Cat gulps food, then throws up..

kelly

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We have 2 healthy cats & one very over weight cat. He keeps the food in his mouth as he eats till he can hold no more, some not completely chewed, then in one gulp swallows it. A while later it comes back up of course. (He's healthy, good teeth, fixed, working on his weight.. almost 2 yrs. old).

Lost what to do about this, & why he does it.
 

valanhb

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There's a couple things you can try. First, elevate the food bowl a few inches off the ground. I use an old telephone book to put the food dish on. Sounds kind of silly, but it has done wonders for my eat-too-fast-and-it-comes-back-up kitty. It doesn't bother my other cat, either.

To help stop the chipmunking behaviour (I just get a picture of this kitty with his cheeks full to the brim like a cartoon. LOL Sorry, I know this isn't funny, but the visual is.) take a few rocks big enough that the cats can't possibly get them in their mouths, wash them really, really good and put the rocks in the bowl. He won't be able to just shovel the food with the rocks in the way.

Hope this helps.
 

lotsocats

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I have a cat who did this same thing. I tried the tricks valanhb suggested and they really work.

But, interestingly, when another one of my cats became ill and I switched them from Cat Chow to Science Diet, the barfer never once barfed again! I no longer have to monitor her food intake or use any tricks to keep her from throwing up. So, either it is the size of the food (Science Diet is very small) or the quality of the food that made the difference.
 

the dreaded tum

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Just to add to Lotsocat's post... sometimes it's the type of food as well. My Tum has a low tolerance for corn and rice, both of which are used as fillers in some cat foods.

Two additional suggestions...

1) are your cats fed together? Tum is a pretty aggressive eater and if we feed him together with Bugs, Bugs will bolt his food and then puke it later because he feels pressured. So we feed them in separate areas which gives Bugs the privacy to eat at a slower pace without worrying about Tum poaching his food.

2) sometimes using a flat plate and spreading the food out will help with "chipmunking" (I just love that term!). The flat surface forces the cat to eat slower and makes stuffing cheeks a lot harder.
 

ldg

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You've already gotten great advice. I'm just chipping in to say you can try the dry food "Evolve." It is made in little Xs, which apparently can't be gulped down like the round stuff. This has worked for others with the same problem.

Good luck! Sending good wishes for a happy outcome.
 

immortalflower

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I had one cat who would barf and found I had to try every food till I found the right one and he stopped.

Another of my cats was afraid that if she didn't eat all the food at one sitting there wouldn't be any for her later. For her I taught her that the bowl on the right was hers only (luckily my other cat was particular and left her bowl alone). I also gave her a little less so she wouldn't be too full and then gave her the rest later on. She eventually learned and doesn't have the problem anymore.
 
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