Vomiting on empty stomach

[rad65]

I was debating whether to post this in Cat Health or Cat Behavior because I don't think this is a health issue, but it's also about vomiting so I'm posting it here.

Both of my cats throw up. No surprises there. One of them likes to hork down his food as fast as possible and will sometimes vomit up all of the food a couple of minutes later. Nothing shocking about that. The other cat, though, has a weirder vomit pattern. He has never thrown up after eating, but about once a week I'll wake up in the morning and hear him retching in the hallway or dining room. When I get up, I find a puddle of vomit on the floor. There's nothing in the vomit: no fur, no food, no blood, no foam, nothing. It's slightly yellowish when I wipe it up with a paper towel, so I'm assuming that a little bit of bile getting in there. I have hardwood floors so it's only a slight annoyance to clean it up.

I've had him for 10 years and he's always done this, the instances are spread out fairly far apart, plus I know that cats are hardwired to vomit much more easily than humans and most other animals, so I'm not concerned over his health. I just figured that I would finally ask about it and see if anyone else's cats regularly throw up on empty stomachs or if anyone can provide an explanation for why he does this?

 

[LTS3]

Clear vomit is usually just bile. Some cats will throw up bile if they go too long without food. Others have an underlying condition such as IBD which causes them to vomit. I'd take the cat to the vet for a senior wellness check and have blood work done as well.

A slow feeder may help the other cat from eating too fast and vomiting afterwards.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. For the cat that eats too fast and then throws up, you can try something as simple as a golf ball placed in the food bowl so that he has to eat around it. If you have a muffin pan, you can place a bit in each 'slot' so - again - he has to work through the slots to get to the food. Or, you can search the internet for 'slow feeder cat bowls' - there are tons of them on the market.

For the cat who is throwing up bile, as mentioned above, highly likely that too many hours have passed between meals and stomach acids have built up causing him to throw up. I also agree with a full senior check up for a cat that age. Tbh, he should really be seen by the vet twice a year in order to stay on top of any potentially brewing health issues, which are much more common as a cat ages. The quicker an issue is identified, the better the chances are of more easily resolving a problem.

Both of your cats would likely benefit from more frequent feedings, if you are not already doing so. Cats are really not more prone to throwing up than humans, and it is really not considered a normal 'activity'. Some of the reasons, like the ones that might be affecting your cats, can be resolved with simple feeding changes/habits. Hopefully, that is the case with your two.

 

[rad65]

Both cats had bloodwork done in December for their last annual checkup and everything looked good on that. The other cat has slowed down his eating over the years and now only occasionally throws up after eating too fast. It got a little worse when I adopted a dog earlier this year, but it's tapered off again.

That's interesting about going too long without food. I feed him about 30 minutes after the vomiting, once I take a shower and walk the dog, and he usually finishes his dry food before midnight, so that's an 8+ hour break between meals. During the day, I feed 3x (8am wet, noon dry, 5pm wet) so the spacing is much closer than 8 hours.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Some cats can go as long as 8 hours, others cannot. I suspect age plays a role in this as well - cats are just like humans, the digestive system 'isn't what it used to be' when we were all younger!!

It is also possible that he eats his dry way earlier than midnight on some days, leaving more than 8 hours in between meals. That would explain why he doesn't always throw up in the morning.

 

[Linah4]

I listened to a vet (Dr. Karen Becker) podcast recently and they mentioned how cat's are very routine animals, and if their feeding schedule is off they will likely vomit the yellow bile as their body has prepared for food.

For example, if a cat typically eats at 6am, their body will start preparing for food an hour or so prior to then, say at 5am, and the acids etc build up. If there is nothing entering their system, they'll vomit. She suggested to get something in their system, even if it's just a few treats to allow their system to start processing something.

There may be another underlying health issue, like kidney disease. I know my cat with CKD occasionally vomits the yellow bile. Have you ruled that out with an exam and full blood work?

 

[ailish]

I was debating whether to post this in Cat Health or Cat Behavior because I don't think this is a health issue, but it's also about vomiting so I'm posting it here.

Both of my cats throw up. No surprises there. One of them likes to hork down his food as fast as possible and will sometimes vomit up all of the food a couple of minutes later. Nothing shocking about that. The other cat, though, has a weirder vomit pattern. He has never thrown up after eating, but about once a week I'll wake up in the morning and hear him retching in the hallway or dining room. When I get up, I find a puddle of vomit on the floor. There's nothing in the vomit: no fur, no food, no blood, no foam, nothing. It's slightly yellowish when I wipe it up with a paper towel, so I'm assuming that a little bit of bile getting in there. I have hardwood floors so it's only a slight annoyance to clean it up.

I've had him for 10 years and he's always done this, the instances are spread out fairly far apart, plus I know that cats are hardwired to vomit much more easily than humans and most other animals, so I'm not concerned over his health. I just figured that I would finally ask about it and see if anyone else's cats regularly throw up on empty stomachs or if anyone can provide an explanation for why he does this?

Ailish did this from the time I got her. I fed her at 9:30p and the next time was 5:30a when I get up for work. She would throw up within an hour of my getting up. I totally solved the problem by getting an automatic feeder and set it for 2:30a. The weird thing is she goes from 5:30a to 4:30p when I get home from work with no problem at all. The only thing I can figure is that she is sleeping most of that time.