# Can any cat owners help?



## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

My kitty has a big issue with scoffing her food & eating it so quick she doesn't even chew it so throws up everywhere. She's done this ever since I adopted her in 2011. I've tried lots of different foods & she even has a special anti-gulp bowl...right now she is on Science Diet Oral Care (am not a fan of their food, but the kibble is big which I had hoped would encourage her to chew) she STILL refuses to slow down & chew! Anyone have any suggestions? She's perfectly healthy & actually a fatty so is getting nourishment despite throwing up a lot.


----------



## Jenzie (Dec 26, 2012)

I don't know how to help but I have a cat who does the same thing  just like your cat she gets plenty to eat (she is actually way overweight) but she throws up ALL time time because of how quickly she eats. Do you free feed her or only give a set amount of food at a certain time?


----------



## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

I've tried both...free feeding & trying a set time...seems it doesn't matter, when she eats she always has to scoff! We did have 2 cats, just lost my other cat to chronic kidney failure...so its not like she has to compete for food, even when he was alive he was fed separate. I wonder if its from her past, she was found as a stray pregnant mama cat. But...she has plenty of food now!


----------



## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Other then smaller meals (like maybe a small handful so it's not much at a time) maybe try wet cat food? (or a raw diet). None of our cats have done this, only thing we've had issues with are kidney and bladder issues. So I'm not much help.


----------



## Jokerfest (Sep 25, 2012)

My cat is like this she will NOT chew her food no matter what.
What worked for us is got Blue buffalo finicky eaters cat chow the kibbles are so small she's not going to choke on them or anything. They are smaller than the size of a pea.
Also blue buffalo is a awesome brand.

I'd also just try giving her a handful at a time instead of a whole bowl.
Just take the bag and bowl with you, set down the bowl, and just put a small amount of kibble in at a time let her eat it and keep doing this till she has had enough.

The bigger kibbles you're giving her could very well be making her gag and making her puke more often.
Some cats just will not chew their food.


----------



## Poisoned (Nov 17, 2012)

Have you had her checked by a vet? 

Cats are sometimes hard to read.. not chewing, bad grooming habits, and some other subtle things can point to pain in their mouth. Which could be caused by several things.

After she's been cleared of an issue.. You could try soaking her food thoroughly so at least she will not have an upset stomach so much by not chewing. Raw meat diets are also a great option. I think I will be switching my cat to raw. You could also make your own cat food and make bigger pieces (like a few inches long, an inch thick or so) that she HAS to chew.


----------



## Rumy91989 (Dec 31, 2012)

I actually have a cat who has this problem, and what I do is split her daily portion up into five small meals. Like, really small. We just cover the bottom of her bowl with one layer of kibble so she can't eat enough at one time to upset her stomach. For the past three months we've only had one throw up episode and it was when she got into our other cat's food. I would take her to the vet, though, because sometimes there are other major health issues behind throwing up, as Poisoned has mentioned. We got her tested for everything before we determined it was just a psychological issue because she'd been abandoned/neglected by two separate owners before we got her.


----------



## Muttlycrew (Dec 21, 2012)

Check her teeth actually. One of my moms cats does that and we finally checked and suddenly realize that her teeth were rotten and she was missing a bunch of them and ended up getting all but the canines pulled. We started feeding her partially canned so she could get it down and to get her to eat slow we'd give her a piece of dry at a time. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## zurfaces (Jan 16, 2013)

I do the same thing as rumy and its helped tremendously. I put just enough to cover the bottom of his small bowl which is roughly 20 pieces of kibble. Then ten minutes later he gets a bit more and he gets fed three times a day. A lot let vomit in our household. 

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

Thanks for all your responses. I am planning to get her in for her routine check up very soon, but I know the throwing up is because of how she eats, I've watched her & she swallows the kibble whole. I have tried giving her wet food before & have the same, if not worse result as she eats it even faster! (she LOVES wet food!) & when that gets thrown up its NOT pleasant! I don't think its a health issue, she's had lots of check ups in my care & I adopted her from the local spca so she was also health checked there. I thought getting the bigger kibble would help force her to chew...but now you guys have me worried that it might be making it worse! So you think smaller kibble is actually better? I will try multiple tiny meals...I know she won't be happy about that, she likes her food & lots of it! Lol.


