessels. Although it is not a direct oesophageal regurgitation, heart disease may lead to systemic circulatory changes, which may indirectly aggravate oesophageal regurgitation.
Cardiomyopathy: Cardiomyopathy affects the pumping efficiency of the heart and may lead to hemodynamic changes that indirectly increase the likelihood of gastric reflux.
Tumors or space-occupying lesions
Tumor growth in the thorax or mediastinum that compresses the oesophagus, causing oesophageal obstruction or peristaltic dysfunction and inducing reflux.
Neurological disorders: Neurological disorders affecting the innervation of the oesophagus can lead to dysfunction of oesophageal motility, affecting the normal downward movement of food.
Digestive system diseases
Gastric diseases such as gastritis, gastric ulcers, gastric dilatation, and torsion may lead to increased intragastric pressure, prompting reflux of gastric contents into the oesophagus.
Lifestyle habits such as poor diet (e.g., oversaturated and rapid eating), obesity, and lying positions may also exacerbate reflux symptoms.
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Is it normal for cats to throw up their food?
Cats sometimes vomit, but this is not always normal. In general, occasional one-off mild vomiting may be a self-regulatory behaviour in cats. Examples include vomiting hairballs, eating too much or too fast, and strenuous exercise after a meal.
However, frequent vomiting, persistent vomiting, vomit containing blood, yellow-green bile or abnormal colour or texture is usually abnormal and may indicate the following problems: food intolerance or allergy, gastrointestinal disorders (e.g. gastritis, gastric ulcers, enteritis, pancreatitis, etc.), parasitic infections, severe hairballs, medications, endocrine disorders, or organ disorders (e.g. poisoning or ingestion of a foreign body). See “Causes of Vomiting and Regurgitation in Cats” above for specific causes.
If your cat’s vomiting is accompanied by weight loss, loss of appetite, lethargy, abdominal swelling, constipation or diarrhoea, or if the vomiting is frequent and persistent, this is an indication that your cat may have a health problem and needs to be seen by your vet. Frequent vomiting in cats should not be ignored, as it can be one of the early signs of an underlying serious illness.
What does cat vomiting mean?
Vomiting in cats does not necessarily mean that there is a particular problem. It could be normal or it could be some kind of health problem in your cat. Below is a list of different meanings that cat vomiting may represent:
Normal physiological phenomenon
Vomiting hairballs: Cats swallow hair during self-cleaning, and when the hair forms hairballs in the stomach, in order to expel the hairballs from the body, cats will expel them by vomiting.
Eating too fast or too much: Cats eat too much or too fast in a short period of time, which may cause the stomach to dilate and trigger the vomiting reflex.
Health problems
Digestive system diseases: such as gastritis, gastric ulcer, intestinal inflammation, pancreatitis, intestinal parasitic infection, etc. may trigger vomiting.
Food intolerance or allergy: Allergy or intolerance to a certain food or food ingredient can also lead to vomiting.
Poisoning or ingestion of foreign objects: Accidental ingestion of harmful substances or indigestible foreign objects, such as detergents, plastic bags, blades of grass, toy parts, etc., may lead to vomiting.
Kidney or liver disease: Chronic kidney disease, liver disease, and other intrinsic organ diseases may present with vomiting symptoms in advanced stages.
Endocrine diseases: for example, hyperthyroidism (hyperthyroidism) may also cause vomiting.
Drug reactions: certain drugs may cause gastrointestinal discomfort in cats, with nausea and vomiting reactions.
Stress reactions: environmental changes, fear, stress, and other factors may cause cats to vomit.
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The best wet cat food for cat vomiting
Choosing the right wet cat food for your cat’s frequent vomiting is primarily a matter of finding those that are easily digestible, hypoallergenic, mildly formulated and contain beneficial digestive ingredients. Here are some suggestions:
Single protein source wet cat food
Choosing wet cat food made from a single source of animal protein (e.g. chicken, duck, fish, etc.) can help reduce the risk of food allergies or intolerances.
Low-fat, low-fiber
Choose wet cat food with low fat content and moderate fibre. High-fat food may aggravate gastrointestinal burden, while too much fibre may cause gastrointestinal discomfort.
Easy-to-digest formula
Look for wet cat food that is ‘easy to digest’ and stomach friendly’, which is often specially processed to improve digestibility.
Prescription wet food
For cats with specific digestive disorders, your vet may recommend specialised prescription wet food products designed to support your cat’s digestive health and help restore balance to the gastrointestinal tract.
Grain-Free or Low-Carbohydrate
Some cats may be allergic to grains or have difficulty digesting them, so a grain-free or low-carb wet cat food is also a good choice. Best Grain Free Cat Food for Cats
Add prebiotics and probiotics
Wet cat food with prebiotics and probiotics can help maintain the balance of your cat’s intestinal flora, boost immunity and improve digestion. Probiotic Supplements for Cats
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