16/01/2025
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What to do about a very common cat parent problem.
⁉FAQ: My cat eats her dry food very quickly and vomits it up almost immediately!
Chances are that if the food comes out within 5 minutes of eating, then your cat is actually regurgitating rather than vomiting.
Eating too quickly and over-eating are very common causes of regurgitation in cats because:
🔹Cats who eat quickly are most likely not chewing their food and it is swallowed intact.
🔹Cats who eat quickly also swallow a lot of air as while eating and the stomach expands too quickly.
🔹Cats who over-eat overfill their stomach and the excess food remains in the oesophagus from which it is expelled via regurgitation.
What can pet parents do?
1) Slow down the eating process!
🔹Use food puzzles and puzzle feeders which make cats work for their food and extend the eating experience.
🔹Use a method called fetch feeding - we will do a separate post on this next week!
🔹Use a Licki Mat for feeding wet food.
2) Encourage cats to chew.
🔹This can be very hard with some cats.
🔹Using kibble that is larger in size (like special dry food designed for teeth cleaning) can encourage cats to chew. You need to monitor whether this works for your cat!
3) Prevent overeating.
🔹Consider feeding small meals often (you may find an automated feeder useful for this).
🔹Avoid situations where your cat is left for long times without food.
However, if your cat seems at all unwell or is regurgitating/vomiting on a regular basis, please consult your vet.
