Can overeating cause constant vomiting?

I keep the cat's food bowls filled so that they can just eat whenever they're hungry. My oldest Sandy has been vomiting a bit lately. She is otherwise fine, eating drinking, playing normally. The food appears undigested and she usually vomits just after eating. I cannot get her an appointment with her vet until Wednesday but do plan on taking her then. My question is: If she is otherwise acting normal, is it possible her overeating will cause her to vomit?

Is there any competition at the food bowls? If you think there might be, I'd seperate them so the bowls are in different places, and I'd also try elevating the food dishes as they may help.

I am glad you are taking her in on Wednesday - getting her checked out is just what I'd do, please keep us posted!

Feeding cats like this is not highly recommended. Cats are nibblers and it would be best if you could get an automatic feeder that dishes out small amounts during the day. Leaving dry food out in large quantities will cause a cat to overeat and get fat. Also the food airstales in 20 minutes and doesn't stay fresh.

My vet has a very good saying- "Feed the cat, not the bowl!"

Kelly,

George does this usually when other cats are present in the room when I feed him. He just eats too quickly. His is always undigested, too. Best to take her in though to make sure.

Originally Posted by captiva

Kelly,

George does this usually when other cats are present in the room when I feed him. He just eats too quickly. His is always undigested, too. Best to take her in though to make sure.

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Pixie does this too, if she eats too fast she'll just throw it all back up and then she's fine again. I've found that having more than one bowl helps, bc then she doesn't feel like she has to compete for her food with Milo. He's the pushy one, so she'll back off if he gets to her bowl.
Another idea the vet gave me was to spread the food out on a plate or cookie sheet so it naturally takes a little longer to eat.
The 2 bowls have been working out pretty well and I think she's only done this once or twice since I've separated their food. I've also stopped feeding them freely. They get a cup in the morning between the 2 bowls and a cup at night between the 2 bowls. This has helped out a lot too. Hope this helps

Originally Posted by hissy

Feeding cats like this is not highly recommended. Cats are nibblers and it would be best if you could get an automatic feeder that dishes out small amounts during the day. Leaving dry food out in large quantities will cause a cat to overeat and get fat. Also the food airstales in 20 minutes and doesn't stay fresh.

My vet has a very good saying- "Feed the cat, not the bowl!"

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That is very good advice, MA. I didn't know that catfood gets stale . I guess that really is common sense, though . This feeding method began when I was in college and working. On a typical day I would leave my apartment at 7:30am and go straight to work after school and I wouldn't get home until after 2am. My FIL just got us an automatic feeder but I'm not sure if it's the kind you're talking about. It's got a big upside down bottle, like a water cooler and the food trickles out. I'm not sure how much comes out at a time. Do you think that would work. Thank you sooo much!!!

Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

Is there any competition at the food bowls? If you think there might be, I'd seperate them so the bowls are in different places, and I'd also try elevating the food dishes as they may help.

I am glad you are taking her in on Wednesday - getting her checked out is just what I'd do, please keep us posted!

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I have 2 food bowls but I may put out 2 more to see if it helps. I feed them Purina Indoor Formula. Are there any health problems associated with that food?

My vet wants me to bring her in anytime she has any problems. She had a bout of cholangelohepatitis and hepatic lipodosis (sp?) in November so he keeps a close eye on her.
Thanks for the advice, I'm going right now to put a couple more food bowls out!

Originally Posted by milopixie

Pixie does this too, if she eats too fast she'll just throw it all back up and then she's fine again. I've found that having more than one bowl helps, bc then she doesn't feel like she has to compete for her food with Milo. He's the pushy one, so she'll back off if he gets to her bowl.
Another idea the vet gave me was to spread the food out on a plate or cookie sheet so it naturally takes a little longer to eat.
The 2 bowls have been working out pretty well and I think she's only done this once or twice since I've separated their food. I've also stopped feeding them freely. They get a cup in the morning between the 2 bowls and a cup at night between the 2 bowls. This has helped out a lot too. Hope this helps

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Hmm, I like the plate idea. Thanks for your experience and advice!

Originally Posted by Kellyyfaber

I have 2 food bowls but I may put out 2 more to see if it helps. I feed them Purina Indoor Formula. Are there any health problems associated with that food?

My vet wants me to bring her in anytime she has any problems. She had a bout of cholangelohepatitis and hepatic lipodosis (sp?) in November so he keeps a close eye on her.
Thanks for the advice, I'm going right now to put a couple more food bowls out!

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Is that the indoor formula in the green bag? I used to feed that to Pixie and I noticed she tended to throw up on that food more than anything else. This was before Milo came along so she wasn't in competition in any way for her food. I'm not really sure why it was worse with that food though. She did better on regular cat chow and now she gets Innova and has only done it once.

I've noticed Frantic will throw up undigested food if he eats too fast. Usually that happens when I have an extremely full day and don't get home till late. By that time they're starving so he gulps his food. Then he throws it up and looks for more. On these days, I'll feed him smaller amounts spread out over about an hour. He holds his dinner down that way.

Yes, over-eating and snarfing down her food will cause her to vomit. I am lucky Nano has learned to slow down and nibble.

Anyway, here are some ideas:

Petsmart Automatic Cat Feeders

I am not recommending any of those products because I haven't used them, but I looked at the 5-meal feeder last time I was in Petsmart and was suitably impressed. Worth checking out next time you are in the pet store.

Originally Posted by Kellyyfaber

I have 2 food bowls but I may put out 2 more to see if it helps. I feed them Purina Indoor Formula. Are there any health problems associated with that food?

My vet wants me to bring her in anytime she has any problems. She had a bout of cholangelohepatitis and hepatic lipodosis (sp?) in November so he keeps a close eye on her.
Thanks for the advice, I'm going right now to put a couple more food bowls out!

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Sorry, I am not familir with Purina Indoor...I do see that Purina One uses by-products, and it may simply be she's reacting to something in the ingredients list. You may, besides the other suggestions, want to try a sensitive stomach formula.

One other consideration . . .
When my Kirsty started to get older, she developed food sensitivities to foods she had no problem eating and digesting when she was younger. She developed a food allergy to the fish that is used in many cat foods and if I wasn't careful reading the label she would throw it up. I also noticed she had more difficulty digesting high fiber foods as she got older - she had difficulty eating w/d that the other cats were on - and had to have a dry food aimed at senior cats or one for cats with sensitive stomachs. She would throw up the food mainly undigested as well. She didn't eat a lot of dry food, preferring her twice daily canned food, but she would nibble every now and then. She started this around 9 years old and it was pretty constant until her passing at 15 years old.

Kathryn

Hi, I also have an older cat, Butter who is 13 years old and in good health. Her food is constantly out also. I have noticed in the past year she will also vomit after eating sometimes. I think it is just her age.
Keep us updated.

Originally Posted by Kellyyfaber

I keep the cat's food bowls filled so that they can just eat whenever they're hungry. My oldest Sandy has been vomiting a bit lately. She is otherwise fine, eating drinking, playing normally. The food appears undigested and she usually vomits just after eating. I cannot get her an appointment with her vet until Wednesday but do plan on taking her then. My question is: If she is otherwise acting normal, is it possible her overeating will cause her to vomit?

Click to expand...