Best Cat Food for Older Cats That Vomit – Updated in 2022

There’s no denying that cats are among the animals with the most sensitive stomachs. This is the reason why it’s so common to see cats throw up from time to time. As they age, this sensitivity only worsens, so you have to make sure to feed them with the best cat food for older cats that vomit.

To reduce the chances of vomiting and other gut-related concerns, the first move you have to make is to make the switch to high quality and all-natural cat food. And in this article, I’ll give you the lowdown on the best cat food for vomiting older cats to help you with your decision.

Our Top Picks

Best Cat Food for Senior Cats That Vomit

Royal Canin Digest Sensitive Canned Cat Food

Formulated with cats’ sensitive stomachs in mind, there’s no doubt that the Royal Canin Digest Sensitive Canned Cat Food deserves a spot on our list.

This wet cat food is made with highly digestible protein, so you know that your feline friend’s sensitive stomach won’t be under too much stress from breaking down the food. As a result, they can absorb the nutrients better and faster, and without resulting in uncomfortable stomach aches.

While we’re on the subject of nutrient-absorption, you would be pleased to know that the Royal Canin Digest Sensitive Canned Cat Food contains a balanced blend of vitamins and minerals formulated by veterinarians and nutritionists. This assures you that your cat is getting the right amount of nutrients for optimum health.

Because of the balanced meal contained in each can of this cat food, it’s easier to control and maintain your cat’s weight.

The Royal Canin Digest Sensitive Canned Cat Food is a top pick because it is well-balanced, complete, and easily digestible. The sliced chunks come with delicious gravy sauce, making it an appetizing meal for your older cat.

Pros:

• It is rich in vitamins and minerals.
• It contains proteins that are easy to digest.
• It reduces the odor of stools.

Cons:

• The slices may be too big for older cats.

Purina One Sensitive Systems Adult Dry Cat Food

For fur parents who prefer to feed their cats with dry cat food, you might want to consider the Purina One Sensitive Systems Adult Dry Cat Food. It is made with real turkey, so you know you’re giving your cat a tasty high-protein meal.

This all-natural premium cat food is made with real turkey meat, wholesome grains, and real vegetables to guarantee a balanced and hearty meal. It has no added fillers, artificial colors, and preservatives, so you know you’re only giving the best for your feline friend.

Being especially formulated for sensitive systems, this dry cat food has an easily digestible formula so your cats won’t have a problem in breaking down each kibble. This allows the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to be easily absorbed by your cat.

Older cats who were fed with this also showed shinier coats and improved energy.

Overall, the Purina One Sensitive Systems Adult Dry Cat Food is a great alternative for cats who prefer dry feeding. This high-protein meal also comes with carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and nutrients to ensure a balanced diet.

Pros:

• It has no fillers, preservatives, and artificial flavors.
• It is high in protein and has balanced amounts of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
• It is easy to digest.

Cons:

• It is not advised for cats with turkey or chicken allergy.

Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Dry Cat Food

The Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Dry Cat Food is the all-in-one solution for older cats that vomit. Each kibble is packed with protein and other nutrients that are easy to digest and specially formulated for sensitive stomachs.

This dry cat food is made with real chicken meat so you’re assured of its high protein content. It is also packed with wholesome grains, vegetables, and fruit to make sure that your cat receives a balanced and nutritious diet.

The Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Dry Cat Food also contains FOS probiotics, and this helps improve your cat’s digestion so his sensitive stomach won’t have to do a lot of the work.

It also contains antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that are specifically selected by veterinarians and nutritionists to guarantee your cat’s health. And finally, each kibble contains omega-3 and omega-9 which are known for improving your cat’s skin and fur.

Because of its high-protein and all-natural ingredients, the Blue Buffalo Sensitive Stomach Dry Cat Food easily landed a spot in our top picks. It also contains probiotics that aid in digestion and nutrient absorption, while its blend of antioxidants greatly improves your cat’s overall health.

Pros:

• It contains all-natural ingredients.
• It has probiotics that aid digestion.
• It contains antioxidants and omega fatty acids.

Cons:

• Older cats with fewer teeth may find it hard to chew.

