Why Is My Cat Throwing Up Undigested Food?

If your cat is throwing up undigested foods regularly, it might be a matter of panic for you. There are many reasons for such behavior, and you should have an idea of it. All of them are, of course, not critical and can be resolved at home.

On the other hand, you can also go to a vet to fix the problem. This article gives a holistic view of your cat’s vomiting of digested foods. You will understand the situation, preventive measures, and the signs of this problem.

What is Vomiting?

Vomiting is throwing out or ejecting the stomach’s contents like food, water, or bile. It is a sign of indigestion. In this process, nausea, contraction, and retching are associated. Drool, beginning of retching, and vocalizing are the signs of vomiting.

Vomiting generally happens after your cat takes the entire meal and it will have reached the stomach. After the digestion process starts, vomiting typically occurs after that. Some signs of vomiting may include:

Critical Abdominal Problems

As it is already said, vomiting may happen after the digestion process starts. You can notice that their body will begin to heave. It is a visible effort to empty the contents of their stomach. They also may seem to be restless before or at the time of vomiting.

A Little Quantity of Water & Saliva

A limited quantity of saliva and water can be mixed with undigested food. Most of the food is not digested and comes out as it is fed.

Change in Behaviour

When the cats are about to vomit, they become restless, look anxious, swallow continuously, and look upset. Such behaviors are prominent signs of vomiting, and your cat seems disturbed as it can not understand what is happening.

Bowed Down Head

When the cat is about to vomit, they crouch and lower its head slightly to expel the food. They work visibly very hard to force out the contents. A more significant percentage of food is undigested, an active process that seems painful to the cat.

Digesting Food

As vomiting starts after initiating the digestion process, some of the thrown-out food looks digested, though most of them look undisturbed. Both the digested and undigested food are mixed with bile and water.

What is Regurgitation?

Regurgitation, on the other side, is a passive process. In this process, the cat throws out the esophagus or mouth’s contents. In vomiting, the digestion process is involved, but in regurgitation, foods do not reach up to the stomach and come back up before retching. So no abdominal or digestion process is engaged in regurgitation.

There is also no sign of retching or vocalizing. It is also not a forcing-out process, and the cat lowers its head throughout the contents of the mouth. It generally happens within one hour after eating a full meal.

What To Do If My Cat is Regurgitating Undigested Dry Food?

Regurgitating is common among cats after eating dry food. Biscuits and other dry foods contain sugar, chemical preservatives, colors, grains, binding starch, and flavor enhancers which may cause stomach sensitivity and increase the chances of regurgitation. According to some vets, two primary reasons for regurgitation may include:

Not Chewing Properly

Cats tend to swallow whole food before chewing them up properly. As a result, their digestive system faces problems breaking down the texture and grains of the food. This problem is mainly found in senior cats and kittens with weak digestive immunities.

Excessive Eating

Most dry foods contain less protein and high curbs. So cats tend to eat a lot of dry food to quench their hunger. Dry foods absorb the liquid elements in their stomach and expand. It can create an uncomfortable feeling to expel their food.

What To Do If My Cat Is Regurgitating Undigested Wet Food?

Cats do not tend to throw out wet food like a dry diet. It is close to their natural diet, so the tendency gets lesser. However, the reasons for regurgitating wet food can be:

Difficult to Digest Carbs

Carbs aren’t necessary for cats as they already receive calories from protein and fats. Carbs can also increase the risk of diabetes and obesity. In some wet food, harsh grains like rice and corn can be found. These are difficult for the cats to digest and increase the chances of regurgitation.

Insufficient Proteins

Meat is the primary source of protein for cats. But if they get proteins from vegetables and dairy products, they will be difficult to digest. It also increases the chance of throwing out the cats.

Artificial Supple mentaries

In some wet food, artificial additives are added by companies to increase the texture, taste, or appearance of the food. Sometimes this can be toxic for them, and they may feel inflammation. These ingredients disturb the natural pH balance, and the cats may be triggered to throw out the food.

