Did you go to the store and see some yummy new kind of cat food that fluffy will just adore? Then you brought it home and she vomited it all over your house? Yeah, me too. Cats may get bored with their food, I know mine does, but when you put them on something new having an upset stomach reaction is really common. Typically you have to transition your cat to the new food if you want to avoid your house being sprayed in cat vomit.
There are other reasons why you might need to transition your cat food other than some new food looked good. Maybe you just got a new cat, or need to switch your cat from kitten to adult food, or to a food that is better for their diet. Maybe you just bought the wrong bag.
Whatever your reason, cats have sensitive tummies and just switching their food can result in them getting sick or simply stop eating food. The easiest way to switch your cat to new food is to do it gradually. The rule is 1/3 every 4 days. This means that every four days you swap out 25% of their old food for new food.
- Day 1: 25% new food and 75% old food.
- Day 4: 50% new food and 50% old food.
- Day 8: 75% new food and 25% old food.
- Day 12: 100% new food.
If your cat starts throwing up or having diarrhea slow down the transition and swap the food by 25% every week instead of every 4 days. If they won’t stop throwing up then make sure to visit your Los Lunas vet.
We do not recommend changing your cats food very often. It is a good idea to speak with your Valencia veterinarian about the best possible diet for your cat.
