Cat throwing up!

looksee

I have a young adult cat, just about full size now - about 3 years - she is a tabby and is greedy. She hoovers up food as though she hasn't been fed for a year. We have another one, same age, skinny black one who eats much more fussily. Both are in good health and have had checkups and pronounced in good shape.

The tabby eats, then quite often starts that muscle rippling hawking and throws up varying amounts of barely swallowed food. Does anyone know why they do this, is it just greed and over eating or is there another reason?

mymo

She could be eating too fast, have you tried small amounts of food 4 or 5 times a day?

And what are you feeding? I got a can of a certain "super"market food in an emergency once and 2 out of 3 cats puked within minutes of eating it!

Busted Flat.

looksee wrote: »

I have a young adult cat, just about full size now - about 3 years - she is a tabby and is greedy. She hoovers up food as though she hasn't been fed for a year. We have another one, same age, skinny black one who eats much more fussily. Both are in good health and have had checkups and pronounced in good shape.

The tabby eats, then quite often starts that muscle rippling hawking and throws up varying amounts of barely swallowed food. Does anyone know why they do this, is it just greed and over eating or is there another reason?

<snip>

Perma-banned

passive

Have you had a checkup since the throwing up started? It could well be nothing, just eating too quickly (in which case I guess maybe feed her small amounts at regular intervals rather than letting her gorge herself? Which is exactly what Mymo said, now that I look!)

But if the throwing up is recent, since the last vet trip, I'd advise taking her in. My cat was throwing up a good bit last year, turned out to be cystitis, which required surgery and could have ended really badly if we hadn't brought him in when we did! (which isn't to say it's that, just that it could be something serious so worth getting it looked at early!)

(edit to clarify my thanks are for the mod in the above post! That's some fast work! )

looksee

I think she probably is eating too fast. Its dry food she throws up, they only get half a tin of wet catfood between them each day. There is always dry food down as the skinny cat often has to take turns to feed (tho she is getting braver!) and the tabby doesn't eat too much, just too fast.

looksee

Passive - my post overlapped your last post, ok, that's kind of what I was wondering, I will take her into the vet and see. Thanks

Nody

I had the same problem; found a dual solution that worked. First we put their kibbles in a "treat toy'; that is a simple plastic toy with plenty of groves and ridges forcing the cats to get one kibble at the time using their paws (this is one example of such a bowl; our's is much more simple but same principle). This stopped our cat from stuffing herself silly at one go (she'd usually eat multiple kibble at the time vs. our other cat who'd nibble at one at the time); secondly after we used that for a month we moved to have a elevated food bowl to stop them from having their head down when eating at keeping it more level. Between the two we've not had a throw up of kibble for 3 months (and counting!).

Pumpkinseeds

We have a tabby that used to do the very same thing. We tried different dry and wet foods and it made a huge difference. Royal Canin pure feline slimness is different shapes and made him eat slower because he had to chew it, so he didn't do it anymore, however our other chap gained a ton of weight on it and now we've switched to grain free dry food.

I think any dry food that they have to chew is the best, Hills Science Plan was the worst of all for us as they all but inhaled the stuff. They're both on Meowing Heads dry food for the past 2 months and Felix as good as it looks pouches for now but he's not keen on the MH so I've ordered some Applaws grain free and will see how they get on with that.

looksee

I took her to the vet and he said that she was very healthy and ok, but he thought that there might be a bit of slow digestive transit (she's constipated! ) so he gave her an injection - I am nervously awaiting the results :eek:

She is so good natured and amiable, she would not put her claws out whatever the provocation, and just patiently - if noisily - puts up with being poked and prodded in embarrassing places. The other one would have drawn blood just trying to get her into the carry box!

Pumpkinseeds

Ahh thats great that she's ok, I was just wondering about her. Your description of your 2 matches my 2 perfectly, except mine are boys. Although on his last visit to the vet he'd had enough of the thermometers up the bottom and made his feelings on the matter very clear to our vet, with his teeth. Thankfully our vet is very understanding.

mymo

It's always the same, one will walk into carrier, other will put up quite a fight, old as he is. Kitten so far just wails the "why, oh why" sadly and gives us the eyes. Daughter had been carrying her in her hoodie but she's getting big now.