----------



## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

She was on Taste of the Wild before the Science Diet which is very small kibble & its slightly moist. I will switch back to that food (I love this food, feed my dogs it too) & try the tiny meals. If the Science Diet isn't doing its job then I'm happy to ditch that stuff. It seemed like it worked at first I was thinking 'yes!'...but this morning I woke up to throw up all over =/


----------



## JLSaufl (Jan 20, 2013)

My parents had a cat with this same problem, the vet recommended orijen cat and kitten food, to feed her 2 tablespoons of food, 4 times per day. She has completely stopped vomitting and is now at a very healthy weight. The food is expensive (about $60 for 15lbs) but it is one of the best foods out there, it is Canadian and they are very strict about how animal food is processed there. 

We actually changed our dogs to this brand of food about 3 years ago and the visual changes in their health was really unbelievable. 



Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

Thanks I will check that food out!


----------



## ThreeMagicBeans (Dec 16, 2012)

Have you tried any interactive feeders? Such as treat balls or bowls with knobs in them? 

Amazon:
• Pioneer Pet Tiger Feeder (http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-Pet-T...841386&sr=1-11&keywords=Cat+feed+interactive) 
• Stimulo Cat Feeder (http://www.amazon.com/Stimulo-Feedi...4841386&sr=1-1&keywords=Cat+feed+interactive) 
• Northmate Green Grass Feeder (http://www.amazon.com/Northmate-Gre...4841669&sr=1-2&keywords=Cat+feed+interactive) 
• Catit Design Maze Feeder (http://www.amazon.com/Catit-Design-...4841748&sr=1-3&keywords=Cat+feed+interactive) 
• PetSafe SlimCat Feeder Ball (http://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-SlimC...4841829&sr=1-4&keywords=Cat+feed+interactive) 

I wish I could link you to all of them, but there are SO MANY! You just have to explore the options, and find the best fit for your cat. Maybe try different ones and switch them out to prevent boredom. Through trial and error you'll find the best ones! Even though I don't own cats, I use similar devices for dogs when they have food issues.

Hope this helps!


----------



## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

I have not read all of the thread, just skimmed it - but... cats can NOT thoroughly chew kibble food. They are carnivores and their sharp teeth are meant for tearing meat, not crushing corn/wheat kibbles. Most if not all of them will swallow it whole - as you see in her barf. Scarf-and-barfing can be just behavioral (I have one cat that does it just because he can) or it could be due to a stomach or mouth issue, or even something like hyperthyroid or diabetes. Is she showing any signs of nausea, ie. drooling or licking her lips a lot? You could try giving her a 1/4 tablet of Pepcid AC (famotidine 10mg) twice a day and see if it helps. I would also try giving her canned food - generally any kind without corn/wheat/grains will do. Fancy Feast Classics (pates) are easy to find and cheap. She NEEDS to eat - cats can go into hepatic lipidosis (fatty liver disease) within days when they don't eat, and it is very expensive to treat and potentially deadly. Good luck with her.


----------



## SarahEden (Mar 5, 2013)

Yeah most cats do not chew their food. I think it's actually pretty rare to see a cat chew it. All my cats swallow their food whole and I have no problems. I would definitely check with a vet, make sure she doesn't have an allergy to something for sure. And feed smaller portions more often. She can't gulp if you don't give her enough to gulp.


----------



## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

Thanks...she is getting food in her as I mentioned she's actually overweight. But I appreciate all the info! I will for sure make her an appointment with the vet asap...this has always been a thing with her, but another vet check won't hurt. Then go from there! I will use up the Science Diet for now & by the time its all done I should have a solution. I would like for her to be on a healthy food like Tase of the Wild or Blue Buffalo etc.


----------



## Kaliloca (Jan 24, 2013)

We have 3 cats. Only 2 of them do the puke thing. We've talked to the vet about it many times. He keeps saying hairballs. So, we give them hairball formula cat food. They still puke. We've tried the easily digested food. They still puke. We've tried canned food, making our own cat food, and the gourmet cats foods. They still puke!!!

The vet said, "it's normal and not to worry about it"....... It doesn't seem normal to me. 

The best solution we have found is to give small meals. We only give about 1/4 cup per meal. We've managed to reduce the amount of puking, but it hasn't stopped. They average 3 pukes a week. Sometimes what comes up is "fluids" and not food. 

Our cats are older. They're 12 and 13 years old. The younger cat, who is 9, doesn't have this problem. The younger cat, who used to be an outside cat would eat birds, rodents, and grass. She never pukes. The other 2 are pampered indoor cats. Never ate any foreign objects or foods..... they puke. It doesn't make sense, but besides the puking, they seem healthy.