Halo Natural Dry Cat Food Sensitive Stomach Seafood Medley

For older cats who prefer seafood over poultry, then you might want to consider the Halo Natural Dry Cat Food Sensitive Stomach Seafood Medley. This promises to feed your cat with holistic whole seafood that’s rich in protein and easy to digest.

This all-natural dry cat food boasts super-digestibility, thanks to its roster of whole grains and meat from a variety of seafood like whitefish and salmon. It also boasts sourcing its vegetables from non-GMO farms, so you know your pet won’t be ingesting genetically-modified food.

The Halo Natural Dry Cat Food Sensitive Stomach Seafood Medley finely manufactures all ingredients to make it easier for your cat to break down. This helps him absorb more nutrients and produce less waste.

If you’re conscious about the source of ingredients of your cat food, then the Halo Natural Dry Cat Food is your best bet. It promises to source its meat and vegetables from sustainable fisheries and non-GMO farmlands to guarantee the most nutritious ingredients for your fur baby.

Pros:

• It comes from sustainable sources.
• It does not contain artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, and antibiotics.
• It contains whole seafood, grains, and non-GMO vegetables.
• It offers good value for money.

Cons:

• Some users note that this cat food emits an unpleasant smell.
• Some cats still end up vomiting.

Grain Free Dry Cat Food by Hill’s Science Diet

If you’re not a fan of feeding grain to your older cat, then the Grain Free Dry Cat Food by Hill’s Science Diet might be what you’ve been looking for.

This grain-free cat food is rich in prebiotic fiber that helps maintain a healthy gut microbiome. As a result, it improves your cat’s digestion and helps him break down the food to allow nutrient absorption.

Aside from containing high prebiotic fiber content, the kibble itself is easy to digest. This assures you that your furry friend won’t go through the trouble of stressful stomach aches related to constipation and diarrhea.

Also noteworthy is that this cat food is rich in Vitamin E and omega-6 fatty acids, and this guarantees healthy skin and shiny fur.

The Grain Free Dry Cat Food by Hill’s Science Diet boasts being the number one cat food trusted by veterinarians, and for a good reason. It contains all-natural ingredients and a well-balanced source of vitamins and minerals to help treat your cat’s sensitive stomach.

Pros:

• It does not contain grain, allowing you to maintain your cat’s ideal weight.
• It is rich in prebiotic fiber that aids digestion.
• Each kibble is easy to digest.
• It is all-natural and is rich in vitamins and minerals.

Cons:

• It contains ingredients that may cause allergies to some cats.

Buying Guide: Best Cat Food For Older Cats That Throw Up

Cats are known to be picky eaters, and I am familiar with the struggle of looking for the best cat food that’s healthy and matches their taste.

To help you in making your decision, here are some of the factors that you have to consider when you’re looking for the best cat food to buy.

Food Quality

The quality of the food that goes into cat food is your primary consideration. As much as possible, go for food that’s made from holistic and all-natural ingredients.

Most low-quality kibble is made from rendered meal meat. These are the remnants from food processing factories that are not considered safe for human consumption. These remnants are then processed in high heat, thereby producing a powdery substance that’s used to make cat food.

Although these rendered meal meats are considered as safe for animal consumption, they don’t contain as much protein and vitamins as cat food made from whole meat products. They’re also harder to digest and contain less moisture.

Also, you have to watch out for cat food containing fillers. Fillers are food additives that are only meant to add bulk to the food, but they rarely contain any nutrients that are beneficial for your pet.

With these in mind, you have to look for cat food that’s made from whole meat products. Bear in mind that the whole meat is different from meat by-products. The former is made from muscle meat and is a great source of protein; while the latter is made from internal organs that are not usually consumed by humans and may contain some disease-causing tissues.

Ingredients

You also have to make a scrutiny of all the ingredients on the list. Aside from being able to determine if fillers and other low-quality ingredients were used in the cat food, this will also help you determine if it contains allergens that can only worsen your cat’s condition.

Some of the common allergens include chicken and fish. At this point, you must already be familiar with what your cat can and cannot eat. Not only will this help reduce the chances of vomiting issues, but this will also assure you that your cat won’t be eating anything that causes him any discomfort.

