Cats are wonderful, not only because of the love and affection they give us, but also because they can hide signs of illness. It breaks my heart to see a concerned owner bring in a sick cat. The owner’s answer to the questions tells me that the cat has been suffering from health issues for much longer than it should. The owner often thought that some of the behavior was normal. Cats that vomit are one example of such a behavior.
Cats can vomit even if they are healthy. This is widely accepted. Cat owners often associate vomiting with peaceful cat grooming. It is true that cats can get hairballs from grooming too much or ingesting too much fur. But cats were designed to groom and their gastrointestinal tract was built to handle the majority of the fur they swallow. Cats’ GI tract is a great place to clean up. If a cat vomits a lot, it is not something I will accept as normal. While I don’t believe that every cat who vomits is ill, I do think that a cat who vomits often may need some assistance.
Simple causes of vomiting could be due to the cat’s eating habits – some cats almost inhale food. Moving a cat from canned food into dry food can help. Owners can also use Brake-Fast bowls or put a small ball inside the cat’s food bowl to encourage them to eat slowly. Cats can develop allergies to certain ingredients in cat food. Therefore, it is possible for them to try different foods. You should keep track of your cat’s frequency with vomiting. This includes whether it vomits immediately after eating (referred as regurgitation), or whether it vomits several hours later. You should consult your veterinarian if you try new diets and make changes to the way your cat is fed.
IBD is the most common cause of vomiting in cats. Owners often overlook it because their cats are not vomiting as much. IBD can be a complicated condition because each cat may have a different level of inflammation. The fact that cats and our GI tracts have very different architectures is another reason for the differences in severity. Changes in the architecture of the GI tract can have devastating effects on other organs. The treatment for inflammation can vary because the symptoms are different. Your veterinarian will likely recommend diagnostic tests to determine the best treatment for your cat.
If your cat vomits often or if a friend says that their cat vomits frequently, it is not normal. It is important that the cat sees a veterinarian immediately.
