What Can You Feed Cats When They Have an Uset Stomach

Adrienne is a certified dog trainer and former veterinarian assistant who partners with some of the best veterinarians worldwide.

Vomiting and an upset stomach in a cat can happen for various reasons.

Home Remedies for Cat Vomiting and Upset Stomach

Vomiting and an upset stomach can happen for various reasons. It can either be something that happens once and never happens again, or it can be a recurring problem.

Your kitty may have developed a tummy ache from slurping that bit of milk you just offered after breakfast.

It could also be that she cannot tolerate that new cat food you just brought her, or maybe she simply eats too fast. Hairballs are also notorious causes of vomiting.

If the upset stomach is a one-time thing, think about the following possible causes:

• Sudden diet change (very frequent cause)
• Hairballs
• Eating something that blocks their stomach (like string or another object)
• Medication side effects
• Eating something toxic
• Disease like pancreatitis
• Parasites
• Viral or bacterial infections

If your cat seems to have recurring vomiting and upset tummy, one of these might be the cause:

• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Cancer
• Bacterial or fungal infections
• Metabolic disease (hyperthyroidism, kidney failure, liver failure, etc.)
• Motility disorders
• Many other causes

It cannot be repeated enough that in some cases, vomiting may also indicate serious issues such as intestinal obstructions, kidney disease, internal parasites, or even cancer. Any of these would obviously require prompt veterinary attention!

If your cat has an upset tummy but is still bright and alert, home remedies may be helpful.

Home Treatments

Fasting

When the stomach is upset, nothing helps more than giving it some rest. This is what a cat does in nature. He loses his appetite for a few hours and eats only when he feels better.

In domesticated cats, however, canned or dry food left out may be too enticing with all the stuff they are filled with to make them extremely appetizing.

Therefore, it is best to simply pick up all cat food and put it away for 12–24 hours. During the fast, make sure they have plenty of water to drink to prevent dehydration.

Cats should not go more than one day without eating, however. So be sure they start eating after the fast ends.

You could also try giving them less food since occasionally eating too much or too fast is a cause of vomiting.

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Kittens

While adult cats can fast for up to 24 hours, small kittens should not be fasted for so long. Usually, an overnight fast should suffice, or no more than four hours during the day.

Hydration Check

If the cat has vomiting, diarrhea, or both, he may be losing a lot of fluids. A good way to monitor a cat's hydration level is to pull up the skin over the shoulder in a tent and see how quickly it springs back into position.

In a well-hydrated cat, the skin will spring back immediately, but in one with dehydration, it will have a delay or worse, remain lifted.

In such cases, the cat is in critical condition and will likely require some fluids to be administered by a vet.

Fluids

Fluids must be given carefully. In some cases, drinking water may cause a cat with an upset stomach to vomit, further dehydrating him. Giving the cat ice chips to lick may help.

Unflavored Pedialyte can be given via dropper very slowly to cats that are at risk of becoming dehydrated.

However, a cat that cannot hold water at all should be seen by a vet.

Bland Diet

After the 12–24 hour fast, cats with upset tummies should be put on a bland diet. This is often fed 4–6 times a day for 3–7 days.

Bland Diet Options

• For cases of acute gastroenteritis, veterinary nutritionist Stanley L. Marks suggests feeding boiled hamburger (with the fat poured off) and rice, cottage cheese, and rice, or chicken and rice in an approximately a 1:4 ratio.
• Just boiled chicken or hamburger.

Stimulate Appetite

Cats that are not interested in food may be enticed to eat if they smell some good food cooking. Try to boil some chicken or fish, and often, your cat will sniff the aroma and get hungry. If this does not work, try warming up the food a bit.

Cats that do not eat for more than one or two days may risk a serious condition known as ''fatty liver disease." Therefore, it is important that they eat something, even if this means force-feeding at times.

Veterinarians often may prescribe appetite stimulants for cats that don't want to eat. A product called Nutrical is available at most pet stores and can be given to provide some temporary caloric support.

