• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our use of cookies. To see what cookies we serve and set your own preferences, please review our Cookie Policy. Learn More.

The Dog People by Rover.com

Powered by Rover.com

Just another The Dog People by Rover.com Sites site

  • The Dog People by Rover.com
  • Dog Love
  • Dog Bonding
  • Dog Care
  • Puppies and New Dogs
  • Cat Love
  • Dog-friendly places
    • London
    • Birmingham
    • Edinburgh
    • Manchester
    • Liverpool
  • Shopping
    • Dog Gift Guides
    • Toys and Chews
  • Dog Names
    • The 200 Most Popular Dog Names in the UK
    • Rover’s Dog Name Generator
    • Archived: Girly Dog Names: 104 Top Picks of 2020 for Your Pretty Puppy
    • 68 Literary Dog Names for Bookish Dog Lovers in 2020
    • 16 Perfect Batman Dog Names
    • The Most Romantic Dog Names Ever
    • Popular Irish Dog Names for 2020
    • Sitter Resources
  • Languages
    • en-US
    • en-CA
    • fr-FR
    • es-ES
    • de-DE
    • it-IT
    • nl-NL
    • nb-NO
    • sv-SE
    • fr-CA

Did My Cat Really Just Burp? Reasons Your Cat Might Belch

Share0Pin It0

Did My Cat Really Just Burp? Reasons Your Cat Might Belch

For Cat People
By Zibby Wilder

Share0Tweet0Pin It0

Cats are regal, elegant, and mysterious. They can also be messy, demanding, and—sometimes—gassy. While it’s not often you’ll hear your cat let out a burp or even a little toot from the ‘other’ end, it does happen. Most of the time, a little emission is nothing to worry about but more frequent gas can be a sign that something’s going on in your cat’s sensitive biome.

What Is A Burp Anyway?

According to the experts at the Mayo Clinic, a burp is simply “your body’s way of expelling excess air from your upper digestive tract”. They continue: “Most belching is caused by swallowing excess air. This air most often never even reaches the stomach but accumulates in the oesophagus.” This excess air can have many causes in humans: eating or drinking too fast, carbonated beverages, gum chewing, smoking, or even just as a result of a nervous habit.

Advertisement

Do Cats Burp?

Hungry cat sitting next to bowl of food at home kitchen and looking at camera.

Not really, but it can happen. Cats don’t chew gum or consume fizzy drinks so they have less cause to burp. Cats primarily breathe from their noses which means extra air doesn’t tend to get into their gastrointestinal (GI) tracts.

Cats can burp here and there but shouldn’t be burping on a regular (say, daily) basis.

Why Would A Cat Burp?

Mother cat and Kitten eating food from wooden cat bowls in spring garden

If your cat is burping it’s a sign that there’s something going on in their GI tract. Many cats have sensitive bellies so indigestion, hairballs, grass eating, and acid reflux could cause a kitty to burp occasionally.

Sometimes cats will burp if they’ve swallowed extra air when gulping down treats or after they’ve been given medication. This little gulp of extra air could cause a burp to come up.

If your kitty has recently undergone some type of surgery or had anaesthesia, it is possible that burps could happen due to the digestive muscles ‘waking up’ but this is rare.

Should I Be Worried If My Cat Is Burping?

Domestic life with pet. Man holding bowl with feeding for his cat.

If your cat is burping regularly—daily or even more frequently—there could be something going on that you’d want to check out with your vet. Underlying causes of regular burping can include:

Oesophagitis

This inflammation of the oesophagus can be caused by the administration of oral medications. Sometimes the jagged edges of little pills can scrape up a kitty’s throat, leading to inflammation. This inflammation can cause burping. If you have to give your cat pills, hiding them in food or using a pill gun can help avoid the discomfort caused by scratches to their little throats.

Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD)

IBD presents as generalised inflammation throughout the GI tract and it’s just as uncomfortable for cats as it is for humans. Burping might happen because of IBD but the symptoms you are more likely to see are vomiting, lethargy, diarrhoea, weight loss, lack of interest in food, and even bloody stools. IBD can be scary but it is usually successfully treated by changing your cat’s diet to a food that is minimally processed or formulated specifically for gut care.

Respiratory noises

There are a host of other issues that might look like burping, or cause burping, that would warrant a vet visit. If your cat seems to be suffering from nasal congestion, is hacking a lot, gagging, or seems to be having trouble swallowing there could be something else going on. The causes could range from some kind of foreign body lodged in the nasal passages to food allergies, heart problems, or even cancer, so don’t wait to get your pet checked out.

Eating too fast

While most cats tend to eat smaller meals here and there, some cats will wolf food down and this can lead to swallowing extra air. If you have a scarfer you might consider offering your kitty smaller meals more frequently. You can also look into automatic feeders or puzzle bowls to help regulate how fast/how much your cat is eating.

Top tip! A great tip from the folks at PetMD is to “try recording a video of your cat making the burping sound or any other unusual sounds so you can show your veterinarian. As we know, pets are unlikely to show their symptom on arrival to the vet office!”

All this talk about cat gas brings us to another question that seems appropriate along these lines…

Do Cats Fart?

“Like other gastrointestinal functions, flatulence is a natural occurrence in animals. Though not as often (or as loudly) as dogs and humans, the dignified cat does, indeed, pass gas,” confirm the folks over at Hill’s.

Just like with a burp, a little toot here and there is normal for a cat. But if your kitty is tooting up a mini symphony, there’s going to be a reason for it—usually, this is diet related and easily remedied by changing your cat’s diet. Human food can also cause kitty toots, so this is another reason not to feed cats treats off your plate. In rare instances, cat farts can be caused by intestinal parasites that cause a real stink. If your cat is letting loose more than occasionally, it’s best to check with your vet.

Share0Tweet0Pin It0

Zibby Wilder

Zibby Wilder is a writer specializing in food, wine, travel/tourism, personalities and histories of place. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

sidebar

By Zibby Wilder

Share This Article

Share0Tweet0Pin It0

Popular Posts

  • 6 Tips for Training Your Territorial Dog
  • What Your Dog’s Wet and Cold Nose Means About Their Health and Daily Routine
  • All You Need To Know About Neutering Your Cat
  • Burnt Paw Pads: How to Spot, Treat and Prevent Them
  • Do Cats Dream? Kitty Dreams and Sleep-Induced Twitches Explained!
  • Why Is My Cat Shaking? Find Out Why And How To Help
  • Why Dogs Are Afraid of Fireworks and 10 Ways to Calm Them
  • 8 Halloween Safety Tips for Pets
  • Does My Cat Have Asthma? How to Identify and Treat Asthma in Cats
  • How to Stop Dog Aggression Towards Cats in 8 Steps
More from The Dog People

Why Do Cats Like To Play With String So Much?

What Are Cat Toe Beans? 8 Facts About Your Cat’s Feet

Why Do Cats Purr? Here’s What Your Cat May Be Trying to Say

Learn More

  • About Rover.com
  • Sitter Resources
  • Terms of Service
  • User Terms
  • Privacy Statement
  • Cookie Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Download the App
  • In The Press
  • Advertise With Us

Need Help?

  • Help Center
© 2023 Rover.com. All Rights Reserved.