My cat vomits when eating at night. Is it worms or fast eating?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Oscar. So you should decrease the amount of food you are feeding especially since Oscar is neutered and is probably an indoor only cat. Indoor cats do not require as much food as what most people think. Maybe even as little as 1/4 to 1/3 cup of dry food per day but of course it does depend on what you are feeding him. Best thing to do is measure his food, don't feed free choice with a full bowl of food, and then start cutting back at least 25% or a quarter of the food per day, including treats. The anal itching could be tapeworms and that is usually flea related, the pet ingests a flea while grooming and the tapeworm eggs hatch and create problems. It could also be fleas, mites, anal gland problems. Best thing is to have your vet evaluate Oscar, advise nutritional issues, and identify what is causing the itch. Most likely, the cause is determined by physical exam only and then expressing the anal glands if they are enlarged. If Oscar is good they might be able to express them while he is awake. Otherwise sedation is sometimes required. Also skin infections or dermatitis can cause itching. Good luck with Oscar

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There are a few things that you can consider including splitting her feedings into a few a day using the slow feeder. You can look into getting a different slow feeder. Also, you can consider basically throwing her food (kibble) in a room which is going to spread it out and Jackie will have to eat it more slowly. This usually works really well. Good luck and have a great day!

I agree, it sounds like DJ is eating too fast when he first comes inside. You can try a cat feeding toy or slow-down bowl to get him to eat slower (see link below). After cats are 6-8 weeks old, they no longer need milk. Milk can actually cause GI upset, so I would discontinue the milk. Cat food and water is just fine. I would have DJ evaluated by a vet for ear mites, ear infection, allergies, ringworm, fleas, or bacterial infection that could be causing his head shaking and hair loss.

George's intermittent vomiting can be a frustrating problem to diagnose and manage. While eating quickly can cause vomiting, other possible causes of this waxing and waning frequency of vomiting could be related to inflammatory bowel disease or chronic pancreatitis. These conditions can both require fairly extensive diagnostic testing to get a definitive answer, including blood tests, abdominal ultrasound and intestinal biopsies. At this point, you can certainly try to slow down George's eating pace, but you can also consider trying a diet change, as this can help both of the issues I mentioned. If you decide to change his diet, I recommend using a novel protein diet (one protein source/one carbohydrate source), such as Dick van Patten's Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets or prescription based formulas. Choose a flavor of food that he has never been exposed to (i.e. venison, rabbit, etc.) and gradually mix his old and new foods slowly over 5-7 days. Avoid feeding any treats or table food while feeding this diet to eliminate any exposure to other foods. It can take 6-8 weeks to determine if a diet change is successful, so don't give up after a few weeks if you haven't noticed a change. If George continues vomiting intermittently on a new diet that he is eating slowly, I would consider taking him back to the vet to discuss further diagnostic testing. I hope that all goes well!

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.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Intestinal parasites are transmitted fecal-oral, from hunting or fleas. Markus can't catch worms by being near the stray cat. There are many reasons for the stray cat to be vomiting: parasites, viral or bacterial infection, cancer, liver or kidney failure, over active thyroid, food allergy/intolerance, obstruction, pancreatitis, feline leukemia, FIV or FIP. If he is this sick maybe consider calling animal control to come get him. I wish you the best!

It depends on how soon after eating your cat vomits. If food is consumed and then almost immediately regurgitated (still looks whole, not digested), then s/he may be eating too fast. If it is several hours later and the food is partially digested, s/he may have a food allergy or intolerance, a gastrointestinal disorder, or some other underlying medical condition. For cats that gobble their food, it helps to feed more frequent, smaller meals throughout the day. Or you can put a couple balls or small blocks (too large to be swallowed) in the bowl so your cat has to eat around the obstacles. This will slow down his/her eating.