Energy Boost

If the cat is not diabetic, rubbing some pancake syrup on its gums may give a little boost of energy.

This is a good time to check the gums and make sure they are still the nice pink color they are supposed to be. If the gums appear pale, whitish, grayish, or anything other than healthy pink, it is important to have the cat seen by a veterinarian immediately.

Hairball Remedies

If the vomiting is due to hairballs, products such as Laxatone may be helpful. As an alternative, just a little bit of Vaseline or another kind of petroleum jelly may be put on the cat's paw to be licked off to help pass the hairball.

Other options are to use some oil from a can of tuna fish, some plain canned pumpkin with no spices added (not pie mix), or a little bit of butter.

Regular grooming can also help prevent hairballs.

When the Cat Starts Feeling Better

Once the cat is no longer vomiting and the stools are better formed, the regular diet the cat was on can be re-introduced gradually over the course of 3–4 days.

Adding the normal diet too abruptly may cause a cat to go back to vomiting and having diarrhea.

Practice Caution

While home remedies can help cats overcome a mild stomach ache, any cat that has lost its appetite, appears sluggish or in pain, vomits very frequently, or has uncontrollable diarrhea with a lot of fluid loss should be seen by a veterinarian.

There may be an underlying cause that needs to be taken care of. At times, this cannot be accomplished at home.

Also, please consider that bland diets aren't complete and balanced for a cat and they are not meant to be fed long term.

This article is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.

Questions & Answers

Question: Can I give my cat a little Pepto for throwing up?

Answer: No, Pepto cannot be given to cats because it contains salicylates which is an aspirin-like compound. Cats are much more sensitive to aspirin poisoning than dogs.

Question: My cat seems like she needs to cough up a hair ball, but is having trouble doing so. How can I help my cat to expel a hairball?

Answer: Laxatone is a product often used to help cats with hairball issues, but of course, as the disclaimer notes in the article (and is repeated multiple times throughout) as a responsible cat owner, please have your cat see a vet for proper diagnosis and treatment in case your cat may be suffering from something else that is totally unrelated to hairballs.

Question: I have taken my cat to the Vet a few times for his vomiting. He vomits every time he eats and sometimes throughout the day. He has been to the Vet more times than not for this. We did blood tests, and things were normal. My Vet suggested getting a bowl that would make him eat slower. It didn't help. He now has started vomiting brown or clear. When he vomits, he sounds like he is in severe pain. What can I do?

Answer: Do you have more than one cat? Sometimes competition causes cats to ear faster and then regurgitate. Regurgitation is different than vomiting in that it happens right after eating and the food is cylindrical sort of like a cigar and not digested yet. The food just passively comes out of the mouth.

If your cat is vomiting though, it can happen a while after your cat has eaten and it contains digested food and often bile. There is nausea preceding the vomiting, lip-smacking and then stomach contractions and retching. Many cats hate vomiting and become nervous and very vocal.

If you have been to the vet so many times, it may be time to see another vet or a specialist. If your cat is vomiting so often, he is not absorbing many nutrients.

If your cat eats fast, it may help to scatter the kibble in several areas of the house and see if he can keep it down as he is forced to look for the food, eat a small amount at a time and take it easy. It can also be a fun activity for the cat as he gets to scavenge for food.

© 2009 Adrienne Farricelli

Victor on September 02, 2020:

My cat has been really sluggish and tired and meows when touched around his stomach area, I don't know what to do

Minnie on July 16, 2020:

My 3 month old kitten seems to be having a stomach upset , and he keeps failling when he tries to stand what can i do ? There is no vet available , is there a home remedy i can use to help him out ?

