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Why does my cat throw up right after eating wet or dry food?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Maine Coon | Male | neutered | 1 year and 5 months old | 24 lbs

Hello! My Maine coon has been having issues with wet food. It wasn’t until a couple of months I noticed that right after he would eat wet food or he would vomit it right after eating, almost instantly. I thought this was because of the wet food I was giving him but I have also tried other brands and he still vomits maybe 1/10 times. Smaller portions at a time seems to not upset his stomach though, but vomiting isn’t limited to wet food, he sometimes vomits normal cat food for sensitive cats too.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 23rd, 2018

Thanks for visiting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Vomiting in cats can be caused by several things, but vomiting right after eating does bring to mind a couple of possibilities. But you first have to differentiate whethere whether Coix is vomting (obvious retching and forceful expulsion) or regurgitating (undigested food just seems to come out without much effort). Vomiting can be caused by inflammatory bowel disease, megaesophagus (typically causes regurgitation), a parasitic infection (not as common), or even an underlying congenital disorder. Most of these conditions are treatable.
You should first start with some diagnostic testing to gather more information on your specific pets condition. Then we will know what needs to be done for Coix to help control his vomiting episodes a bit better.
In general, you can continue to feed smaller portions and go with an easily digestible diet such as limited ingredient diets (i.e. Iams, Purina, Evo). This is something you can easily start while awaiting a proper vet visit and diagnostic work-up for Coix.
I hope this helps get you started and best wishes on finding the exact underyling cause for Coix's vomiting episodes. Take care.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 6th, 2017

    Thank you for your post! It's difficult to tell you exactly what is going on. Vomiting can be caused from many things. Any diet change recently? If so, it may be due to the introduction of a new food. Linux may also have something systemic going on (liver, kidneys, infection, etc). If he likes to chew on toys and other things, there may be a foreign body stuck somewhere. In any case, I would suggest having onyx looked at to have more diagnostic performed. I hope this helps. Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns you may have.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 17th, 2019

    Almost anything that can ail a cat can cause vomiting. It is a very non-specific symptom so there is no way I can tell you why he is vomiting with 100% certainty. What I can tell you is that the number one reason for a young cat to be vomiting is an intestinal obstruction as young cats are more opt to ingest foreign objects (like hair ties for example). I suggest you get him to the vet for an exam. It is possible that the diet change is the cause but not as likely. Vomiting and not drinking can cause significant dehydration so I strongly suggest you get him examined soon.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Health & Wellness
My cat throws up after eating often. When should I take her to a vet?
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Vomiting can occur from many conditions such as kidney disease, pancreatitis, gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, among other possibilities. I recommend that you have Peaches evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. This will likely require bloodwork and abdominal imaging in terms of diagnostics. Treatment would be based on findings. At the very least your veterinarian could start him on medications to make him feel better. In the meantime, keep water available at all times to try to prevent dehydration. Good luck and have a good day!
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Vet Q & A
Why is my cat vomiting immediately after eating for several days?
Poor kitty. This sounds very likely they Pickle may have a foreign body obstruction or partial obstruction. Other possibilities are kidney disease, liver disease and an infection. Cats often won't act ill until things are really far gone, so don't expect to see that. The vomiting of food right after eating warrants getting Pickle in to your local vet right away for an exam and diagnostic tests to determine the cause. Once we know what is causing this, then we will know what treatment he needs to fix it.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Food & Nutrition
My cat eats dry food too fast and throws up. Should I try wet?
There are a huge number of reasons that a cat will vomit. Since it sounds like Luna is mostly vomiting undigested food, she may simply be eating the dry food too quickly, so canned food is a great idea to try. Canned food is actually more biologically appropriate and better for a cat's health than dry food, so feeding Luna only canned food is a great idea. However, if she continue to vomit while eating canned food only, I would certainly recommend having your veterinarian examine her. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
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Vet Q & A
Why is my older cat throwing up whole kibble right after eating?
Poor Sweetie! In older cats, I would be concerned that the vomiting is caused by kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease, a foreign body, or intestinal lymphoma. I would take her into the vet first thing in the morning. The vet can do a physical exam, routine blood tests, a urinalysis, x-rays, and possibly an ultrasound to determine what is causing her vomiting. Once the cause is found, the vet can recommend a possible treatment.
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Training & Behavior
Why does my cat throw up undigested food after eating but seems fine?
Colby could be eating too quickly and vomiting secondary to that. Since you have changed his food already, I would try offering him a smaller amount and see if he can hold that down, then give him the rest.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Food & Nutrition
Why does my cat vomit at night after eating her wet and dry food?
Vomiting in cats is a nonspecific sign and can indicate a number or things including inflammatory bowel disease, kidney problems, thyroid issues, dietary sensitivity, or an intestinal obstruction. If Lucy is otherwise acting normally you could try a diet like Hill's Science Diet for sensitive stomach to see if this helps. However, if Lucy is having other issues, if she is vomiting frequently, or she continues to vomit despite the diet change then she should be examined by a veterinarian. She may need blood work or X-rays to determine the cause of the vomiting. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Lucy is feeling better soon!
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Food & Nutrition
My cat vomits dry food and has diarrhea on wet. What diet helps?
In an otherwise healthy cat that has chronic vomiting episodes, it sounds like Rigby may have a condition called inflammatory bowel disease. This is common in cats and is difficult to diagnose (requires an intestinal biopsy). I would ask the vet to consider this diagnosis and then they can prescribe the correct treatment for it to try and see if he has some improvement with his vomiting. Treatment usually involves a highly digestible prescription diet (or comparable over the counter diet such as California Natural by Natura) and steroids. Here is a website link with more information on IBD in pets. I hope this helps and best wishes at the vet. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=598
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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