Cat vomiting is always a case that many cat parents experienced in their lifetime. Older cats tend to vomit for many reasons other than younger cats.
According to the Ohio State University study, veterinary clinicians refer these acts can either a chronically ill reason or just typical behaviour of a healthy cat, in this case, a healthy old cat.
The frequent vomiting, refuse to eat and leave waste outside their food is commonly observed by the researchers when their daily routine changes or food preference problems.
Again, the sensitive stomach problems with older cats do cause this behaviour more than usual too.
We have to go through extensive research on this matter and formulate some researched data and recommendations to overcome this older cat vomiting behaviour. At least, as much as possible.
One of the ways is giving a proper, or else best matching cat food for this specific behaviour of old cats.
During our research, we have selected the top 5 best cat food for older cats that vomit. We believe, these suggestions are helpful to reduce the vomiting behaviour and will further improve their nutrition absorbance.
Without going further, here are our top 5 selection of cat foods for older cats which vomit.
- Top Pick: Purina Pro Plan Senior 11+ Canned Wet Cat Food
- Runners up: Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food, Adult 11+ for Senior Cats
- Runners up: Royal Canin Aging 12+ Loaf in Sauce Wet Cat Food
- Runners up: Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Indoor Care Salmon & Rice Formula
- Runners up: Purina Pro Plan Pate Adult Canned Wet Cat Food
Top 5 Best Cat Food for Older Cats that Vomit
Top Pick: Purina Pro Plan Senior 11+ Canned Wet Cat Food
Purina Pro Plan FOCUS is a well-planned diet for older cats. There are two options to select. One for 7+ aged cats and the other one is for 11+ aged cats.
Our recommendation is 11+ canned wet food choice. It is primarily targeted to the older cats’ needs.
This product mainly composed of salmon and tuna, which does have a tasty heavy smell. When cats are getting older, interest in foods gets reduced. Therefore, having a tasty & heavy smell is helpful to improve their appetite.
When cats tend to vomit, their bodies become very weak. This is really bad when it comes to older ones.
Having a meal with proper nutrition is a must to address the above matter. It will help your older cat to be fat and fluffy.
We saw that Purina Pro Plan had extra care nutrition’s, which were accepted by the AAFCO cat food nutrient profiles.
As they claimed, 25 essential vitamins and minerals, taurine and amino acids can support older cat’s immune system for better health. Especially, when there are frequently vomiting.
Moreover, there were pretty good experienced reviews for this product from cat parents all over the world, including our team.
Purina Pro Plan Senior 11+ Canned Wet Cat Food Key Features:
- Composed of genuine salmon and tuna, hence consisting a high scent to improve the older cats’ appetite.
- Carefully designed cat food product for 11+ age cats.
- The nutrition profile is useful for improving your older cat health. Especially when there are vomiting.
- Twenty-Four (24) 3 oz. Pull-Top Cans.
- No artificial colours.
Overall view on the user reviews:
At the moment of writing, there are 77% of customers’ who rate 5 stars for this product (set of 313 customers). Portion size is the highly-rated (4.7 star), and scent & flavour has a 4.6-star rating. However, value for the money has only 4.1 star rating. Anyway, all the rating parameters have a higher value. Check the reviews from amazon from this link.
Pros:
- Best cat food for older cats with vomiting behaviour
- Has some premium ingredients which helps to support the cats’ immune system
- Entirely focused on older cat’s health needs
- Not that much pricey
Cons:
- Some of the cats may not like the salmon scent
- Cats with allergies to fish food may not find this as the right choice
Runners up: Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food, Adult 11+ for Senior Cats
Hill’s science is one of the most recognized cat food company which has more than 220 veterinarians, food scientists, technicians and Ph.D. nutritionists.
Their careful, considered food items in the market have a fair trust among cat lovers. Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food, Adult 11+ for Senior Cats, is one of them designed for older cats.
Further, its composition matched with the need for a vomiting older cat. This easy to chew type of diet is right for picky old eaters.
Vitamin E, omega-3s, and omega-6s are included in the ingredients to help grow your older cat’s skin and coat.
Further, balanced minerals will support to keep the organs good health regarding the most common illness in older cats. Such as bladder, heart, and kidney health.
Furthermore, this is a cat food recipe based on chickens. Many cats love chickens, and you can use this when your cat hates fish-based products.
Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food, Adult 11+ for Senior Cats Key Features:
- Famous for the taurine and balanced ingredients that support older cats’ well-being.
- Natural fiber-based easy to digest. Good for older cats’ sensitive stomachs.
- It can be mixed with other Hill’s Science food products where necessary.
- USA based product with lots of customer trust.
Overall view on the user reviews:
At the moment of writing, there are 83% of customers’ who rate 5 stars for this product (set of 597 customers). Ingredient quality is the highly-rated (4.8 star), and presentation & flavor has a 4.6-star rating. However, value for the money has only 4.4 star rating. Overall, it has a pretty good reviewer comments.
However, there seems to have some critical reviews (5%) too. Several older cat parents say that it makes their pets sick. Check the reviews from amazon from this link.
Pros:
- Well formulated wet cat food type from USA specialist.
- Especially concerned for the cat in their senior age and good for the ones which vomit.
- No artificial ingredients.
- Relatively low Price
- Clinically proved antioxidants
Cons:
- May not soft. Dry kibbles.
- Some ingredients cause skin allergies
Runners up: Royal Canin Aging 12+ Loaf in Sauce Wet Cat Food
Royal Canin is one of another company that produces cat food based on a scientific approach.
12+ loaf based cat food is formulated for the unique needs of senior cats. As we mentioned earlier, older cats have sensitive stomachs and reduced appetite.
Therefore, carefully considered food recepies are a must when we are looking for a cat food which can prevent food vomiting.
Proteins, fats, and carbohydrates are essential for aging cats to keep their energy active. Phosphorus support kidney health, omega-3 fatty acids support joint health and protect sensitive teeth.
Fortunately, these are included as nutritions ingredients of the Royal Canin Aging 12+ Loaf in Sauce Wet Cat Food.
Royal Canin Aging 12+ Loaf in Sauce Wet Cat Food Key Features:
- Wet cat food type designed for 12+ senior cats or even older than that
- Enriched with proteins, fats, and carbohydrates
- Good for pickiest eaters
- 12 cans in one box
Overall view on the user reviews:
At the moment of writing, there are 76% of customers’ who rate 5 stars for this product (set of 22 customers). The flavor is the highly-rated (4.6 star), and the value for the money has only 4.0 star rating. It seems there are a minimum number of reviews on these products. It can be a reason for the variety of choices in Royal Canin food selection. They have several more adult food choices, and this is the one for the most senior cat. Read their feedbacks from here.
Pros:
- Senior cat based nutrition formula
- Very specific for older cats and their sensitive problems
Cons:
Not that much cheap. Relatively high price
Runners up: Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Indoor Care Salmon & Rice Formula
This is another product from Purina Pro Plan FOCUS. The difference is the taste and main ingredients. Salmon & Rice based.
Even this one is not dedicated to senior cats, we have selected this one as the right choice due to its unique features. These features are super helpful in preventing older cats vomiting behavior.
The natural fiber-based food formula in this product can reduce hairball vomiting. Further, promote older cats, food digestive health.
Even when we look over the price aspect, we can see that this one wins over previously mentioned products. The reason for this can be the product type, which is a general (not specific to older cats).
Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Indoor Care Salmon & Rice Formula Key Features:
- The taste is close to the salmon since it is mainly based on salmon and rice.
- Natural fiber helps to control hairball vomiting.
- High protein and natural prebiotic will promote weight and proper digestive ability.
- Dry cat food type
Overall view on the user reviews:
At the moment of writing, there are 74% of customers’ who rate 5 stars for this product (set of 81 customers). Flavor is the highly-rated (5.0 star), and Scent has a 4.7-star rating. However, value for the money has only 4.5 star rating. Overall, it has a pretty good reviewer comments.
Check the reviews from amazon from this link.
Pros:
- No artificial colors or flavors
- Relatively higher protein amount. That means good for weight gain.
- Low price
Cons:
- Not For Cats with Soy or Corn Allergies
- Too old cats may feel hard to eat since its dry-type food
Runners up: Purina Pro Plan Pate Adult Canned Wet Cat Food
This one clearly for improving the appetite of your older cat while reducing the vomiting behavior.
When it comes to frequently vomiting senior cats, their need of nutrition became high. Further, they may lack the ability to eat dry food since their teeth become weak.
We believe, Purina Pro Plan Pate Adult Canned Wet Cat Food is another right choice to address above matters.