Is Regurgitation After Eating Normal, Or Due To Inadequate Food?

To some cat owners, regurgitating or throwing up a meal isn’t abnormal, and they find no reason to worry about that. But this is not the whole truth. Cats do not generally throw out the food if they are not sick or have eaten something unusual. So frequently regurgitating is, of course, a matter of concern.

However, throwing out once or twice a month is fine, and there is no reason to worry much. Notice if your cat is throwing up undigested food regularly. Then you should consult with medical experts and reconsider your diet.

Reasons for Regurgitation or Vomiting of Your Cat:

As discussed, vomiting and regurgitating aren’t the same. The former is an active process, while the latter is passive. Some of the common reasons for vomiting and regurgitating may include the following:

Hairballs

Cats are fond of cleaning themselves frequently and grooming themselves most of the time. At that time, some loose and dead hair goes into their mouth and enters their stomach. As it is a part of their habit, it usually creates no problem, but sometimes it remains in their belly to form hairballs. Such situations are problematic as they prevent digestion, and the car tends to vomit up undigested food. Such situations, if they happen occasionally, aren’t a problem. But it shouldn’t be a frequent or painful process for your cat. You can maintain a regular brushing schedule to remove loose hair to prevent such situations. You can also give them a supplementary diet to help lessen such cases.

Eating Very Fast

Cats tend to swallow fast food without chewing properly. It is one of the leading causes of indigestion, and undigested food is triggered to be regurgitated. Using a food puzzle can be helpful to slow down the pace of their eating. It can be both entertaining and enriching for your cat. It can also slow their chewing time, and the cat can not eat quickly. If the cat is still vomiting despite eating through puzzle feeders, it is time to go to the vet.

Change in Eating Habits

If a sudden change in the cat’s diet schedule occurs, the chance of regurgitating may happen. Maintaining a plan for your pet is essential- if your cat eats earlier or later than the usual time or misses the meal frequently, the chance of indigestion may increase. So it is recommended that you never try to switch the diet system very quickly. Eat by taking a long time and increasing or decreasing the amount as per the expert’s advice. Despite all this, if your cat is throwing out food, give them a try to feed them lesser but frequent meals. Also, nutrition should be given as per the veterinarian’s advice.

Food Allergy

Some pet cats are allergic to particular food items. It may result in vomiting of undigested or semi-digested food. In most cases, they are allergic to protein. In this case, a hydrolyzed diet can be the remedy. It is a type of food where the protein is broken into amino acids when processing. It prevents the food from being converted to an allergen. Consequently, allergy doesn’t show up for that particular food item. You can also try special diets, including sensitive food items specially made for your allergy-prone cats.

Problems of Gastritis

Gastritis can be another reason for throwing up food items for cats. Sometimes their stomach is disturbed by some food items previously eaten. Again, when they fade with other food items, they can not digest it properly, and vomiting may start with bile and blood. Gastritis has particular signs like dehydration, lack of appetite, lethargy, restlessness, depressed attitude, etc. Gastritis mainly happens because of indigestion in most cases.

Food Sensitivity

Food sensitivity is an allergy where the cat can not tolerate some food items. It can happen when you want to change your diet, and your cat responds negatively. Sometimes new ingredients can also create sensitivity, and the cat vomits the food. So before changing your cat’s diet, it is recommended to take the vet’s advice.

Eating of Trashes

Cats are curious about nature and keep eating things that may look attractive. In this way, they feed up a string or plastics. They may also eat some inedible items laid on the floor, leading to vomiting. Sometimes eating such foreign objects can be dangerous and cause indigestion. It can also trigger gastrointestinal problems, ulcers, or kidney problems.

Stomach Inflammation

Stomach inflammation can be caused by diarrhea associated with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). A frequent show-up of IBD can be associated with lymphosarcoma, a specific intestinal cancer. Apart from that, bacterial and viral infections in the stomach area can also be significant causes of diarrhea and vomiting.

