Cat Chat Feline Forum

hi
my cat, 2 years old, has history of vomitting. took to vet around 5 months ago before and she said he was fine, as he was spritely. we changed food to hills on their reocmmendation to settle stomach upset, then back to wet lilys as only thing he eats. he would intially eat any flavour, then only lamb and will vomit on any other flavor. his routine is pretty much same and no disturbances, so not sure why hes suddenly much more picky and sensitive. he cries a lot,has always been a crier, but seems more noticeable somehow now, compounded with eating habits.

he used to eat raw then just stopped it and vomits when we've tried to transition with the tiniest bit in his food, so we put him on lilys and have kept him on it.

will the vet need to do some tests? im relucatnt to go back onto hills as it is not so great, and largely sugar and additivties, that i've tried to avoid.

Vomiting alone is quite a vague symptom so might be difficult to pin down without tests but what would you even test for if that is the only issue!

What is being vomited - a pile of food, furballs, foamy liquid? Is he indoor only or does he go out? Is he grooming normally, less than usual or obsessively? Are his poops normal? Is he gaining or losing weight? Are his eyes runny, super bright or maybe slightly glazed? How does his tummy feel, normal or hard? Has the vet offered anti-sickness medication and have you tried it? Do you give him any pre- or pro-biotic supplement (they make some cats vomit)? Does he get grass and is it outdoor grown grass or wheat grass grown in a dish at home?

Highly processed artificial foods with what looks like nasty ingredients sometimes are not as bad as you think, and the foods we think of as healthy are often not as good as we think. Cereal isn't what you get in a packet for breakfast, it's processed to have a high biogenic availability. Egg is the best there is in terms of digestible protein, which is why egg is used in renal formula diets where we need protein but with minimal waste products, and yet you can't feed a cat on eggs. On the other hand, organic chicken breast is equally not a complete nutritious diet for a cat. Meat in pouches cans or foil trays is also highly processed, just because the packet says natural ingredients or higher meat content doesn't necessarily mean it's better. Also yes the cat's wild ancestors 9,000 years ago ate raw, but the cat has evolved since then and one of the changes is a significant lengthening of the gut in adaptation to more cooked foods and foods other then their natural food.

Is it Hills i/d digestive care the vet suggested? The one thing you do know is that his current diet has not prevented him from developing some kind of issue that makes him vomit so much, therefore his diet is not necessarily good for him. Were you giving him bought raw or making it yourself? Have you considered or tried home cooking? What has the vet ruled out and tried so far?

If he was eating the Hills happily without vomiting, and thriving on it I would go back to feeding the Hills, while considering all the issues Mollycat raises. And also thinking about specific protein or other ingredient intolerances - chicken or beef or one of the other common protein sources, for example.