Mane Management Exploring Hairball Control Treatments for Cats

The 5 Best Hairball Remedies For Cats

Note: Veterinary review of this article includes only the medical information in this article. The veterinarian reviewing this article does not personally endorse, recommend, or vouch for the efficacy or claims of any product mentioned in this article.

The best hairball remedies do more than help hair slide through your cats body. They treat the problem at its root by supporting overall digestive health.

Thats why we chose Cat Lax as the best hairball remedy on the market. This well known hairball gel contains a blend of ingredients that break up hairballs, prevent new ones from forming, and minimize shedding to keep hairballs at bay.

Before we learn more about Cat Lax and our other top five picks, lets talk about the types of hairball remedies and how they can help.

At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Best Hairball Remedies for Cats

Want a quick look at the products reviewed in this article? In the comparison table below, weve highlighted some of the most important features of each product. Youll find more detailed information about each product later in the article.

Overall Best

9.9

Picked by 31 people today!

• Contains a blend of lubricants
• Most cats like the gels flavor
• Affordable

Runner Up

9.8

Picked by 31 people today!

• Over 1,600 customer reviews, 4.5 star rating
• Cats seem to enjoy the tuna flavor
• Helps lubricate ingested hairs to prevent hairballs

BEST FOR BUDGET

9.6

Picked by 25 people today!

• Rich in omega-3 fatty acids
• Controls hairballs while supporting digestive health
• Most cats like the way the gel tastes

BEST HAIRBALL PREVENTION SUPPLEMENT

9.4

Picked by 21 people today!

• Most reviews are positive
• Made from a blend of well-regarded ingredients
• Appears to be safe for cats

BEST HAIRBALL CONTROL TREAT

9.3

Picked by 18 people today!

• Contains fiber to help move hair through the GI tract
• Features prebiotics and probiotics for digestive health
• Free of potentially-harmful ingredients

Types of Hairball Remedies for Cats

Hairballs form when hair gets stuck or slowed on its way through the digestive tract, allowing it to form into a clump. Once it forms into a clod, hair is unable to continue its journey to the litter box and instead it gets stuck or heads in the opposite direction.

Hairball treatments come in many different forms. You can buy hairball remedies in a tube, try homemade remedies, grow a pot of cat grass, or groom your cat to keep him from ingesting his hair at all.

Some cats with frequent hairballs may have an underlying problem like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that affects motility of their intestines, so diagnosing and treating this could solve their problems.

Heres a quick breakdown of the types of hairball remedies available and how they work.

Fiber

Fiber supplementation helps to bind single strands of hair to food particles, which carry the hairs on their journey towards the colon. By encouraging the hair to move quickly through the body, fiber-based hairball remedies reduce the hairs chances of fusing into a ball and coming back up.

Additionally, a small amount of dietary fiber can help keep the digestive system functioning smoothly, correcting hairball problems at their roots.

Fiber-Based Hairball Remedies

The following are sources of fiber that, when integrated into your cats diet, may help hair move smoothly through the body.

• Psyllium Husk Powder
• Ground Chia Seeds
• Guar Gum
• Powdered Cellulose
• Cat Grass

Lubrication

The second type of hairball remedies includes products that lubricate ingested hairs, preventing them from sticking together.

Petrolatum (Petroleum Jelly)

Petrolatum, also known as petroleum jelly, paraffin oil, or white petrolatum, is a highly refined derivative of petroleum. After its been fully refined, petroleum jelly appears to be safe for cats and people.

If you decide to give your cat petroleum jelly from your medicine cabinet, check the back of the package to ensure that youre giving your cat 100% plain petroleum jelly with no scents or other additives.

Hairball Gels

Most products marketed as hairball remedies are petroleum jelly-based. Others use vegetable oils or beeswax instead of petrolatum. They contain added flavors and sweeteners like malt syrup, fructose, and dextrose.

Butter and Oil

Butter and olive oil are frequently recommended for hairball control, but as digestible fats, theyre more likely to make your cat chubby than keep him from hacking up a furball.

Mineral oil had previously been recommended for hairballs, but it carries the risk of aspiration (going down into the lungs) since it doesnt trigger a cough reflex.

Other Hairball Remedies

Egg yolks have interesting properties for hairball control. They contain choline and lecithin, which work together to, respectively, encourage GI contractions and emulsify the fat that binds hairballs together.

You can provide the anti-hairball power of egg yolks by feeding your cat fresh egg yolks or by giving him an egg yolk lecithin supplement. A safe and effective dose for lecithin has not been established for cats, and most supplements formulated for people contain much more than is present in hairball products for cats.

Slippery elm bark contains soluble fiber, which may help to soothe and lubricate the digestive tract, reducing inflammation and helping the hairball move in the right direction

Dietary Changes

Though hairball-specific cat foods usually focus on fiber alone, this isnt always the right approach.

If your cat is already eating a diet with a little bit of fiber, the best dietary change is finding a food that reduces inflammation. Hairballs often indicate digestive problems and should be approached the same way youd approach any other symptom of gut inflammation, like diarrhea or vomiting.

Typically, this would mean giving your cat a high-protein food made primarily from meat and animal fat. You want as little plant matter as possible. A moisture-rich diet is ideal.

Read Our Article On The Best Cat Food For Hairball Control

Grooming

Finally, you can control hairballs by brushing your cat a couple of times a week. If your cat has a long, thick coat, you might also give him a full-body clip in the warmer months. Capturing loose hair before your cat licks it up is the most reliable means of stopping hairballs.

Read Our Guide To The Best Cat Grooming Brushes

Top 5 Best Hairball Remedies Reviewed

The following hairball remedies are popular, top-rated products that have a reputation for safety and effectiveness. Most are lubricating products, but youll also find a few that take a different approach to hairball control, addressing it as a component of digestive health.

Ultimately, you dont want to have your cat on lubricants and other hairball treatments for the rest of his life. You dont want him to have hairballs.

The above hairball remedies can help, but theyre not a complete solution to the hairball problem.

If your cat coughs up hairballs more than a few times a year, his frequent hacking is probably connected to digestive problems. In this case, he probably doesnt need to be swept out with fiber or lubricated with greasehe might need to go to the veterinarian. Extremely frequent hairballs may be a symptom of organ dysfunction, IBD, and other conditions.

If you determine that your cats hairballs are caused by a digestive issue, you may want to consider treating the hairballs the same way youd treat any chronic digestive problem.

Adjust your cats diet to reduce inflammatory ingredients and consider incorporating probiotics, prebiotics, and omega-3 fatty acids to promote digestive health

Also Read: Best Cat Food for IBD

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.