Monika Bhatti on June 27, 2020:

Hi, My 3 month old Persian cat Ozzy is our new family member. First 2 days,he was eating well, playing well. But from 2 days he is not eating anything and not playing. I'm worried. Please suggest what I should do?

cj tugano on June 14, 2020:

can you help me because my kitten is vomiting 3 times what remedy can I do to my 8 weeks kitten . he eat some internal organs of chicken that I cooked in saturday morning but yesterday he start vomiting what can i do

Maya on May 16, 2020:

My cat is continuously vomiting from 4 days and i have no vet nearby what should i do now?? Pls help my cat

Honey on May 06, 2020:

I have a 6 week old kitten. Ive given it food the owner has asked me to and bought kitten milk for him. Ive had it for like 2 days and ive been trying my best to get my kitten to eat. When i put food ingront of it it refuses to eat, and with the milk he doesnt like it but i still manage to feed him some. Ive tried water and given him food. I dont know what to do?! It sleeps throughtout the majority of the day and he loves cuddles. Any advice ?

Jaz on January 05, 2020:

My cat is 4 yrs old the day before yesterday my cat puked onces. Hus food wasnt digested but just mushy. Then when i got back from work yesterday my cat is mostly in one spot and moves slowly and he got up i just felt his lower body towards the stomach area to see if he did anything. But when I touched his stomach area he got angry and mowed but didn't bite me

He just me attitude. Just the stomach area

I think he ate something he wasnt supposed to. Cause he looks the way i look when something doesn't agree with me. Is there anything i can give him?

Tamara on January 03, 2020:

My cat has been taken to the vet recently, and was diagnosed with inflamed stomach in the back half. we were told there was nothing they can really do which i found odd.. I was hoping you can advise on what we can do for our cats swollen stomach. we don't know the exact age of our cat b/c he was a shelter cat taken in at and adult age. but we think he's between 15-20 years old. please advise and thank you for reading.

FindtheCat on November 27, 2019:

Hello,

My cat has stage 2 CKD and I feed him Wellness Wet Pate Chicken or Turkey (that is all likes to eat). I feed him one can spread out over the course of the day as he vomits if he goes longer than five hours without eating. I tried adding in a probiotic and also a prebiotic for a year and that did not help.

If he eats every five hours he does not throw up and has good energy, but wondering if there is another way to help his stomach or whatever is going on.

JULIE BALDWIN on November 01, 2019:

my cat vomitted his dry food, this am,! maybe over eating, i do feed him alittle too= much i will try to cut back to twice aday, is their anything we can give them to settle their stomache?! also i see hiss cat food? may try that,Thank you ! julei b

Lisa on October 24, 2019:

My cat every time he eats chicken he seems to fart and get a upset tummy. Is this normal. Only seems to be chicken

Mankashy on September 12, 2019:

Hey, my cat has been suffering from diarrhoea for 2 months. I have gone to avet several times but nothing has helped me. She is having loose motion and from 2 3 days she had statted doing it outside the litter box too. Please suggest me something regarding this that might help me. Thankyou.

Jennifer on June 12, 2019:

Hi there,

recently I have noticed that my one cat, who is approximately 10 months old, has started to vomit almost once a day. It started only a week ago. He is eating grass whenever I walk him outside as well. There appears to be no blood, no diarrhea, but he did fall off the cat tower and since then he has been vomiting. Is it possible he hurt his digestive system at all from the fall? I also have another cat, his brother from the same litter and they have been together since birth. I did notice that Bellini, the male that is vomiting, eats a lot more than his brother. I tried the trick of using an egg carton and monitoring how they eat, but somehow he is still vomiting, and a lot of the food does look whole when it comes out. He doesn't seem to be in pain and he is always happy, but he does have an attitude sometimes.

Do you think I should be concern, and take him to the vet? Or do you think it is temporary and it will pass. It could be cause of stress from his fall but he was walking fine right after.

Thank you in advance,

Jennifer

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on June 02, 2019:

Jessica, that is concerning! Maybe you can apply for Care Credit? It's important to always have some emergency funds available for our beloved pets. Perhaps it may be time to consider pet insurance?

