Hi....Caring for a cat is usually full of cute and rewarding moments, but it’s another story entirely if they experience vomiting. The underlying cause can be one of a variety of reasons, but no matter what, it’s no fun to clean up, and you’ll want your kitty to feel better as quickly as possible.
If there’s a serious condition, taking your cat to the vet is the best solution. However, sometimes vomiting in cats can be caused by their diet, how quickly they eat, or it can be a side effect of medication. If you and your vet have ruled out major problems, consider one of these natural home remedies to ease your cat’s upset stomach and to help reduce vomiting.
1.Peppermint Tea
peppermint tea
Image: Needpix
As humans, we often turn to herbal tea to ease an upset stomach, and in the case of peppermint tea, this is a good solution for cats as well.
Boil some water and pour enough for a normal cup of tea into a mug or bowl. Add a peppermint tea bag, making sure that you choose an herbal tea with no caffeine. Let the tea bag sit in the water for about fifteen minutes so that the tea becomes strong, and then offer a tablespoon or two by itself to your cat or pour over their food. You can repeat this once or twice a day to help settle your kitty’s stomach.
It’s very important to note that peppermint oil should not be substituted for a peppermint tea bag. Although peppermint tea is safe, peppermint oil is toxic to cats, according to Coralville Animal Hospital.
2.Fasting
If you suspect that a change in your cat’s diet may be the culprit, allowing your cat to fast for a limited time may help reduce vomiting.
This solution is as simple as not feeding your cat their normal breakfast or dinner. You can have your cat fast for 12-24 hours, but, of course, always make sure they have fresh water available at all times.
If you notice that your cat stops vomiting after a period of fasting, you can slowly reintroduce food and monitor them to see if the issue returns. If it does, you may want to consider speaking with your vet about the food you use or changing the food altogether. If you can link vomiting to a new food or flavor of food, it might be that your cat has food allergies and will continue to reject that particular cat food. Swapping to a new food may permanently fix your cat’s issue.
3.Bland Diet
indoor cat eating
Photo by Manfred Schnell from Pexels
If you aren’t keen on having your cat fast for a day, or you’re looking to ease your kitty back into eating their normal diet following the fast, a bland diet can help continue to reduce vomiting.
Some good, bland additions to your cat’s diet can be boiled chicken or boiled hamburger meat without fat, and small amounts of white rice. These foods have protein and carbohydrates that will provide the necessary nutrients and energy to your cat. According to bland diet instructions from Two Rivers Vet, these are foods that are easy to digest and won’t cause additional vomiting.
You can begin with these foods and continue feeding them to your cat over a period of a few days while you slowly work their normal food back into their diet.
4.Mineral Oil
One common reason for cat vomiting, as you’re likely well aware, is the presence of hairballs. When a cat vomits, they may be trying to get a hairball out that isn’t passing properly.
If you believe a hairball may be the reason for vomiting, you can offer your feline friend some mineral oil, which is known to help hairballs pass more smoothly. You can add a teaspoon of mineral oil to your cat’s normal food two to three times a week to work as a natural laxative.
Final Thoughts
There are a few different causes of vomiting in cats, but, of course, your first goal when yours is sick is to get them feeling better as quickly as possible. If you’ve already ruled out major problems with your vet or if you know that the cause of vomiting isn’t serious, one of these natural home remedies will help to get your cat feeling better as quickly and safely as possible.
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