Cat vomits often after eating

[Catkin73]

I have an almost 4 year old black cat. He has always thrown up a lot right after eating ( monthly). The vet thought greed leading to regurgitation. We tried all the raised bowls and tricks to slow him down, made no difference. It is now weekly, sometimes more ofren. We have had all the blood tests and an x-ray and nothing seems wrong. We have tried hydrolysed proteins, tried biscuits only, we tried steroids and anti nausea drugs - no change. Currently on a high protein low fat diet, no change so far. He otherwise seems happy and healthy and active. The vets only suggestion is surgery for a biopsy which may or may not show anything. Any ideas or advice please as I am in a constant state of worry about the fuzzy little devil.

My cat vomits if he has too wait too long for his food. He usually eats in the morning, and then around 5 again. But if I get in an hour or two late to feed him, then he vomits the food back up. I've had to insist the rest of the family feeds when I'm not there to do so. Maybe trying feeding your cat an hour or two earlier?

Thanks virtuallyreal, we thought of that, timing doesn't seem to make a difference and I am not sure we can make the gap smaller, we always give him some before bed and he wakes me two hours before I would like. He is a night owl so the only time he is not regularly fed is in the day when he sleeps. My previous cats were always free fed but the vet advised against that for this one because of the vomiting so we stick to little and often.

We tried a lick mat, didn't seem to help, can anyone recommend a good slow feeder (UK) as most seem to be for dogs. We are currently mashing the food down to slow him down bit he doesn't ever seen to bolt his food as far as we can tell!

Thanks olllybob, not thought of sugar as an issue. We are on katkin at the moment as no additives, but need to give it time

Thanks popcornchewinggum. We already feed him late and ealry. No sense that he vomits if we are late but we really have no idea as no pattern! We feed him in lots of small meals when he is awake. He goes out at night and sleeps most of the day.

www.amazon.co.uk/Petstages-Cat-Fun-Feeder-Slow/dp/B08732YLMH/

Hi malfi no slow feeder yet, looking into it after this thread as several suggestions for one. We tried sensitive food for months ( hydrolysed antiallergic biscuits) but made no difference. Trying katkin poached at the moment.

Our slow feeder is a dog one. It’s a round dish with lots of big nodules in it so the cat has to put some effort in. Our first cat would eat around the nodules normally, but our new cat uses her paw to get the food out -dry food only.

Thanks RaraRachael, sounds like you are in the same boat! I wouldn't mind if we could go months without it occasionally but it is very regular. Is you cat otherwise healthy? I wonder if some cats just throw up a lot. Our is just always next to his food bowl right after eating which seems like it should have a reason. Poor vet is baffled!

I have a bulimic birman cat who throws up about 4 times a week (he’s wrecked the small amount of carpet we have!) he’s very thin but seems quite healthy otherwise. I’ve tried everything, but the main problem is the other cats I have as he nicks their food. He’s a real bully.

I tried katkin but it didn’t really help as he continued to steal everyone else’s food.

To answer your questions, I've tried a variety of senior foods, as well as Scrumbles, which is also meant to be easy to digest, and he's been fine on all of them.
Yes he's healthy otherwise. It was mainly dry food that he would vomit up straight away, but often after wet food too.

I've got a sicky cat too - usually regurgitating food rather than proper vomiting. A baseline of small/frequent meals (3 a day) & half wet / half dry food helps. But basically stress / furballs / pretty much anything can set her off on a vomiting streak still.

I assume you've tried this, but a broad spectrum wormer often though not always sorts her out. If it's bad & that doesn't help, I take her into the vet & he gives her an injection that settles her stomach, which seems to 'reset' things. Unhelpfully I can't recall what it is though.

She's been into the vet a million times (also prone to UTIs), I did see a young & keen locum vet once who suggested further tests, but the older main vet basically said she's just a stressy sicky cat, she's not underweight and really, don't worry. (It is a rural farm vets though, I think they tend to have a lower intervention approach!)

Sounds the same ours! throws up biscuits more often so we are on just wet food at the moment. But he sometimes throws that up too. I can't believe it would be lucky enough to be the same thing and the same fix but going to try it thanks.

Thanks sadik, certainly sounds similar, I think I want a reason and don't have one so find it extra stressful. And you can never tell if a cat happy. He is not wormed often I admit, does that help even if they don't have worms? I can certainly ask the vet about it. Thank you

We have a 10yr old black cat who has history of vomiting after meals. It's always been his normal. Annoying but I've never worried about it. Is regularly de-wormed.

I suspect my cat has bundles of vole fur & poorly digested vole body parts in his stomach that makes him hungry, block his digestion. His pattern is to act ravenous, keep turning up his nose at food, finally eat not a big amount & instantly puke it up. He's not hungry again for a long while after that. The puke is instantly eaten by another of my cats, I swear she lingers in hope (revolting). Anyway, we'll never know why he sicks up, but vomitty-cat is perfectly healthy, so it's not like we'd put him thru surgery to find out.

My elderly (15) cat seemed to do this when she either needed combing or worming! No idea why as like yours she never sicks up a fur ball! Last year was particularly bad and she got very thin but she’s having a good few months now! We tried everything and nothing worked - due to her age and hatred of a cat basket we didn’t involve the vet as we wouldn’t put her through any exploratory treatments x

We have a three year old black fluffy fella with similar issues. We switched to Royal Canin digestive food - mixing half a pouch of wet food with a handful of dry food twice a day. This largely seems to have worked. Our other black cat is a short hair and has no issues. Furballs are definitely a cause.

"does that help even if they don't have worms"

Ah, no, it's only that sometimes she does have worms (or possibly giardia, the panacur paste wormer deals with that as well), and they make her puke.

Thanks lljkk, sounds very similar. We rarely know when he is going to be sick but he sometimes does get a bit fussy. And he is always off his food for a bit after (we have to keep a second option around to tempt him)
As you say otherwise healthy so we don't want to put him through more tests, especially surgery. We only starting the vet investigating when it went from monthly up to weekly and more. I suspect fluff and mouseheads not matter how many hairball biscuits he eats.

Hi blobby10, ours is young but gets very stressed travelling to the vet so we try and make it essential only. He gets a good brushing every day although for a shorthair he is pretty fluffy. I will ask the vet about more effective worming options just in case thanks.

Thanks. Our boy has never obviously had worms, but I will look into a broad spectrum worming treatment just in case thanks.

Thanks ThatsNotAKnifeThatsASpoon. We have tried a few sensitive and digestive foods over the last year trying to find a good combination. Not tried the royal canon so will add it to the list. Hard to keep switching foods and not worry about allergies as vet says can't rule that out either!

Same here OP my old man cat 16 has been doing this since he was a baby kitten.
Is healthy but unfortunately is a greedy old thing despite having constant access to dried and wet twice a day. We tried everything from dishes, teeny amounts etc but its just the way he is
My kids were used to me shouting to close the bedroom doors after he had his food as he would usually pick a bed to be sick on. Only me now that the kids are grown and he sleeps on my bed with several old blankets in readiness.
(hes on my lap as I type and he knows I’m talking about him)

Hi Bigslippers thanks for sharing! Sorry for your vomit clearing history, but it is good to hear you have a happy healthy cat despite that. I think if I know he is ok otherwise I can learn to live with it. We are lucky we have wooden floors downstairs and he is almost always sick near his food bowl so an easy clean up at least.