Why does my cat vomit


If you have a pet cat, you may have wondered why my cat is vomiting. You should know that it is something quite frequent, but for that reason we should not consider it as something unimportant. If your pet sheds, it is a sign that something is not right inside his body. At Petlifey, we explain the reasons.


Why do cats vomit?

It might be something slight, but also something quite serious. Before talking about the main reasons why cats vomit, we want to tell you that if your cat is returning frequently, please visit your veterinarian.

Common causes of a cat vomiting

With that said, let’s start with the most common reasons why cats vomit :

A cat vomits from inappropriate feeding

One of the main causes for your cat to vomit is that you are giving him an inappropriate type of food or of poor quality .

Remember that it is extremely important to provide a food with the amount of proteins and vitamins appropriate to the needs of your cat.

Check with your vet about what food you can give them. And remember that you should NEVER feed them the leftovers of your food. What is good for humans is not always good for cats.

A cat vomits from a food allergy

Many times even if you only give them feed or kibble for cats, it could be developing some type of food allergy.

Mainly these allergies develop when these domestic mammals are fed the same food over and over again. In fact, this is a very common reason for intermittent vomiting for long periods of time.

If your cat seems to have no problems, that is: it looks healthy, does not appear to be sick, is at a good weight and has normal energy levels, but vomits from time to time, perhaps you should consider that perhaps he is presenting an allergy to food.

Again, consult with your vet about what other type of food you can give them to eliminate this problem of allergy regurgitations.

A cat vomits from frequent or sudden changes in diet

If the change of food is definitely necessary, try to do it gradually.

That is, in a period of at least a week or more, you should mix portions of the new food with the old food, so that little by little you change it completely.

But if you notice that vomiting continues to occur after you have changed the type of food, continue giving it for a short time to see if the problem is resolved. Otherwise, you will have to look for a new option.

A cat vomits from hairballs

It is very important that we help our cats reduce the amount of hairballs they swallow. The easiest thing is to brush it frequently, since it remembers that cats by nature are always licking each other.

And if you also have several cats at home, they could be licking each other and of course, it would not only be your cat’s hair that is swallowing, but also that of other pets.

So imagine how many hairballs it’s swallowing that could be clogging its stomach and causing them to vomit. Therefore, it is extremely important to brush your cat frequently, especially if you have more than one pet at home.

You can also give them some gel or malt to help the evacuation of hairballs. It also helps to provide them with food that contributes to a better evacuation.

This way we would avoid vomiting from hairball choking. Consult your veterinarian or your specialized pet food store.

A cat vomits from drinking milk

It has always been a popular belief that cats like to drink milk. This is because in movies and cartoons we always see a cute little kitten drinking milk. Also, most mammals drink milk if you give it to them.

But what we must bear in mind is that the milk has to be of the same species, since gastrointestinal problems occur when milk of a different species is taken.

It is for this reason that we should not give our cats cow’s milk, since cats do not have the necessary enzymes to break down the sugar in cow’s milk. Your pancreas does not secrete lactase, which is necessary to break down the lactose in cow’s milk.

Therefore, if you are giving your cat cow’s milk, this could be why your cat is vomiting. Kittens generally only drink their mother’s milk and then they don’t like it anymore.

A cat vomits from eating too fast

Another reason cats vomit is because they eat too fast.

Remember that your kitten’s stomach is horizontal and not vertical like that of humans. Obviously, the one that eats slower will help your feline pet to avoid these vomits. For this it is recommended to feed them with small portions.

If you have more than one cat at home, it could be generating a type of competition for food and for this reason the cats are eating so fast that it causes indigestion and I ended up returning the food .

So pay close attention, if you have a food-devouring pussycat, it is recommended that you separate them from the rest at mealtime.

In this way, it can feel that it is in complete control of its plate, without fear that some other animal will come and take its food. That is, you have to generate a little more confidence. Let them know that no one is going to steal its food and that he does not need to eat desperately, devouring everything in its path.

But remember, if you only have one cat and it eats in the same desperate way, the solution is to feed it several times a day with small portions of food.

A cat vomits from eating too many treats

Another area to which we must pay special attention is that of the cat treats .

Many times, although we give our kittens a food of the highest quality, with all the nutrients, vitamins, gourmet food, natural, etcetera; the truth is that we spoil this good diet by giving our cats too many treats .

We know, many times we want to reward them for some good behavior, or simply for wanting to pamper them, but in reality we are doing them quite badly, since giving your cat prizes is like giving a child treats.

Because as we know, the prizes are full of chemical additive compounds, preservatives, fats …, things that although they may taste very delicious for them, the truth is that they do not nourish them at all.

On the contrary, they can cause gastrointestinal inflammation, which in turn will cause vomiting. So let’s give our cats treats, but very occasionally.

A cat vomits from eating at different times

If you have established schedules to feed your pet, for example at 9 in the morning and at 10 at night, you should know that your cat will begin to anticipate his next meal time in advance. Sometimes a long time in advance.

Usually, the animal will start to let you know an hour before it’s time to eat.

For this reason, the cat begins to release acids, gastric juices and bile during this period of time. Which are obviously necessary to digest food.

So, if for some reason you do not feed your cat when it is due, for example, instead of 9 in the morning, you give it at 12, there is a high probability that your cat will vomit a kind of white foam and a little yellow bile .

This is because all those acids, gastric juices and bile were secreted in its body and it did not receive its food on its established schedule.

So, if your feeding time has passed, before fully feeding, give a very small portion to lessen any gastrointestinal irritation that could cause vomiting. And please, try not to make your cat angry and feed him at his established times.

A cat vomits from poisoning or intoxication

Unfortunately, poisoning or poisoning is a very common cause of vomiting in cats.

So if your cat suddenly starts to vomit, you should be concerned that it has not ingested a toxic such as a herbicide, pesticide, a cleaning product or a toxic plant.

If you suspect that it may have ingested any of this, it could be poisoned. Urgently go to the vet, as its life could be in danger.

A cat vomits from enzyme deficiency

Sometimes a cat’s pancreas does not produce enough protease, lipase, or amylase, creating a case of acute or chronic low-grade pancreatitis. Because of this, they can develop a disease called pancreatiti , which is inflammation of the pancreas .

This ailment, unfortunately increasingly common in cats, is one of the main causes of intermittent vomiting. Remember that this disease can only be detected and treated by your veterinarian. Therefore, we always advise you to take your feline pets to the vet in the event of any symptoms or abnormalities.


How to prevent your cat from vomiting

So now that you know some of the most common causes why your cat is vomiting, you can know how to avoid it.

Pay close attention, go to your veterinarian and tell him what are the possible causes or symptoms that you have detected and why your cat could be vomiting. Remember that it is very important that your cat receives treatment, since vomiting is not normal.


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