Intestinal Parasites

Some intestinal parasites, like roundworms and hookworms, are some of the primary causes of vomiting and regurgitation. Again if the cats are affected with feline leukemia, panleukopenia can also throw up foods.

Food Poisoning

Eating or chewing toxic plants or pesticides, herbicides, anti-freeze items, or human-prescribed drugs can create good poison among the cats, and they can vomit. Sometimes some of the prescribed medicines for cats can be intolerable or allergic to them. In response to that, they can start vomiting.

Other Problems

Some diseases can lead to indigestion of food. Nausea, such as liver disease, neurological disease, hyperthyroidism, chronic kidney disease, inner ear problems, pancreatitis, and diabetes, are some of the conditions that can trigger vomiting.

Eating Hard-to-Digest Food

Some toxic or hard-to-digest food is not easily digested in the cat’s stomach. If such food is fed in a large quantity, it can affect their digestion, and they may end up throwing up what was being provided.

Food With Low Digestibility (Can be Fed at a Limited Amount)	Toxic Food Items (Should Not be Fed)
Milk	Leaves of Toxic Plans Like Avocado
Fat Items	Wild Mushrooms
Grass	Raisins & Grapes
Harsh Grains Like Corn	Raw Meat
Uncooked Vegetables, Like: Potatoes and Carrots	Vegetables Rich in Allium, Like: Garlic, Onions,
Catnip	Rotten Eggs
Stem or Leaves	Foods Contain Rich Caffeine, Like Chocolate and Coffee
Fruits Rich in Cellulose, Like: Strawberries or Apples	Raw Yeast

Some Medical Problems

Some additional medical problems can be associated with regular regurgitation. A veterinarian will be the most suited person to diagnose this. Such critical issues may include hypertension, inflammation or enlargement of the esophagus, neuromuscular disorders, metabolic diseases, Addison’s disease, tumors, and congenital diseases.

Some other causes of vomiting or regurgitation can be motility disorders, parasites, an obstruction of foreign material in the intestinal tract, constipation, esophageal irritation, and ingesting toxins or plants.

When Should I Be Concerned About My Cat’s Throwing Up?

If your cat throws up food frequently and consistently, consult a veterinarian as soon as possible. In most cases, a single or occasional instance of vomiting may not be a significant issue as it can be due to stress, overeating, or sickness. If vomiting starts with other symptoms discussed earlier, it should be considered severe. It is high time to ask for the help of the vets.

Please take note of every behavioral change in your cat. Any significant change in their diet or good habit can result in regurgitation or vomiting. Some of the other signs may include acute vomiting, a decrease in appetite, an uptick in chronic vomiting, acting tired or weak, weight loss, hiding more, straining to urinate or defecate in the litterbox, or inappropriate elimination elsewhere in the house, increased aggression (could indicate pain), fever, drooling.

You see evidence that your cat consumed something dangerous, such as chewed-up hair ties, ribbon, tinsel, poisonous plants or other poisonous substances, and diarrhea. It can lead to fresh red blood in vomit or material that looks like coffee grounds (digested blood, evidence of gastric ulcers, or severe stomach irritation).

Further, you can see them vomiting in conjunction with medication administration, worms in your cat’s stool in addition to vomiting, and yellowed skin or whites of eyes (jaundice can indicate liver disease). You should be concerned if your cat has already been diagnosed with diabetes or kidney disease or is very young or very old.

What to do If My Cat is Throwing Undigested Food?

First, as a pet owner, you should remember that occasional vomiting isn’t an issue of significant concern. If vomiting more than once a week, it is a sign to be alarmed. At first, try to feed them with a feeding puzzle or give them small amounts of food frequently. If, after all these efforts, vomiting can not be controlled or it increases with other symptoms like lethargy, lack of appetite, and diarrhea, you should contact the medical n experts.

