How to help cats with a sensitive stomach

Cats, just like us, can sometimes get an upset stomach or indigestion. There are a number of reasons why cats can get a sensitive stomach, with some having a more delicate constitution than others. This may come down to their diet, or even medication being used for an injury or illness. A cat having a sensitive stomach every so often is not uncommon at all. However, if your cat is having symptoms lasting more than a day or two, this may indicate more severe problems, so it is important to keep a close eye on your cat’s health if the problem does persist. 

You may have noticed by now that your cat hasn’t been acting their normal self, which is why you are looking for information on how you can help with your cat’s sensitive stomach. If your cat is experiencing some trouble, you may have noticed the following:

If your cat is showing any of the symptoms above, you can take several steps to help relieve your cats’ symptoms. The most common problem we find is the change in diet, or occasionally eating something that isn’t part of your cat’s day to day diet. If your cats tends to roam outdoors, you may not see them pick something up whilst on their adventures, which means it can be hard to pinpoint why your cat may have developed a sensitive stomach. But no matter, here’s a few tips on how to help prevent any future problems.

Your cat’s diet is very important and if managed properly, can help to reduce the symptoms of a sensitive stomach. Logging your cat’s diet and managing what they eat can help you to understand what works best for your closest feline companion. The valuable information found while logging your cat’s meals can help you work out what the problem may be and how best to overcome it.

You may decide to meal feed or free feed your cat, these two options all depend on what works best for your cat and you as the owner. Every cat is different, with no one cat having the same eating behavior as another, so knowing which feeding method is best suited to your cats’ diet, will help to reduce indigestion and an upset stomach.

What is free feeding?

Free feeding your cat means the food is left out all day, for your cat to eat when he or she pleases. Allowing them to eat as much as they choose to. This method is often used with dry food since it doesn’t spoil as quickly as wet foods.

What is meal feeding?

Meal feeding is when you set a specific time for when you feed your cat. This method is often seen as the healthier option, as you can keep track of the portions and eating habits, keeping a more controlled diet.

If you have changed your cat’s diet too quickly with a new food type or brand, you may need to change back to the original food. You may have changed your cat’s diet unintentionally, picking up a new brand or type in the supermarket based on price or convenience.  According to the PFMA 2018 Data Report, 30% of 823 owners have never read the packaging of their cat’s food, often swapping the old food for the new food without any thought of the effects it may have. However, doing so may result in difficulty processing the new foods, leading to digestive issues.

It’s important to introduce new foods gradually to avoid upsetting your cat’s diet, as a sudden change can lead to an upset stomach. You can achieve this by transitioning the food gradually over a period of 10 days, increasing the percentage of the new food while decreasing the old food. Doing it this way will help your cat’s stomach cope with the transition more comfortably.  Transitioning in this way will also allow you to gauge if the new food is better suited to your cat, or help make the decision to stick with the original food.

Unfortunately, many human foods are not suited to your cat’s digestive system causing an upset. Owners will often be slightly guilty of feeding their cats scraps of food off their plates or even leftovers, thinking that no harm comes of it. According to the PFMA Data Report 2018, 41% of 215 owners surveyed admitted they did (31% sometimes and 10% often), with 59% claiming that they do not feed leftovers.

Sometimes your cat’s symptoms may not be down to a sensitive stomach. If your cat is showing any of the symptoms below you may need to seek professional advice and take your cat to see a veterinarian.

Reveal has a range of cat food products that are highly nutritious, all of our recipes are created with truly limited ingredients and are grain free, to keep your cat healthy and happy. Contact us today to speak about improving your cat’s diet or view our range of nutritious cat food on our website today.