Cat w/sensitive stomach

lelelele23

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Hello,

My boy kitten is 9 months old.  I have had him & his sister since they were 4 months.  I free feed them dry and give them about 6ounces each more or less of wet every day..

My question is about my boy cat's sensitive stomach.  I tried to feed them Orijen dry but he would throw it up.  Tried about 4 or 5 other brands until we found one that he could keep down.  I now have them both on Wellness Core Kitten dry food.  They will be 1 year old in a few months and thus I am feeling a little nervous about switching them to adult cat food.  I'm worried about my boy's digestion and hoping he does not have to go through a bunch of different brands again, suffering until we figure it out.  I'm going to begin with the same Wellness Core brand, but another thing I am worried about is what if the company changes ingredients OR my kitties tastes just change.  I rotate their wet food meats so they can have variety.  I would like to do this with their dry food also.  

The throwing up symptoms were: he would throw up at the crack of dawn every single morning (underneath my bed - NOT convenient to clean up!).  He would make a little "meowowowowowoooww" sound right before he threw up.  That was how i would wake up every morning, very worried!  And he would walk around throwing up in various locations about 3 - 4 times.

His throw up contained bits of undigested food. 

Any tips, especially from people who have cat experiences like this would be appreciated! Thank you.
 

missmimz

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I'd just take them off dry food completely. Dry food has more fillers and is more processed than wet food, which can make it harder for some cats to digest, among other things. The early AM vomiting may be from either going too long without food or scarfing and barfing because he's so hungry. Or, it could be hairballs (if you see hair in the undigested food). Try feeding smaller meals more often. Perfectly okay to leave wet food out for long periods of time, just add a little extra water to keep it from drying out. 
 

lisahe

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I'd just take them off dry food completely. Dry food has more fillers and is more processed than wet food, which can make it harder for some cats to digest, among other things. The early AM vomiting may be from either going too long without food or scarfing and barfing because he's so hungry. Or, it could be hairballs (if you see hair in the undigested food). Try feeding smaller meals more often. Perfectly okay to leave wet food out for long periods of time, just add a little extra water to keep it from drying out. 
This sums up a lot of the possible reasons for the vomiting.

I'd also suggest feeding only wet foods, preferably foods with simple ingredient lists: no grains, no carby ingredients (potato, peas, tapioca, etc.), and no other fillers. Beyond a diet high in protein being best for a growing, developing kitten, simple recipes make it easiest to sort out whether or not a specific ingredient may be causing the problem. This is how we figured out one of our cats--who was also a barfer--is sensitive to potato. She doesn't vomit much at all now that we feed a late-night snack (she also vomited if her stomach got empty) and lots of small meals (when she gets hungry, she'll scarf and barf).

One other thing: I've noticed that most people (and pet food manufacturers!) seem to recommend not changing dry foods routinely and, if they need to be changed, switching them out gradually, to prevent stomach upset.

Good luck!
 
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lelelele23

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Thanks you guys.

But I didn't ask for reasons my kitty was barfing...And as I mentioned he is NOT barfing now (has not been for a while now).   I did tons of research during that time and also called my vet & was able to figure it out.

I feed him & his sister high quality wet food.  I like to free feed them dry because they are extremely active.  And it is simply my preference.  I shouldn't HAVE to explain that, of course, but I assume you are all well intentioned.

LisaHE - you are right, in general if we switch dry food we should do it gradually.  I want to be able to find more than two brands - or three ideally!  that my boy can digest in case the company changes its recipe.  also cats can suddenly get bored or decide they don't want to eat a certain food just because!   Etc...  Anyway these are concerns I have read throughout the board here so many people are in the same boat.   I guess there is no answer to my concerns, just being aware of the fact that he has a sensitive tummy and I might have to switch brands a few more times as he transitions into adult food later.
 

missmimz

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Thanks you guys.

But I didn't ask for reasons my kitty was barfing...And as I mentioned he is NOT barfing now (has not been for a while now).   I did tons of research during that time and also called my vet & was able to figure it out.

I feed him & his sister high quality wet food.  I like to free feed them dry because they are extremely active.  And it is simply my preference.  I shouldn't HAVE to explain that, of course, but I assume you are all well intentioned.

LisaHE - you are right, in general if we switch dry food we should do it gradually.  I want to be able to find more than two brands - or three ideally!  that my boy can digest in case the company changes its recipe.  also cats can suddenly get bored or decide they don't want to eat a certain food just because!   Etc...  Anyway these are concerns I have read throughout the board here so many people are in the same boat.   I guess there is no answer to my concerns, just being aware of the fact that he has a sensitive tummy and I might have to switch brands a few more times as he transitions into adult food later.
Well if you did your research then you know dry food is highly processed and not good for cats, even highly active cats, and probably the likely the cause of vomiting. Rotating kibble is a terrible idea. Most cats have a very hard time when you switch kibble and will get digestive problems. I would not go this route especially with a cat with a "sensitive stomach."

No one is asking you to explain your reasons, we're giving you information based on what we know about cat nutrition. You can take it or leave it. 
 

minka

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Well, for one I can ease your worries by saying you do not need to switch from 'kitten' food to 'adult' food. They are just marketing ploys and not much else.
I agree with others that the dry food is most likely the culprit for your boy's tummy issues. Dry food is just really hard on cats, especially because of all the carbs in it.
I would keep him on the wet food you are already feeding :)
 
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lelelele23

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Well, for one I can ease your worries by saying you do not need to switch from 'kitten' food to 'adult' food. They are just marketing ploys and not much else.
I agree with others that the dry food is most likely the culprit for your boy's tummy issues. Dry food is just really hard on cats, especially because of all the carbs in it.
I would keep him on the wet food you are already feeding
Hey Minka,

I thought that kitten food had higher calories than adult food.  I wish i could order larger bags of the Wellness Core Kitten food but the largest is 5.9 lb
 

minka

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Sometimes they do, and that's usually because of higher protein, but here is the catch:
The kitten version of say, Cat Chow, would have more protein than the adult Cat Chow, but wouldn't have more protein than Solid Gold adult food. So if you were trying to get high protein, the kitten version of Cat Chow now makes no sense.
Also adults need high protein just as much as kittens. So for a healthy cat, you'd want to feed the highest quality protein food and lowest carbs.
I look at the ingredients list and not the marketing name given to the food. Indoor, outdoor, senior, kitten, adult, they are all irrelevant.
 
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