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on June 02, 2019:

Shannon, so sorry for your cat having asthma. I edited the answer although the article had disclaimers throughout mentioning to always see a vet for proper diagnosis and treatment. I am very adamant on this and am sometimes told I post disclaimers too often ad nauseum to the point of annoying readers. You can never emphasize this enough apparently! As responsible cat owners, it's ultimately our job to have our beloved kitties see the vet if something doesn't seem right, persists or is severe. A few years back I asked a vet online for help for my male cat for him not being able to poop and instead he had a life threatening UTI! Only a vet visiting a pet in person can properly diagnose and treat. Hope your kitty is doing better.

Jessica on June 01, 2019:

Hello my cat vomits ever time she eats her food and I can't take her to see a doctor because I don't have money rn. What should I do?

Dotty on May 29, 2019:

I have an 8 year old indoor female cat we live in Florida she hadn't been herself lately she usually socialable than she is now she is still eating n drinking some and today n yesterday being a little more socialable I don't know If she got a rummy ache or it's the whether

Shannon on May 25, 2019:

The answer you gave the last owner regarding the cat who seemed to be coughing up a hairball was very irresponsible. We thought for a few weeks that ours was trying to do the same thing. After we took her to the vet we found out she had suddenly developed severe asthma requiring two types of medication am and pm as well as breathing treatments through a pet inhaler twice a day. We had to stop using all candles, air sprays, perfumes, anything scented on her bedding and exerting her during play. Even so she had to have an emergency inhaler usually once a week. The vet said asthma can develop at any time and an absence of it at birth means nothing. So, we know for a fact that assuming a cat probably needs a laxative can lead to a complete misdiagnosis - and our cat would have died very soon had we continued to think that.

Beverly Ferris on May 07, 2019:

When ever my cat sits up she swallows about 4 times and then brings up flem and if she has eaten she will bring up some of it but not all my goodness she has burped so loud it woke me up , she just turned 15yrs old in April and has NEVER been sick one day in her life. any ideas?

Rekha chawla on April 10, 2019:

The mother cat left her 3 kittens at our place ..I have been giving them bread and milk they are 3 weeks old.. one is weakest..is not well lying down and crying slot..looks like stomach pain..the kitten had diarrhea..what to do

.please help

Tabitha on February 13, 2019:

My kitten is 9 weeks old and for the past 2 weeks she has been diarrhoearing,she drinks cows milk and we have tried deworming her but it hasn't ceased, what should I do?

Lindsay on February 07, 2019:

So I gave my cats a tiny bit of my milk this morning out of my cereal and I think it may have him sick. I came home from work at 9:00 and he was laying around not moving, being really slow and weird so I took him to emergency vet bc I was freaking out. I mmtbey checked heart and temp and said both we're fine , without running test they said nothing else could be determined. I'm thinking maybe the milk has him sick? He also just now (hour later) threw up . Looked like catfood. my tips on how to help or comfort him?

Imran on January 10, 2019:

My cat 2year my cat has sensitive stomach she is only eat egg it is a best food for my cat in vomiting

Andrea Pavelco on January 08, 2019:

I think i put old vitamins in my csts wet food, and now her stomach is upset, dhe was throwing up clear liquid with just a little white foam. It happened after i gave her the canned food with vitamins dated 2011. I gave her some canned pumkin and she does not have diarrea. Is thete anything i can do for her ?

Linda Davis on April 12, 2018:

I'm an idiot...my cat has sensitive stomach and he can only eat urinary tract food by science diet but what did I do fed him chicken I cooked and he suffered diarrhea and vomiting a few times at night! I know what to do. Stop feeding him table food! I feel so quilty!

Laura Jelsma on March 14, 2018:

My cat is always trying to get into my food, any advice on how to train him to stop licking up my leftovers?

