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Cats Hairballs – Treatment for Hairballs
Hairballs in cats can be rather unpleasant, to say the least. There is nothing quite like treading on a fresh, soggy, slippery hairball while padding around the house in bare feet!
Grooming Causes Cat Hairballs
Cats hairballs form mainly because they tend to spend a lot of time in grooming their coat. Although (most) cats do not like water, they do so much prefer to be fastidiously clean.
To keep up their clean coat they lick their fur regularly. An average cat will spend a lot of their time each day just grooming their coat with their backwards barbed tongue – which is extremely effective in dragging loose hair out.
And usually, a lot of the hair is loose, especially at molting times, and therefore will end up being swallowed by the cat.
Most of the hair that is swallowed will pass through the cat’s digestive tract easily and come out the other end, with no problem at all.
However, sometimes ingested cat fur can become matted up inside the stomach, causing your cat to amass a hairball that is too large to pass easily through her digestive system. When this happens, the cat vomits the hairball up.
If your cat seems to have an abnormally high amount of hairballs, you should talk to your veterinarian.
Cats Hairballs – Hairballs In Cats Can Be REALLY Nasty!
About a quarter of all digestive blockages in cats come from hairballs that they can’t pass or vomit up. This can make your cat very ill.
Huge hairballs about the size of a baseball have been known to form up inside a cat’s stomach. As you can understand, a massive hairball that big could easily kill a cat.
There are a number of cat hairball symptoms that are quite obvious to the observant owner. If your cat is retching frequently, has a change in her digestion, or even has a swollen abdomen, then she may have a problem with a hairball.
Your veterinarian can give your cat flavored medication that your kitty will love. Contained inside are non-digestible oil lubricants that will help your cat get rid of hairballs easier.
If you would prefer to use a natural option, and one with a gentler effect that works very well, then I can highly recommend this natural gel treatment for cats hairballs product: Hairball Chewables
Diet Helps Reduce Hairballs in Cats
Another great way to prevent hairballs in cats from forming is by feeding a proper raw diet. And if necessary, including a fiber supplement.
You can learn about feeding a cat raw food here
Home hairball remedies, on the other hand, are not a good idea – unless you really understand what you are using and how it works. Because they may cause other problems with your cat’s digestive system.
As always, if you are in any doubt at all, get in touch with your veterinarian, who is specially trained to help you to keep your cat health and fighting fit.
When you report health abnormalities to your veterinarian, including hairballs in cats, then you are able to best keep your cat healthy and safe, no matter how many cat hairballs may form.
Recommended natural hairball treatment that helps a lot is available here: Hairball Chewables
EEEwww I hate it when my cat tosses up hairballs. Sometimes they are so slimey and gooey it makes me heave! Just wish it did not happen at all or at least that there was someone else who would clean them up LOL.
Howdy! Those hairballs in you photos look so fowl!