If your cat vomits within 15 to 30 minutes after eating, it may have a problem with the valve between the stomach and small intestine. This valve, called the pylorus, may spasm or may be unable to open far enough to allow passage of food into the small intestine. Another possibility is an esophageal disorder preventing the food from reaching the stomach in the first place.

To diagnose the problem, your veterinarian may order routine x-rays of the cat's thorax and stomach, to be followed by a barium dye study of the esophagus, stomach and upper small intestine. Before the diagnostics are done, you might try feeding your cat canned food slightly thinned with water from a bowl elevated several inches off the floor. If this solution helps, it pinpoints the esophagus as the site of the problem. Your cat may have to be fed this way throughout its life if it has esophageal achalasia, a pouch in the esophagus in which food accumulates. Work closely with your veterinarian to find a solution to help your cat.