Susan on March 09, 2018:

My cat is 4 and four the past 3 yrs he vomits almost daily multiple times. He eats paper,plastic, sticks, any trash he can find . He does have furs balls too. I try to keep everything out of his reach, give him fur ball med .before I start all testing is there something else I can do it's been going on for years. He's playful ,eats , no diaharea, my vet tends to go crazy w tests and it ends up being so expensive.

I'd like to take a conservative approach. I still have a $5,000 bill for my dog I'm trying to pay off

Daniel on February 19, 2018:

Vicki still well regarding firefly comment:firefly isn't saying give your cat chocolate or alcohol she is figuratively speaking and she not give her cats what she thinks is is right she saying she gives them options letting the cat make the choice

Breta on February 17, 2018:

My cat been throwing up for a day now I dropped feeding him last night he didn't throw up today because I only gave him a little food this morning but supper I gave him a little more and began throwing up again any idea what may be causing this he don't appear to be sick.

Don wodka on December 13, 2017:

Very informative

Arlene on August 26, 2017:

How much pedialite can I give my cat

Vicki Stillwell on August 17, 2017:

I just want to respond to 'Firefly' - you sound very ignorant regarding cats & that worries me. Veterinarians are the professionals (more or less) but unless you have had the same amount of schooling, you can't just assume that whatever you think is right. I can tell you right now that just by the things you wrote that your head is far up somewhere it doesn't belong. For one thing you can't just let a cat have chocolate, or drink alcohol, both of which WILL kill a cat. You had better go to the library, check out some books on caring for cats & read up on the do's & don'ts of cat care. Until then, stay away from cats, and probably dogs, as well.

rinzingkarma on July 10, 2017:

My cat is farting frequently and has very bad poop smell

Is he sick?

Stephanie nicholas on March 01, 2017:

Thank you for sharing your information as it does help educate and diagnose symptoms in your fur baby and ours that most pet owners understand. One size does not fit all but research and detail articles with feedback help explain alot sometimes with symptoms that can be explained or understood that help isolate a problem, issue or question. Thank you for sharing. I'm sorry you got harassed on your ealier posts.

FIREFLY on October 11, 2016:

As you said you are not a vet and even if you were I think that they are full of s**t when it comes to cats, I have had so many cats in my life and all of them have been happy healthy pussycats because I have always given them the same choices as humans have do you really think that they are not able to make choices of their own? If so then you really shouldn't have any in your life.How would you like someone to say about you "Pooh!! Don't let her have any Choco because she might get fat " or oh don't give her any alcohol she might get addicted" I let my puddys make their own way in life believe it or not they are capable! Please remember that the Masses will take you at your word and because of this so many cats will have miserable life's!

SpookyBoo on October 07, 2016:

What if your kitten has pasty poop, it is brown, loss of appetite a big but really playful. Doesn't sleep too much, just like a normal growing kitten. I just adopted him almost a week ago, This has been going on for about 2 days. I got the same brand of food he was eating before, he is about 2 months old, about 12-13 weeks.

Rush on August 06, 2016:

Hi. My cat is 3 months old. I recently changed her catfood from chicken to tuna. She has had tuna before but she never behaved this way. She vommited once and hasnt eaten anything since then. i have tried everything but It has been 4 days since she last ate properly. The only solid thing she is eating right now is grass. Please help. And her potty is semi liquid.

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on May 23, 2016:

These symptoms sound worrisome, would recommend looking for an emergency vet. Placing a drop of pancake syrup on the tongue can help. You can also look for Nutri-Cal, a high-calorie dietary supplement for cats. You need to be aware of the risks of fatty liver disease when cats don't eat for a while. .

Thea Penner on May 21, 2016:

My cat hasn't eaten in almost two days, and he drinks a little bit of water. All he does is lay under my bed... I'm worried about him. We haven't been able to get him to eat anything. He threw up twice the other day, he threw up a bird. But he's still not better... What can I do to help him? We're taking him to the vet, but some extra advice would be helpful. Thx!