A thorough examination by the vet will help to figure out the actual problem. Your vet may also prescribe some tests, including blood tests, x-ray, etc., for a better understanding. Intestinal parasites can also be the cause of frequent vomiting. All these issues will be checked up, so frequent throwing up of food should not be neglected from the very first moment.

Some Home Remedies

First, you can try some home remedies to give your cat comfort from excessive vomiting. But these treatments should not be continued for long if no results are found. However, some of the following tricks can be applied to comfort your cat.

Check The Temperature Before Feeding

Cats must not be fed too hot or icy food as it can harm their digestive system. Try to warm the food if it is stored in the fridge or at least warm them to room temperature. You can also run the food through warm water to reach it quickly up to the proper temperature. Too hot or cold food can increase the chance of regurgitation.

Make Regular Meals

A proper diet schedule for your cat will help in proper digestion. Avoid experimenting with different types of food frequently or feeding them at other times. Follow the diet schedule regularly. If any change is necessary, do it gradually and per the vet’s advice.

Give Less Food Each Time

Overeating or consuming too many calories can increase the tendency to vomit. In such cases, divide the food items into two or three parts and feed them frequently at a particular time. You can also talk to your vet about the necessary quantity of calories that your cat should consume throughout the day.

Feed Them at a Slow Pace

Cats feed fast without chewing properly. It leads to indigestion which triggers regurgitating or vomiting. Here you can scatter the food over a large surface and force them to find the food and eat it. Puzzle feeders are another remedy to pace down their eating. These techniques can curb the tendency to vomit.

Preventive Measures

To curb the frequent tendencies of vomiting your cat, you can apply the home remedies mentioned above. If it doesn’t work, then going to the vet is the only option remaining. However, some of the preventive measures that you can take at the primary stage may include the following:

Avoid Food Items That Can Increase Anxiety

Unhealthy diet habits can increase anxiety among cats and make them depressed. Sometimes, inconsistent diet schedules or shifting from one place to another can affect a cat’s health. In such cases, feed them wet food or gradually change their feeding schedule.

Change The Food of Your Cat

Cats with sensitive stomachs are delicate towards a subtle change. So be very careful before switching the diet system of your cat. Sometimes your cat may vomit here along with food. Brush your cat more frequently and consider switching to a hairball food to stop such issues.

Go For Regular Medical Care

If your cat is frequently vomiting, go to your veterinarian, apart from an annual checkup. Note down the changed habits of your cat and show them to the vet. It’ll be helpful for the vet to diagnose the problem so he can understand the situation better.

Apply a Puzzle Feeder

You can go for an automatic or puzzle feeder, where you can set a pre-measured amount for feeding the cat. It can prevent them from overeating or consuming too much protein. You can also feed them frequently throughout the whole day in a lesser amount.

Treatment

Going to the vet for the treatment of excessive vomiting is the final and most recommended step. The vet will undergo a thorough physical checkup of your cat and can recommend some of the tastes. These tests may include abdominal ultrasound or radiographs (x-rays), urinalysis, bloodwork, fecal exams for parasites, and imaging studies.

To better understand, you can take a fresh sample stool and vomit before attending the appointment. You can also list the type of foods and their brand names that your cat eats during the day. After inspecting all these. You will decide what kind of treatment your cat will receive. Some of the treatments can be like this-

• Medication to reduce nausea.

• Surgery to remove an obstruction

• Treatment for diseases outside the stomach that can cause nausea

• It is deworming for parasites.

• Detoxification of poisonous substances.

• Diet changes for food allergies or hairballs.

But Never try to give human medication under any condition without proper medical supervision.

Conclusion

In most cases, if your cat is suffering from throwing up food frequently, there can be no effective permanent solution except upgrading its diet. Try to understand what type of food is easily digestible for your cat. Generally, gravy or jelly products are easily digestible and protect them from stomach irritation or inflammation. Apart from that, properly and gently cooked foods and balanced nutrition are some quick remedies to stop vomiting. Take a closure at your furry friend, and it can be given comfort by just adapting some easy steps.

FAQs