Wet vs. Dry

Wet food also contains higher moisture content, and that’s helpful for your cat’s digestion. On the other hand, dry kibble is better for your cat’s teeth. It’s also easier to find and offers better storage.

But whether to feed your cat with wet or dry cat food is all a matter of your cat’s preference. Some cats find wet food tastier and easier to chew, while some cats digest kibble better.

Safety

And finally, you have to make sure that the processing of the cat food is compliant with the safety standards set by authorities. Before making a purchase, verify if it has been approved by the appropriate authorities for animal consumption.

And while we’re on the subject of food safety, you should also consider if any artificial flavoring, colors, harmful antibiotics or preservatives were used in the cat food. Even if they are included in tiny amounts, they are generally hard to digest and may cause harmful conditions to your cat in the long run.

Why Do Cats Vomit or Throw up?

As I’ve previously mentioned, throwing up from time to time is common among cats. But this may be a cause for concern when your cat throws up more often than usual.

To help you understand what’s going on with your feline friend, here are some of the common causes that trigger vomiting in cats.

Furball

We all know that cats love to keep themselves clean and well-groomed. Unfortunately, this results in swallowing some fur in the process.

Since hair cannot be digested, they end up accumulating in your cat’s stomach and causes them to throw up eventually.

Vomiting because of accumulated furball is common among all cats, and is usually not a cause for concern.

Overeating and Fast Eating

Some cats tend to eat too much for their tiny tummies to handle. As a result, they end up vomiting because their stomach couldn’t handle the intake.

On the other hand, some cats tend to eat too fast. As a result, their stomachs expand too fast, causing the body to regurgitate. This is caused by the brain’s reaction to the speedy intake that’s usually too much too fast for the stomach to handle.

In both instances, the vomiting is not a cause for concern.

Allergies

Another common cause of vomiting is the intake of allergens. The body knows that what they ate is not good for them, so they end up expelling it.

To avoid vomiting due to allergens, make sure to carefully scrutinize every item on your cat food label.

Curiosity

Cats are curious beings. Unfortunately, they end up eating some of the things they come across – even when they’re not edible, and this usually triggers vomiting.

As much as possible, make sure that your home is cat-friendly. Make sure that nothing harmful is lying around that could potentially cause vomiting or other life-threatening issues.

Diet

Another common cause of vomiting is the change in your cat’s diet. If you’re planning to switch between cat food, make sure to introduce the new cat food gradually. This will help your cat to grow accustomed to the new food without causing any vomiting.

How to Relieve the Upset Stomach?

It’s a constant battle by the human pet parents to keep them in a healthy shape. There are no perfect ways to completely eliminate stomach sensitivity. However, you can opt for some simple ways to keep them at bay.

Quality Diet

Choosing a quality diet will help to absorb more nutrition to the body and follow a balanced diet regime. We often tend to toss out table scraps while eating. This is one habit that every cat parent should let go of. Providing the cats will table scrap will bring out changes in their diet and make it more difficult for them to adjust to their regular diet. Also, if the cat has diarrhea then most of the time just changing the diet creates the magic trick to clear it up.

Consult a Vet

Instead of relying on Google or a friend’s suggestion, consulting a vet is always a safer and more reliable option. Note down all the symptoms that the cat is showing in recent days and address them all during your next visit to the vet. This will help the vet to diagnose the problem and come up with a feasible solution.

Provide Prescribed Food

After your consultation with the vet, gradually change the diet and add the foods that are recommended by the vet. However, bringing a change in the diet all of a sudden may have an adverse effect on the stomach of the cat. Introduce the new foods in a step by replacing 20%-30% of the previous portion with the new diet.

Give Probiotics

Bacteria can be both good and bad. A colony of good bacteria will eliminate the bad bacteria and eventually crowd them out. Giving probiotics is an excellent idea for kittens with diarrhea as it will help to soothe their sensitive stomach. You can mix it with the cat’s food or feed it directly.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the best cat food for older cats that vomit is those that are made of high-quality and all-natural ingredients that can help improve their digestion. Depending on your cat’s preference, this may either be wet or dry and may either be made with whole meat or completely grain-free.

But most importantly, make sure to pay a lot of attention to your furry friend – because nothing beats the nurturing tender loving care that they get from their fur parents.