Val Littlewolf Heike on January 25, 2016:

My three month old little boy kitten has had an upset tummy for teo days. During this time he has been very needy wanting always to snuggle. Thats not Pal he is a very independent little guy. Ehen feeling good he is to busy to dit still and only cries when I wsnt to hold him. I will see if O can get out tomorrow and get a tonic for hid yummy and some baby cereal oatmeal workd to they will eat that.

LaurieNunley517 from Deep South on January 10, 2016:

Thank you for the information and thanks also to all the commentors. We have a six month old kitten with feline herpes. He's a little character and visits his vet fairly regularly. He has bowel issues and is lactose intolerant as are many mammals. Anyway, I often look into articles on kitty homeopathy. Thanks for your info.

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on September 14, 2015:

Hello, please know that I am not a vet, I only used to work in an animal hospital so can only give general guidelines. I would avoid feeding Vienna sausages as they contain many things that aren't really that healthy, for both animals and humans. They're made of mechanically separated chicken, corn syrup, lots of sodium and sodium nitrate. If you like to spoil your kitties, there are many healthier options. A change in diet, even a new treat like the Vienna sausages can cause temporary diarrhea, that is short lived, but you mention your kitty is sneezing too, so would advise to see the vet if this continues as it can be an upper respiratory infection or allergies. Diarrhea from new foods being fed is usually short-lived, a brief fast followed by a bland boiled chicken diet as the vet above suggests in the article can help. Once the stools are better formed the normal food can be gradually introduced. Consider that bland diet isn't meant to be fed long -term as it's nutritionally incomplete. If the diarrhea though and sneezing doesn't subside (keeping an eye on a cat's stool is always good!), a vet visit is in order especially if your cat starts acting weak or lethargic, hope this helps! Best regards and best wishes for a quick recovery!

Phizzle on September 14, 2015:

what if your cats not vomiting,but appears to have diarrhea and it seem pasty but he drinks water and doesn't seem to have a loss of appetite and he seem a little bit sneezy but hes still playfull and not slow paced what could that mean,in addition he eats friskys wet and dry cat food but purrfers the wet food,but its not his usual bm cycle not that i pay much attention in that area just yesterday he was sitting on the kitchen floor and when he got up and moved he left a little size spot on the floor of what looked like undigested cat food,so i kind of kept an eye on him scince then and thats what brings me to this question if i gave him a can of Vienna sausages the night before could that havr caused it and if so is it temporary because i usually keep him on his diet of kitty foods but love him so much i like to give him treats now and then,and i had a kitten for about 7 months and she was fine the whole time but one day she layed down and she wouldent get up and i give them medicine for prts from the pharmacy dewormer flea and tick soap but it was within i say half hour from playing to lathargic and in my city the closes vet is 14 miles away none closer so i went to a vet website and said talk to a vet free but when it came to them giving me advice they wanted a credit card # and $35.00 witch i would have given them gladly but i dont have a credit card,not even 15min.after filling 24min. Worth of time wasting forms she passed away...i held her the whole time,but you seem more competent then them who worried about there fee more than my poor kitties health i feel confident you can help me with her brothers problem and maybe put my mind at peace of what was wrong with my little ms. Sheeva,and i thank you ahead of time i love both my cats to have to feel the hurt of losing someone you love very much.P.s. my cats name im asking about is Booger.he's even playing right now k assumed he always had allergies but he sound a bit congested than usual.

And i know you need to know but they're both saimese cats so he's not to co operative about his medacines and missing meals,as all saimese cats seem to be a bit....sassy about thing's.

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on September 03, 2015:

sheabay,"Do not take food away from kittens for more than four hours, though.'

Yes, thanks for posting that, it was mentioned not to fast kittens for to long in the fasting section.

