From Furballs to Friskiness How Hairball Control Treats Can Transform Your Cat s Life

How to Help Your Cat Pass a Hairball: 6 Vet-Approved Tips & Tricks

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

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Many cat owners think that hairballs are just a natural part of a cats life and that theres nothing that can be done about them.¹ You may be surprised to learn that cats throwing up hairballs isnt actually normal. While their vomiting an occasional hairball isnt anything to worry about, its more natural for cats to pass hairballs when they poop.

When cat hair has a chance to build up in the stomach, it will eventually become too big and need to be removed. If cats regularly pass hair in their poop, they wont need to vomit big clumps of hair.

In this article, we look at six ways that you can help your cat pass a hairball when they poop, along with tips to help prevent hairballs in the future.

How to Help Your Cat Pass a Hairball

1. Change Their Feeding Schedule

Many cat owners feed their cats two large meals a day. This may not help their digestive systems work regularly. Feeding them smaller meals more frequently throughout the day can help the fur in their stomach be pushed into the intestines.

Take your cats daily food allotment and divide it into four to eight small meals throughout the day. Not only can this keep their digestive system working to remove more hair, but it can also help your cat maintain their weight, feel more satisfied, and have more energy. It has been shown that cats prefer to eat little and often, as this mimics feeding habits in the natural environment.

2. Change Their Food

Switch your cat to a food that is made for hairball control or digestive health. These foods have ingredients in them to help the hair move from the stomach through the digestive tract, so your cat can pass it when they poop. Regularly eating these foods can keep cats from vomiting hairballs regularly. Be sure to transition your cat to a new food properly to avoid stomach issues.

3. Add More Fiber

Adding more fiber to your cats diet will help them have an easier time passing hair through their intestines. Talk to your vet about which fiber supplements will be best to add to your cats food. You can also use canned pumpkin. One teaspoon a day can help give them the fiber that they need to pass the hair easily. Just make sure the pumpkin that you use is plain, pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar and spices that may be harmful to your cat.

4. Use a Hairball Lubricant

Hairball lubricant is a paste or gel that comes in enticing flavors. It lubricates the inside of the cats intestines to get the hair moving. Just put a dab of the lubricant on your cats paw, and they will lick it off. Talk to your vet before starting this routine to make sure its the best solution.

5. Give Your Cat Hairball Control Treats

Hairball control treats give your cat the ingredients necessary to pass hairballs without you having to change their regular food or use a messy gel. Even after your cat has passed the hairball, you can continue giving them these treats to prevent hairball buildup in the future.

6. Use Olive Oil or Fish Oil

Adding fish oil to your cats food can help them pass a hairball naturally. A teaspoon of oil every week should be enough to keep things moving. It also helps with coat conditions.

Preventing and Minimizing Hairballs in Cats

Now that you know how to help your cat pass hairballs, there are a few things that you can do to minimize them and prevent them from occurring. Its impossible to stop hairballs completely because cats swallow hair every time they groom themselves. But with these tips, you can slow their frequency and make them easier for your cat to deal with.

Brush your cat regularly. Your cat may self-groom every day, but the less hair they swallow means less of it will wind up in their stomach. Ideally, you should brush your cat weekly. Brushing daily is even better. The goal is to remove as much loose hair as you can. A bonus is that less hair winds up around your house, too.

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Increase your cats water intake. This is especially helpful if your cat only eats dry kibble. Cats dont normally drink as much water as they should. In addition to offering your cat a fresh, clean water source each day, try to encourage them to drink more. Use a water fountain that might interest them more than a regular bowl of water. You can also add water or broth to their food to give them more moisture. The proper amount of hydration will keep their digestive systems working well.

Conclusion

Hairballs dont have to be a regular part of your cats life. We hope that youve learned a few tips and tricks that you can start doing today to help your cat pass hairballs and be more comfortable. By following our suggestions for preventing hairballs, you can keep them from returning frequently. Remember to always monitor your cat for signs of changes in behavior. There could be a medical reason your cat is vomiting hairballs more frequently. If you notice anything strange, contact your vet right away. Be sure to talk to your vet before you make any changes to your cats diet too.

Featured Image Credit: Suzanne Tucker, Shutterstock

Hairballs in cats: A vet's guide to causes and treatment

If youre like most cat owners, nothing gets you out of bed faster than the characteristic sound of your cat hacking up a hairball in the middle of the night! Although hairballs in cats are typically normal and harmless, too many can be a sign of a problem for your feline friend.