As we mentioned in our top selection, this product does offer 25 essential vitamins and minerals, including taurine, an amino acid. These are key essential ingredients that offer overall health and wellness.
Purina Pro Plan Pate Adult Canned Wet Cat Food Key Features:
- Mouthwatering taste and tender texture for improving the appetite of older cats.
- Real salmon and brown rice based product.
- Will improve the cat’s immune system.
- Balanced and complete nutrition profile for adult cats.
Overall view on the user reviews:
At the moment of writing, there are 80% of customers’ who rate 5 stars for this product (set of 213 customers). Scent is the highly-rated (5.0 star), and Portion size has a 4.7-star rating. However, value for the money has only 4.3 star rating (it can be the reason of relatively high price ).
Check the reviews from amazon from this link.
Pros:
- Wet cat food type with the higher scent
- Well recognized nutrition profile
- Good for hairball vomiting
Cons:
- Relatively higher price
The Problem – Cat vomiting and losing weight can be dangerous
Understanding the Vomiting vs. Regurgitation
Regurgitation is considered as a passive action. That means its an effortless process for your cat. In regurgitation, your cat will expel contents from the esophagus. The food coming through this process has a neutral pH than the vomiting matter. Foods can be in the shape of a tube.
This is commonly referred to as food-bowl competition. The reason for this mostly due to fast eating habits in cats. When the foods are over flow in the stomach, they will go to the esophagus and then cause regurgitation.
There is an easy fix for this one. It is making your older cats stress-free when eating. If you have more than two cats, then give a separate food bowl. So they do not need to play competition for food.
Mostly, regurgitation does not concern much if it is not frequent (one or two times a month). But, this process seems to be more frequent, then you need to look for the hidden cause. Sometimes it can be a health problem from neurological, hormonal, or esophageal conditions.
Vomiting, on the other hand, is the process of expelling of contents of the stomach and upper intestine. It is considered as an active action that cat needs to retching.
The process of vomiting can be exhausted for cats. Especially older cats.
However, occasional vomiting of older cats is typical behavior for most of the time. It is normal to vomit per week or a couple of times per month.
Since cats are very clean animals, they have a habit of cleaning themselves quite frequently. This habit will cause to collect undigested hair accumulated in their stomach.
When your cat starts to expel them, it can occur with vomiting.
Other than that, food can be expelled as a result of vomiting due to partially digested problems. These are not neutral and has an acidic pH. It usually looks like a composition of food items with a yellow fluid.
However, frequent vomiting more than once in a week with continuous weight loss can be an alarming factor. Dr. Richard Goldstein, (associate professor at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine) once stated that you should not tolerate vomiting “if it occurs more than once a week.”
Further, numerous studies show that frequent vomiting can be a signal for senior cat’s chronic illnesses.
Anyway, according to Ohio State University study, there are few different cases cause this frequent vomiting behaviour in older cats. Such as;
- a change in feeding schedule or caretaker
- a chronic illness
- typical food digestion problems due to the sensitive stomach
- may have ingested toxins and/or foreign material
Further, the same scientists argue about this behavior in accordance to cats stress level. According to there arguments, cats could show frequent vomiting due to stress occurred due to sudden changes in the environment.
Moreover, they say that they find interesting observations with older cats which vomit. Older cats had a higher risk than a younger one in the total number of sickness behavior. (the oldest cat in their study was 8 years old).
Another finding in their research work is that cats with interstitial cystitis sickness behavior became reduced even they were not treated with proper drugs, but giving commercially available quality dry cat food.
However, this observation should not use as evidence to just give cat food for prevent older cat vomiting. But to observe carefully and take necessary action before trying a new cat food formula.
So again we would like to stress that it is necessary to understand the inline problem in your senior cat. Otherwise, just buying older cat foods may not help you at all.
How to prevent older cat vomiting and the actions you need to take care
It is highly important for you to take necessary actions in this kind of situation. The most significant point is to have the proper conclusion of the reason for vomiting.
Otherwise, just providing a new food formula will only stop the vomiting of your senior cat for a temporary period, and you may face big consciences in the future.
- First thing, if you are a new cat parent or do not have much experience with cat vomiting amount and frequency, then the best thing is to call your veterinarian.
- In the early days, you can start to note vomiting days and the number of times in a calendar. This will allow you to determine whether its normal or not.
- It is always better to ask your veterinarian to do a physical examination to find the underline cause.
