How long does it take to digest raw food?

[ritz]

Ritz throws up occasionally, no particular reason, and always wants more food almost immediately after.

What is puzzling about this episode is that in addition to the 1/2 oz of ground venison she threw up as soon as she ate it (unusual protein for her though she's kept it down before), she threw up a lot of the raw chicken I'd fed her three hours before as well as cat grass she periodically  eats throughout the day.

I thought cats digested raw food really quickly so am surprised I could still recognize the chicken (long pieces, I'd fed her square) three hours later.

Is this normal? Should I be worried?

Thanks.

 

[auntie crazy]

Vomiting can happen for quite a few reasons - ate too fast, ate too much, ate pieces too large (obviously not in this instance), food's too cold, too much organ in one meal, and more. If you keep a journal chronicling how much she ate, what time, how well she liked it (= how fast she ate it), etc., it'll help figure out the cause.

That said, anything that is pre-ground is rather suspect. The venison came from your brother, right? What's in it? Any bone? Any spices? How did he procure the meat?

As for the food, yes, raw digests faster than kibble or canned, but it still takes about twelve hours from plate to litter box, with several of those hours in the tummy.

AC

 

[ritz]

AC, thanks for the timeline.  That makes sense.  She does sometimes eat very fast (which is why I like bone-in meals); she'll eat cold meat without any problem.

And Ritz was fine after she threw up, ate two ounces of (more) raw chicken and kept it down and wanted to play.