Hairballs and how to deal with them.
Because your cat spends 10% of his time grooming himself with his tongue, hairballs are a risk to his digestive system. When your cat’s tongue is coated with hair, the only thing your cat can do is swallow it.
Hopefully, most of the swallowed fur will simply pass through your cat’s digestive system and be eliminated in his stools (poop). But once in the stomach, those hairs – which are not easily digested – can start sticking to other stomach contents such as saliva, undigested food, and gastric juices … and the hairball is born. Like rolling snowballs, cat hairballs grow larger. They then begin to irritate your cat’s stomach – which usually triggers vomiting.
When your cat is trying to rid itself of a hairball he will probably have your attention – with coughing, gagging, retching, and other pleasant sounds associated with throwing up. Should your cat not be able to rid itself of the hairball by vomiting or leaving it in the litter box, your pet could be in real trouble. Felines can choke on hairballs and – in severe cases – surgery will be required to clear a hairball blockage.
If your cat has a stubborn hairball symptoms can include:
… loss of appetite or
… eating only small amounts at a time
… weight loss
… depression
… loss of energy
Your cat might regurgitate undigested food.
Cat hairballs do not actually look like balls. They are, in fact, tubular or sausage shaped and can easily be confused with poop. Usually, the easiest way to find a discarded hairball is to walk around in the dark with bare feet.
Sometimes, health problems can cause your cat to lose and then swallow a lot of hair. Excessive hair loss in cats can be a symptom of poor health. As a rule, feline hair loss should not be patchy, but fairly uniform. If parasites or allergies are making your cat itchy he will scratch, lick and swallow more hair. Skin disease or a poor diet can cause hair loss. Give your cat the best cat food you can afford.
Stress can cause a cat to over groom. Older and overweight cats who aren’t very active can spend more time grooming.
Vomiting the occasional hairball is considered normal for cats but reoccurring vomiting is not. If you have concerns, contact your vet.
Preventing Hairballs
Create a grooming routine for your cat, especially in a long-haired cat. The more of his shedding fur you can remove via a brush, the less he will remove in his personal grooming. For cats who dislike brushing, consider the specially-designed gripper gloves. The gloves allow you to remove loose fur from your cat while petting him.- Feed your cat a specially formulated food designed to prevent hairballs. It is usually higher in fat than other adult cat food. The food, therefore, offers a better lubricant for the cat’s intestinal tract. The cat eliminates the hairball without coughing it back up.
- Provide your cat with a back scratcher or other device designed to collect loose fur. Many cat toys are designed to encourage your cat’s self-grooming. These toys have small nubbins to massage the cat and help with shedding.
- Add two tablespoons of olive oil to your cat’s dry food once a week. The oil will help keep your cat’s fur soft and silky, and it will help her pass any hair that he does consume.
- Keep your cat active. Often, cats will resort to grooming themselves when they are bored or if they have skin irritants. Keep your cat healthy and active to reduce the number of hairballs you have to see.
- Keep catgrass in your home. You can get this at your local pet food store. Cats nibble on it and it helps their digestion and cleanse their intestinal tract.
- Introduce fibre to your cat’s diet by adding canned pumpkin to its food. Make sure you purchase the pumpkin that is not spiced and not pumpkin pie filling. Mix 1 tsp. with your feline’s food. Many cats will eat pumpkin when it is mixed thoroughly with a meal.
- If you suspect that your cat has a hairball, treat it with 1/2 tsp. of Vaseline. Spread the Vaseline on the cat’s paw or lip and they will ingest the Vaseline as they lick the area. This will help the hairball to pass with the least stress to the cat. Or buy hairball remedies at your local pet food store. They come in paste or lick stick forms.
Hairballs can become a serious cat health problem. If you suspect your cat or kitten is sick, the best thing to do is to consult your veterinarian.
Watch for changes in your cat or kitten’s behavior. Things like depression, lethargy, or an unusual lack of interest in eating usually indicate that something is not right. Also pay attention if your cat appears constipated.
You should contact your veterinarian immediately if you notice any of these symptoms.
