A Cat Doesn’t Chew Food and Throws Up: When Should You Be Concerned?

You may have noticed that your cat does not chew food and throw it up afterwards, is this something you should be concerned about? The simple answer is yes. Your cat should not be throwing up regularly and this may be a sign of an underlying problem. We will discuss everything you need to know.

Do Cats Chew Their Food?

First, we need to ask if it is normal for cats not to chew their food? Yes, it can be completely normal. We have become accustomed to eating our food by chewing it into small, digestible pieces that are easy to swallow. This is no different for our animal companions.

Cats are obligate animals and this is obvious when we look at a cat’s teeth. Compared to humans who have many large incisors and molars with flat surfaces, cats have large, sharp canines. They have small incisors with little activity and a few molars with sharp points. Their teeth are designed to rip and tear flesh.

In the wild, they would tear meat and eat meat. Sometimes eating them whole or with very little chewing. This is the same for our domestic cats. They will usually eat pieces of wet food completely or after chewing it a few times. They can also swallow dry kibble but you may see them chewing this into small pieces, especially if the kibble is large in size.

Does Swallowing Whole Food Cause Vomiting in Cats?

It is quite common for cats not to chew food, especially if the food is wet or very small in size (dry kibble). I have seen many cats that have no teeth at all and can eat both wet and dry food. In most cases this does not cause problems for cats. However, there is an exception.

In some cases it can cause regurgitation. Regurgitation usually occurs within 30 minutes of eating a meal and is when the food is regurgitated mostly undigested and whole. It is not digested by stomach acids and is not considered a laxative. It is a passive process and can happen when food is in the mouth, in the mouth or temporarily in the stomach.

Why Do Some Cats Regurgitate After Not Chewing Their Food?

In the wild, they would tear meat and eat meat. Sometimes eating them whole or with very little chewing. Kirsten McCarthy

If cats regurgitate after eating all their food, it may be that the problem is not that the food has not been chewed but that they are eating too quickly. Eating food too quickly can overwhelm the intestinal/digestive tract and can regurgitate food as a result. This is more common when cats eat dry cat food or fast food.

Another reason for this is that the cat eats a lot of food. Again, this is too much for the stomach to handle and the body regurgitates the food.

If they do not chew their food and eat large treats or kibble, this can cause a choking hazard and the body will respond to this as a protective reflex (gag reflex).

If your cat is really purging her food and not coming back, it’s worth considering a food allergy or sensitivity, especially if it’s associated with a recent change in diet. For unexplained or persistent vomiting, please schedule an evaluation with your veterinarian to rule out an underlying illness.

Is This Dangerous?

If your cat is not chewing its food and seems healthy and happy, there is no need to worry.

However, if they return their food as described above this can be a cause for concern. Eating food too quickly or eating too much can cause bloating, esophageal irritation, flatulence (they take in air when they eat quickly) and over time, weight gain.

Eating large pieces of food without chewing can be a serious choking hazard which can be fatal in some cases.

Tips to Help Your Cat

There are many steps you can take to help this issue and improve your cat’s eating habits.

• First of all it is important that your cat does not eat too quickly. If they do, you can find special slow cooker dishes that are widely available. These bowls usually have indents or grooves, which prevent your cat from eating too quickly and shorten the feeding time. This promotes proper digestion and avoids repetition.
• Interactive puzzle servers/feeders can work in a similar way. They slow down the eating process and make your cat work for their food. This also stimulates your cat, reduces boredom and can imitate hunting behavior and other benefits. By reducing the time of eating, cats tend to eat less food and this prevents obesity.
• Automatic feeders can also help as we can control how much food and when our cats get food. This means we can eat less and more often, which can reduce overeating and eating too quickly. We have some recommendations here.
• Avoid eating large treats or pieces of kibble that can be a choking hazard. Make sure the food is small enough to avoid sticking if your cat eats it whole without chewing. If you only feed dry kibble, consider adding wet food to your cat’s diet. Chewing is not a problem with wet food as it is soft and usually comes in small pieces already. So it is unlikely to cause problems with duplication or compression. There are many other benefits of adding wet food to your cat’s diet which are described here.

Words of Caution

If you only feed dry kibble, consider adding wet food to your cat’s diet. Kirsten McCarthy

We have explained the most common problems that can be associated with cats that do not chew their food and throw up afterwards and how to fix it.

However, if the recurrence is severe, does not resolve or if your cat has other symptoms, please seek veterinary care.

We defined recycling as the disposal of undigested food. If your cat throws up digested food, bile or foam and it’s been more than 30 minutes since he last ate, he may be vomiting, not regurgitating.

Purging has many causes in cats including;

I would recommend having your cat checked by a vet if this is the case to rule out medical problems. This may include blood and urine tests, x-rays and ultrasounds.

The conclusion

If your cat doesn’t chew food and throws it up, it’s either eating too fast or eating too much food. Try using slow feeders, interactive feeders or automatic feeders to slow down feeding time and prevent bloat.

If your cat has other symptoms or if the problem does not resolve there may be an underlying medical problem. Schedule an exam with your vet to rule this out.