----------



## Eden10 (Aug 11, 2012)

My cat is around 6. When she pukes its all undigested food...looks just like soggy kibble, yeh I've brought it up to the vet before & he just said feed her canned food. But the canned food is worse as she scoffs it even quicker & when she throws that up it is GROSSS!!! Lol. We have a different vet now from her last check up so maybe they will recommend something better. It could be her teeth possibly...she drools a lot, but its only when I pet her & she's purring...not sure what that's about, I assumed it means she's really happy?


----------



## socal_sarah (Mar 5, 2013)

Lol, yes, the drooling while being petted is completely normal. I've worked at a couple different vet hospitals in the US for the past 7 yrs. I have also had 5 of my own cats, lol. (I'm a bit of a sucker if you couldn't tell!) Anyways, the vomiting could be simply because she eats too fast or it could be because of IBS or lymphoma. I had 2 of my 5 worked up for vomiting. My current cat, Sakura, also wouldn't keep any weight on, no matter how much food I fed her. Her biopsies, etc, ended up being completely normal, so she's still a mystery cat. The other cat had IBS, so she had a Depo Medrol injection every 3-6 wks to help control that. She was also toothless, but had no problem scarfing everyone else's food too. Honestly, I would try doing a few smaller meals throughout the day as your schedule allows. It's nice to do this because it'll also help with her weight problem (assuming you reduce her total food amount). Heck, you can even add in like a Tbsp or 2 of wet food at alternating meals to mix it up if you want. It just has to be SMALL. Feel free to PM me if you'd like...


----------



## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

If you are trying to go for a good diet, even the cheapest, crappiest canned food is better than the most expensive dry food for one reason - it contains WATER. Cats don't have a high natural thirst drive and they will only drink from a bowl/fountain when they are very dehydrated. Raw prey ie. mice, birds, etc. are very high in moisture and low in grains - unlike dry food. Chronic dehydration gets hard on the kidneys as they age, which is why a LOT of cats die from CRF/CKD. I really advocate a canned or raw diet for all cats. CatInfo.org has a lot of great information about nutrition, health, and general care - it is really like a Cat Bible if there was one (kinda like RatGuide is for rats!)


----------



## poodlecrazy1 (Apr 14, 2013)

Try giving her only 1-3 pieces of kibble at a time. If she eats them to fast have her work the kibble from your fingers to try and slow her down. when she starts to eat slower give her a few more pieces of kibble. I had an ex feral cat that I did this with and it worked great.it did take a very long time and lots of patience though. also you can try getting like a 2 liter soda bottle and cutting a couple of hole just big enough for a kibble or two to fall out at one time. make the holes on opposite sides of the bottle and different heights.lay it on the floor where she is comfortable eating and nothing will bother or threaten her. she will eventually start moving it around to get the food out. this should help slow down her eating. if she doesn't get it right away show her by rolling it for her. It is best to do this when she is hungry. some cats do this all their lives. I have a 6 year old cat that does it all the time(not every meal) but eats at a normal pace.She will barf it up and then she will eat the barf (It usually stays down the second time). Good luck with your kitty.


----------



## Awaiting_Abyss (Jul 24, 2012)

Jaguar said:


> If you are trying to go for a good diet, even the cheapest, crappiest canned food is better than the most expensive dry food for one reason - it contains WATER. Cats don't have a high natural thirst drive and they will only drink from a bowl/fountain when they are very dehydrated. Raw prey ie. mice, birds, etc. are very high in moisture and low in grains - unlike dry food. Chronic dehydration gets hard on the kidneys as they age, which is why a LOT of cats die from CRF/CKD. I really advocate a canned or raw diet for all cats. CatInfo.org has a lot of great information about nutrition, health, and general care - it is really like a Cat Bible if there was one (kinda like RatGuide is for rats!)


Thank you! I posted something similar to this, but I was ignored. :l

Oh- it was the other thread I posted on about wet/dry food.


----------



## Jenzie (Dec 26, 2012)

Awaiting_Abyss said:


> Thank you! I posted something similar to this, but I was ignored. :l
> 
> Oh- it was the other thread I posted on about wet/dry food.


I hope you don't mean that I was ignoring you in my thread? I assumed that you posted that for the benefit of whoever was saying they'd never heard of he benefits of wet food, considering what you said was pretty much exactly what I said in my original post...


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------

