Last Updated on April 14, 2020
If you have a cat who seems to puke after most meals or is puking up clear liquid throughout the day, you may be wondering what is going on. Puking is not normal in cats. Here are 3 simple tips to help a cat with a puking problem!
1. Feeding Schedule
Not many people are aware of this but cats will start to produce digestive acids an hour or so before they know they are being fed. When a cat eats at different times of the day or doesn’t know when the next meal will be, it will result in puking. The acid needs to either aid in digestion or be expelled. It is something their body does naturally in anticipation of food. This can lead to acid bile being thrown up throughout the day, before meals, or after meals. It is a transparent and foamy liquid that usually smells bad. The closer you stick to a schedule, the less the expelling of these acids will need to happen. If your cat is throwing up after meals even when on a schedule the issue may be in the amount you feed them.
2. Feeding the Right Amount
A lot of people assume that if they give their cat a large amount of food they will overeat. This is far from true. A cat will eat until it is full. If you underfeed your cat, they may rush through eating thinking there is not enough and swallow air. When this happens it creates bubbles in the stomach and causes the cat to vomit right after the meal. This is very common in multi-cat homes. When you have two cats eating small amounts at a time, they will rush even more so the other cat doesn’t take their food. To find the right amount, see how much your cat can it first feed in the morning. Put the cat in a room by itself and wait until it walks away satisfied. Most cats will eat about one half to a whole 3 oz can in one sitting. If they don’t finish it all you can discard it or store it in the fridge to feed at a later time. Puking is actually more common the more often you feed your cat as well.
3. Feeding Less Often
This is where feeding more balances out. When you up the amount for one feeding and decrease the number of times you feed your cat, a weight issue should not arise. It is best to feed your cat 2 times a day. If they are on wet only diets, you will need to feed them more in one sitting than you would if they have dry available throughout the day. The idea behind this is to decrease the number of digestive acids they create thus, preventing the puking.
Still puking?
If your cat continued to puke after following the above tips, they should see a Vet to rule out any illnesses.
I have done this with both of my boys recently and other than a single hairball, they both have been puke free! If your cat is still having puking issues after making these changes, it is best to take them to a Veterinarian. They could have an underlining health issue like food allergies that are causing them to vomit. Remember, puking is not and never was normal for cats. Even frequent hairballs should not happen. One every 3 months or so is considered normal for short hair cats.