If youre tired of dealing with that slimy mess, dont worry, there are steps you can take to stop hairballs once and for all. Read on to learn more about what causes hairballs in cats and what you can do to treat and prevent them at home, from investing in a good quality cat brush and regularly grooming your cat to over-the-counter remedies.

Symptoms of hairballs in cats

Hairballs are relatively easy to identify at home. If your cat is vomiting large slimy mats of hair, these are hairballs. Hairballs occur as a result of your cats normal grooming behavior. When your cat grooms, hair becomes caught in the barbs on cats tongue.

This hair is then swallowed and passes into the digestive tract. Some hair passes through the digestive tract and into the feces, while some hair accumulates in the stomach and is later expelled by vomiting. Hairballs are more common in long-haired breeds, but short-haired cats can experience them as well. Your cat may also be more prone to hairballs if he or she is over-grooming, which can occur due to anxiety, pain, or itching.

Treatment of hairballs in cats

Hairballs can be a disgusting nuisance, but luckily they are relatively easy to treat. Most hairballs can be remedied with over-the-counter hairball treatments. These products usually contain flavored petroleum jelly, which coats the hair that accumulates in the stomach and acts as a mild laxative to help it pass harmlessly through your cats digestive tract.

Many cats enjoy the taste of these flavored products and will lick them right off of your finger. If your cat is less inclined to eat the hairball treatment, try smearing a small amount on the inside of the cats paws so that they will have to lick it off to clean themselves, thus ingesting the product in the process.

In rare cases, hair accumulation in your cats digestive tract may become severe enough to cause a blockage, requiring hospitalization and surgery to address the problem. This is why it is important to stay on top of your cats grooming and prevent hairballs whenever possible.

Preventing hairballs in cats

The best way to prevent hairballs in your cat is through regular grooming. Long-haired cats require daily brushing to help remove loose hair and prevent hairballs, while short haired cats may only need to be brushed weekly or every other week depending on the cats grooming behavior.

If you cant groom your cat at home, regular visits to a professional groomer or your veterinary clinic can help keep your feline friend looking sleek and shiny.The same petroleum-based medication used to treat hairballs in cats can also be given regularly as a preventive to help hair pass through the digestive tract without forming hairballs.

There are also many hairball prevention treats, chews, and diets on the market which use similar formulations to help hairballs move along your cats digestive tract. Your veterinarian is a great resource to recommend a product that can keep your cat hairball free.

When to visit the veterinarian

Hairballs are a common and normal occurrence in cats, but they shouldnt happen more than once every week or so. If your cat is having frequent hairballs despite providing appropriate preventive care, it may be time to see your veterinarian.

Frequent hairballs can be an early sign that your cat is over-grooming, which can occur due to anxiety, pain, stress, itching, or certain skin conditions. It is especially important to visit your veterinarian if your cats hairballs are accompanied by any other symptoms, such as a loss of appetite, lethargy, diarrhea, or a change in behavior.

These symptoms can be a sign of a more serious condition, such as an intestinal obstruction, and should be addressed immediately. Similarly, if your cat is vomiting substances other than hair, its time for a trip to the vet to get to the bottom of the problem.

Is it a hairball or a cough?

Pet owners will often describe their cats as trying to bring up a hairball or having a hairball that is stuck. If your cat is hacking unproductively, it may not be hairballs at all! In many cases, this hacking is actually your cat coughing. Cats can cough for many reasons, including asthma, upper respiratory infections, pneumonia, and heart disease.

These are all much more serious conditions than hairballs, so it is important to see your veterinarian if you suspect your cat may be coughing. If your cat hacks as if he or she is trying to produce a hairball but never actually brings anything up, this is a sign that your cat may be coughing and should see a veterinarian.

Conclusion

Feline hairballs are more than just a messy nuisance; they can also be a sign of a problem! If your cat is having more hairballs than usual or has hairballs frequently, then it may be time for a visit to your veterinarian to look for underlying problems. The good news is that most simple hairball problems can be managed with regular grooming and over the counter preventive medications.

However, hairballs can become severe if left unmanaged, so its important not to let this hairy problem go untreated. Be sure to groom your cat regularly, and monitor your cat for any other symptoms, like lethargy, loss of appetite, or coughing, which could indicate a more serious problem than hairballs alone. As always, consult your veterinarian if you have any lingering concerns about your cats health or behavior.