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on April 27, 2015:

OK, thank you so much for posting the resources. Yes, definitively, cats should not be fed rice long term as they need taurine! Indeed, the vets I worked for made it very clear from the get-go that it was only for a few days to give the GI system rest and not overwhelm it. These were vets who only recommended the diet for mild cases only and option 2 (baby food) was for cats that didn't like rice. I doubt the vets as UC Davis meant to write "track" instead of tract! It must be a typo. However, it's true that the article is now almost 8 years old and many times vets aren't the best sources for info on nutrition (yet I can't ignore that bland diet helped so many cats when it was given!) so I can imagine there are more advanced studies now so I haven't updated it for some time. Now I couldn't find any source claiming it's downright harmful fed temporarily, actually found a source saying that rice is highly digestible even in cats, however, the experts in the field are DAVCN, and here is what I found from a DACVN" Boiled hamburger (with the fat poured off) and rice, cottage cheese and rice, or chicken and rice in an approximately 1:4 ratio are commonly utilized for managing acute gastroenteritis in dogs. Cats do not need a source of carbohydrate and can be managed initially with boiled chicken or hamburger alone for up to 2-3 weeks before balancing the diet" So I guess it's time to retire the rice and replace it with this and quote the expert stating that rice isn't necessary. Again thanks.

Laura on April 27, 2015:

Well first of all I wouldn't necessarily believe a vet. Vets just like human docs are trained to treat disease. They may get a little more training in nutrition than human docs, but to be an expert they'd need to specialize in that. Pills and vaccines reign supreme. So just because a ton of vets say it's good doesn't necessarily say it's so.

The link you posted leads to an article and the first thing it says is that "gastro health is important because the job of the intestinal track is to digest and absorb nutrients."

It kinda made me laugh that they used the word track and not tract, especially if the author is a VMD.

Here's a link to a study on how rice effects cats. http://jn.nutrition.org/content/132/6/1745S.full

Rice as well as other grains can cause a taurine deficiency. If my cat had an upset stomach one thing I would actually question is if the cat food I'd given him recently had any sort of grains in it.

If a cat can't absorb or digest something how is that helping? How is it a mild so called temporary diet?

I've seen skin rashes and other break outs on cats when they are being fed any kind of grain. And then when changed to a grain free diet the problem goes away.

I don' t believe even temporarily feeding rice to a cat is beneficial. And I don't think it will clear up a stomach ailment. Their digestive tracts aren't made to digest it. So how or why could it possibly heal it.

Most likely a cat who doesn't feel good will instinctively fast and then eat again when ready. My cat would not even look at the rice let alone eat it either. I would have to force feed him.

Cats are carnivores. Here's another cool site. http://feline-nutrition.org/the-blogs/rice-isnt-ni...

In addition, I didn't say that you said that milk is ok for cats. It was mentioned in your article that it could be a cause of a sick stomach in a cat, so I was letting anyone reading the comments all the way down here that milk should not be given to adult cats. That way, when trouble shooting the upset stomach, you can automatically rule out milk because it was never given.

Just because a cat appears to do fine, doesn't mean that it's so either. You can't really see what's happening inside even if they do appear to recover from the original problem.

A simple statement that was not accusatory or putting words in your mouth in any way...just simply adding info.

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on April 25, 2015:

Actually rice is what many vets recommend for cats and dogs with upset stomachs and when I worked for the vet hospital it was often recommended and recorded in the chart and the cats did just fine. Cats may not like the taste of it much, but it's bland and if mixed with chicken or baby food with no onion and garlic they may eat it, Please explain why it's not a good idea other than stating cats aren't omnivorous. The bland diet's fed only for a few days until the upset stomach subsides and in mild cases only. Even UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine website talks about bland diet of rice for cats!

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vmth/small_animal/nu...

Also, nobody suggested to give milk to cats, I just posted it as an example of a cause of a cat getting an upset stomach.

Laura on April 25, 2015:

Rice might be a good idea for dogs with upset stomachs. They are more omnivorous than cats. Giving rice to cats is not a good idea, probably even less so when they are sick.

It's important to remember also that grown cats cannot generally digest milk once they are adult age. There are exceptions of course, but as a rule, why chance it.

