Why a Cat Throws Up Food
Causes
Cats have sensitive stomachs. Many times, a cat throws up because it eats too fast. If a cat has a hairball in its throat and eats a regular amount of food, the hairball can block the food from moving into the stomach and cause vomiting shortly after the cat is at its food dish.
If the vomit looks like food or partially digested food--sometimes in the shape of a tube--fast eating is probably the culprit. It is not uncommon for a cat to vomit multiple times after eating too much too quickly.
If a hairball is the culprit, this will be present.
The Process
A cat does not experience nausea or any other symptoms before it vomits food. The cat either took its food in too fast, or something has blocked the food from making it into the digestive tract. The cat then can regurgitate the food with little or no effort and not much discomfort.
A cat will make a coughing sound--known to many as the "hairball cough"--or a hacking sound before it vomits. The animal probably feels a tingle in its throat. After eating and beginning to hack or cough, a cat will begin to heave. Sometimes the heaving can engulf the cat's entire body and look somewhat frightening when experienced by a person who has not seen it before. Eventually, the cat will vomit.
Solutions
To alleviate the vomiting, first try feeding your cat less food. If the cat is still vomiting, it might have trouble digesting hard food. Consider mixing hard and soft food, or feed the cat dry food mixed with a small amount of water.
If the cat is still vomiting, try a different type of food. Consider a food for felines with sensitive stomachs, that reduces hairballs and/or contains natural ingredients.
Caution
If your cat vomits more than once a week, take the pet to the veterinarian; this could be the sign of a more serious condition.
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