Cats and Their Hairballs

Cats groom themselves daily and you may notice your cat only grooms one area at a time. They typically will clean their muzzle and face after eating and then later may groom their sides and stomach when they are readying for a nap. While this is great for their fur, appearance, and part of their natural instinct to keep clean the hair they ingest can become a problem for them and you.

Their fur does not pass easily through their digestive tract and and does not break down. Usually, it can be passed through but sometimes it beomes so dense that they have no other choice but to vomit up the hair. This is uncomfortable for them and a gross cleanup for you.

It is normal for your cat to have a hairball now and then but if it becomes a frequent problem it can be dangerous. Hairballs cause blockages and can make it nearly impossible to ingest food or use the litterbox.

A few signs that your cat might in distress are:

1: vomitting up undigested food

2: dry heaving

3: unable to use the litterbox

4: swollen or bloated stomach

If you believe your cat is severely blocked, a trip to the vet is needed and should be done quickly.

Some preventative tips are as follows:

1: brush your cat regularly to help remove loose hair and dust from their body

2: try using hairball control cat food which contains some more oils than regular cat food

3: add some fiber to their diet such as growing cat grass

4: give your cat some hairball remedy treatment on a regular basis such as petromalt. Do not make your own.

5: make sure you cat always has fresh, clean water

6: add a little water to their food