What Is Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Cats?
📝 Summary
Feline IBD is a chronic gut disease where inflammatory cells thicken the intestinal wall and block nutrient uptake, showing as persistent vomiting and diarrhea that won't resolve. Food allergy is the top trigger, with bacteria, parasites, and stress as contributors — so pinpoint and drop the offending food.
1 What IBD Is
Feline inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic gastrointestinal condition, usually with no clear cause or mechanism. When specific inflammatory cells invade the gut, the intestinal wall thickens and the cat can no longer absorb nutrients well.
2 Causes
Food allergy or intolerance. Reactions to protein, additives, artificial colors, or preservatives are common; many foods carry grain, corn, or potato that can trigger allergy and poor digestion, and long-term feeding raises IBD risk. Allergy may also show as skin itch or redness, while a single food causing only vomiting points to intolerance.
Bacterial or parasitic infection. Salmonella, E. coli, worms, Giardia, and Trichomonas can all provoke IBD.
Stress. Stress alone does not cause IBD, but it drives anxiety, disrupts eating, and lowers immunity, which lets IBD flare.
3 Symptoms
Unlike gastroenteritis, the vomiting and diarrhea are chronic and persist. Poor nutrient uptake brings weight loss, lost appetite, and dullness. The cat may have ongoing soft stools or blood, and vomit hairballs repeatedly.
Food allergy is the most common trigger, so once found, remove that food. When unsure, ask a vet.
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