If you can swing it monetarily, buy your cats good quality grain-free food. And allow them to eat grass.

Of course see a vet if it is chronic. Our cat needed meds because it turned out he had a mild case of IBS. I'm not one to turn to meds as the first solution but sometimes they are necessary.

I don't think there's a direct way to test for IBS though since our vet ruled out other things first, like parasites for example.

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on November 12, 2013:

If it' s only when yo have people over it could be anxiety.Try not feeding him two hours prior to visits, but mostly try to see what you can do to make him more comfortable around people. Have you tried Feliway? There's also an over the counter calming aid known as "composure." Try having people in a room far away from your cat, keep your cat in a safe place where he can hide. Try desensitizing him to guests gradually.

Patricia Summers on November 12, 2013:

My cat is real nervous around almost anything, very jumpy then he vomits. He eats royal canin 33 for sensitive stomachs and still vomits from time to time when we have people over!! WHY?

Babu on January 03, 2013:

In my view, prevention is better than cure as they say. A friend of mine who works in a pet food store ( http://www.lendafreehand.com/ ), advised me to give a little curd-yoghurt occasionally to the cat since it aids in digestion and has a toning & stimulating effect on their metabolism. Tried it and found it works !

Peter on March 06, 2012:

Yes indeed a very good article...but can please suggest a "good veterinarian" because all of where I've been are ripping me off and my cat still sick.

natasha.south wales on October 11, 2011:

thanks you so much this has been very helpful

DEDE on August 26, 2011:

Thank you for, for all the helpful info

Adrienne Farricelli (author) on January 22, 2011:

LMG: Fasting your cat for 24 hours, is not ''starving your cat''. Most vets recommend fasting for an upset stomach and fatty liver disease is unlikely to happen in the first 24 hours (but it is always a good practice to watch for signs of it, if the cat refuses to eat after 24 hours).

It is far worst than fasting force feeding a cat with an upset stomach causing it to further vomit and dehydrate, making the cat more prone to fatty liver disease if the cat does not eat for a longer time..

from : http://www.petsmart.com/uc/petarticles_db.jsp?ucCa.../articles/content/dog_cat/health/nausea/280.html

QUOTED:

''When your pet is vomiting, his stomach needs a time-out," says Martin J. Fettman, D.V.M., Ph.D., professor of pathology and clinical nutrition at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in Fort Collins. Don't let him have any food for 24 hours, he advises. A short fast may be all it takes to get his stomach back to normal. If he's still vomiting after 24 hours, call your veterinarian.

LMG on January 11, 2011:

I dont' think recommended to starve your cat for 24 hours is a good idea, especially since (as mentioned just moment later in this article) that cats can suffer from fatty liver disease.

vr106 on October 04, 2010:

Thanks for the good tips on checking out your cat!

kartbahnfan from Dusiburg, Germany on May 24, 2010:

miau, what people are doing for their animals :)

valeriebelew from Metro Atlanta, GA, USA on April 25, 2010:

well written and informative. Thanks for the info, which as a cat lover I will definitely use.

Ritzel from Cebu, Philippines on April 06, 2010:

I really find it very nice reading your article. It gave me so much information on how to deal with my cats when they vomit...thank you so much. :)

Taylor Zurawski on January 26, 2010:

thank you so much for giving me this info I think that it was very helful. now I will have to go to the vets and get a chech up

Peggy Patrick Medberry from Los Angeles on January 19, 2010:

Good article! We have four cats.. who all vomit from time to time. But your suggestions are terrific!

love heart on September 24, 2009:

cool cats

Research Analyst on July 26, 2009:

This is a good explaination of what to look for as well as how to treat cats upset stomach with home remedy, I grew up with a cat as a pet and I remember how sweet they are and loving, hate to see them sick. The suggestion of some plain canned pumpkin is a great solution.

devorecoulart.blogspot.com

Source: https://pethelpful.com/cats/Cat-Upset-Stomach-Home-Remedy

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