Exotic Shorthair vomiting after food — what to try

Frequent vomiting after meals in a 5-year-old Exotic Shorthair is a real concern — Exotics are brachycephalic cats, meaning their flat faces affect how they eat and swallow, which can absolutely contribute to regurgitation. But food sensitivities and the wrong texture can also be a big part of it. Cats are obligate carnivores with specific nutritional needs many commercial foods don't fully meet, and wet food is generally far better for hydration and kidney health long-term. Before I point you toward anything, can you tell me: what two foods have you already tried, how quickly does she vomit after eating, and does it look like undigested food coming back up or more like bile?

That pattern — undigested food, 10 to 15 minutes after eating, eating fast — that's classic gorging and regurgitation rather than a deeper digestive issue. It's very common in Exotics. Both Whiskas and Felix have quite soft, loose textures that make it easy for a fast eater to gulp down too much too quickly. The other issue is that both of those foods are fairly low-quality protein sources with a lot of filler, which can irritate a sensitive stomach over time. Has she ever been checked by a vet for this, or had any other symptoms like weight loss or lethargy?

Good — that rules out anything structural, which is reassuring. Your vet is right that a sensitive digestive formula is the direction to go, but the other thing you need to tackle is the speed eating. My specific recommendation is Royal Canin Instinctive Digest Sensitive wet food in the 85g pouches. It's formulated for cats with digestive sensitivity, uses highly digestible proteins, and has a pâté texture that's denser and less slippery than the jelly or gravy formats she's been eating — that alone tends to slow cats down a little. Royal Canin also make a version specifically for Exotic Shorthairs in dry form, but given that wet food is better for hydration and kidney health, I'd stick with wet as the main meal. Split her daily portion into three smaller meals instead of two, and if the fast eating continues, a slow feeder bowl makes a meaningful difference. Start the new food over about five days, mixing it gradually with what she's used to.

Yes, it's widely available — you'll find it on Amazon UK, Zooplus, and most large pet retailers. On Amazon the 12-pouch box typically comes in around £10 to £12, so roughly 85p to £1 per pouch. Given she's a 5-year-old cat at a healthy weight, you're probably looking at one to one and a half pouches per day depending on her size, so a box lasts around 10 days. It's not the cheapest option, but it's a well-researched formula and a significant step up from what she's been eating. If after two weeks of smaller meals and the new food she's still vomiting regularly, it's worth going back to the vet to discuss whether there's an underlying motility issue — but most cats in her situation improve noticeably with these changes.

That combination — better food, smaller portions, slower pace — really does fix this in most cases. Give it a full two weeks before judging it, because her stomach needs time to adjust to the new formula. If you want to add the slow feeder bowl at the same time, the Licki Mat Casper or any shallow puzzle-style bowl works well for wet food. Good luck with her — Exotics are wonderful cats and this is a very solvable problem.