- Finally, you can change the cat food formula into a different one, as we mentioned in this article. If the vomiting behavior of your older cat is not from an illness, then different food types will help to stop it.
- Other than changing your cat’s food products, you can check the surrounding of your cat. As studies suggested, older cats may feel interrupted when their usual environment changed. So, if this is the case for your senior cat, it’s good to address it before going to buying a new product.
Best Cat Food for Older Cats That Vomit – Buyers Guide
Once you are identified the cause of vomiting and on track to buy cat foods for senior cats who vomit, you need to pay attention to several matters. The first thing is to pay proper attention to the factors we discussed in the above section.
Based on the data of the above section, we can formulate these key points to focus on selecting a proper cat food.
Quality or else Brand
Quality matters most. Older cats are weak compared to young ones. So, the need of high-quality ingredients is a must.
Sometimes, there are brands which we have never seen in the market. Obviously at lower price. When you are treating your senior cat, our recommendation is to always keep in touch with well-known brand names. We can’t trust the ingredients in an unknown brand. Especially when it is for senior cats.
Type of Cat Food – Wet vs Dry
This choice needs to be done with the experience. Some cats prefer wet cat foods, and some may prefer dry cat foods.
Either way, when you select a cat food to prevent vomiting, it should easy digestible product for your older cat.
In our experience, wet cat foods are the mostly chosen one.
When a cat getting older, their teeth become weak and need for moisture content becomes higher. So, using wet cat food, you can address both issues.
However, there are some cats who prefer dry cat foods, even their senior. If your pet is among them, choose a dry cat food with small kibbles (our second choice).
Food Formula Safety
Since you are going to select a cat food for an older cat, you may need to double-check the food formula. Older cats immune system is not a strong one. They me be very weak if they got any allergies due to new food ingredients.
So, our recommendation is to always check the ingredients list for any allergies component.
It is a good practice to select foods with FDA approval or the AAFCO cat food nutrient profiles accepted ones.
High Fiber and Essential Vitamin + Oils
Fiber content in a cat food is a concerning figure for senior cats. Fibres are helpful to prevent both vomiting and diarrhoea.
Other than fibre, there are several essential vitamins and oil types that need for a cat. Typically these are not alarming points to young cats. However, when your cat is old and she is vomiting, then there can be a high chance that she misses these nutritions in her daily food portion.
The ultimate problem will be your cat’s weight loss and eventually, her immune system failures.
So, looking for a specific food formula for the older cat is preferred to prevent this from happening.
Stomach Sensitivity in older cats
Cats are famous for being with sensitive stomachs. This behavior can be amplified when they aged.
So, checking your food product label and its reviews matters very much. Check whether it has any allergies triggering ingredients.
Then check user reviews, sometimes there are incidents that these products fail for some cats. Check with the details on those cases with your cats nature.
Best cat food for frequent vomiting – Recap
After going through all of the information that we provided above, we think you may have a decent idea on the selection that you need to do.
As we mentioned in our article, to prevent vomiting, you need to take care of several factors before selecting the best cat food for vomiting.
Then after, you are free to select our best cat food selection for minimize older cats vomiting behaviour.
In here, we have recap our selection again for your use. Under wet and dry categories.
Best wet and dry cat food to prevent vomiting
- Top Pick: Purina Pro Plan Senior 11+ Canned Wet Cat Food – Wet
- Runners up: Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food, Adult 11+ for Senior Cats – Dry
- Runners up: Royal Canin Aging 12+ Loaf in Sauce Wet Cat Food – Wet
- Runners up: Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Indoor Care Salmon & Rice Formula – Dry
- Runners up: Purina Pro Plan Pate Adult Canned Wet Cat Food -Wet
Final Thoughts
After going through the intensive research, we have figure out key points that trigger vomiting behaviour in a cat. To address them, the recommended solution is to talk with a veterinarian.
After that, you can select the best cat food for older cats that vomiting. To support your search, we have selected 5 best cat foods which compile with the needs and requirements that proposed in studies.
Reference
- Even healthy cats act sick when their routine is disrupted, Ohio State University
- Featured image credit: Carsondelake
- Judi L. Stella, Linda K. Lord, C. A. Tony Buffington. Sickness behaviors in response to unusual external events in healthy cats and cats with feline interstitial cystitis. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2011; 238 (1): 67 DOI: 10.2460/javma.238.1.67
- Vomiting pets, Washington State University