Cat sick?

[BananaAnna838]

Our cat (male, 2 years? he was a rescue cat) seems healthy except for one problem. He throws up all the time, but only undigested food. The woman who runs the rescue said that he is probably eating too fast and to put something in his food bowl to make it more difficult to eat to slow him down. We did that, but he is still throwing up. He isn't getting super skinny or lethargic or anything, just that. We don't really have the money at this point in time ot take him to a vet, so we're going to ask the woman again and maybe see if anyone here has any advice to keep our kitty's food in his belly??

[DisneyWhirled]

I don't have a whole lot of advice for you, but I wanted to say how sweet it is of you to rescue and take care of dear sweet kitty.

I'm sure you have, but have you tried changing his/her food? Did you try hard and soft food?

Believe it or not, the AM host of the radio show I listen to has had this problem with her cat and has to feed it a little at a time. A piece here and a piece there. Don't know if giving smaller controlled portions might help?

I hope everything works out for you and kitty. Please keep us posted!

[marylynne95]

I was thinking the same things as the previous poster. My cat was getting sick when I would feed her certain flavors of food. Keep and eye on what flavors you are giving and try different ones. Good luck!! :cat:

[MNNHFLTX]

It's possible that your cat is just eating too much and then regurgitating, especially if he drinks water right after he eats too. If it's dry food and it comes back up in a tube-like shape, that is probably the case. You can try changing to wet food (which is healthier for cats anyway). However, there are other reasons that cats can have frequent vomiting and some of them can lead to bigger problems down the road. This is especially true if the cat is losing weight. Take it from someone who has gone through this with one of their cats--you probably need to get it checked out with a vet. Maybe the rescue group works with a vet that will discount their fees?

[Hull-onian]

I hope kitty makes a speedy recovery.

[Goofeygal]

It could also be from hairballs. My cat at one time threw up alot and the vet said it was from hairballs in her throat.

[Dulcee]

Since you don't seem like your in the situation to head to the vet first off trying limiting the portion of food your cat gets. He may just be eating too fast.

Sometimes dyes in food can upset cat's stomachs as well so you can check out if there are any in his food and try switching it out.

[BriarRose]

My cat Tiggy (he'll be 17 on June 6th) has done this his whole life, and he is still going strong. He doesn't do it every time he eats, but I have noticed that when the food bowl gets low (not empty, he considers it "empty" if it gets to a certain level), he cries and when I fill the bowl, he sometimes eats too fast and that's when it happens. I used to joke that he was bulimic, because he did it so often and he has never been a fat cat, even though he has always had a bowl of food constantly filled instead of mealtimes.

I have seen dog food bowls at pet supply places like PetSmart that have large plastic prongs in the middle of the bowl so the dog doesn't eat too fast. Maybe something like that would work.

[brownie]

It could also be from hairballs. My cat at one time threw up alot and the vet said it was from hairballs in her throat.

I was thinking hairballs could be one possibility. I would have your cat checked by a vet to be sure. There are other things that could be going that may be easily treatable if caught early enough.

[RenDuran]

My cat, Clyde, would always throw up if I let his bowl go empty and then refilled it. If I kept it filled, he would graze all day long and eat just enough at a time to keep himself happy. But as soon as the bowl emptied and I'd fill it, he'd get sick every time! Letting him free-feed was way easier than feeding him multiple mini meals throughout the day.

[mouseketeer mom]

I have three cats and we frequently find that one of them has thrown up. They are healthy and strong, and it is usually right after they eat..its not an issue that worries me. I do notice it is sometimes after they eat and then drink alot of water. Unless kitty appears lethargic, is losing weight, or its after every meal, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[crazyred11588]

my cat does the same thing. He's 17 years old and if he drinks a bunch of water too fast or he eats too fast he'll throw it back up. We were told the same thing about sticking something in their bowl to help slow them down, so we stuck a plastic golf ball in there. It helps a little bit but he still gets sick. We just say that he is doing it out of spite because my dad won't let him sit on the couch anymore :)

[DisneyDog]

My cat definitely does not have that problem. He has gained 1.5 pounds in the past year:blush:.

However, my co-worker's cat is apparently teeny tiny and throws up a lot. She says that is just what this cat does. She never seems concerned about it. Not sure what to tell you, except that your cat isn't the only one who does that.

[BananaAnna838]

Wow what a lot of advice, thanks! :thumbsup:
Well since the bowl in the food bowl didn't slow him down, and he is given hairball meds each week, we decided to start wet food. We think he was given that before we got him because whenever we opened a can (especially when he saw the cat food can!) he would get VERY excited!! :) So we have given him some of that along with letting him free feed on dry food. As far as I know (what a bad surprise to find when you aren't expecting it!) he hasn't thrown up yet. But I'll keep you all posted, he is happily sitting on my windowsill now and appreciates everyone caring about him :mickey:

[DVC2004]

My cat, who is 12 now, has been like this since we first found him as a kitten. HE is very healthy. What I have done is just feed him smaller portions more frequently. On occasion it still happens, but not often at all. He is very picky as well and only like wet-style food.

[IamBelle]

My cat does this also. She eats and then brings it up again 10 mins later. So, we decided to watch her eating habits and it looks like she is eating too fast because my other cat tends to eat her food when he is done with his. So, we separated them when we fed them and gave her smaller portions of digestive care food and she seems fine.