Taming the Feline Hairball
Duncan is the only long-haired cat of a household pack of four. He’s also the oldest and acts as the groomer of all the other cats. That means poor Duncan is swallowing his hair as well as the others, making him particularly prone to vomiting hairballs.
Hairballs, though seemingly so common and often the topic of jokes, can actually become a serious health issue for your cat. Hairballs can cause impactions by blocking the intestines.
Signs of Hairballs
A tubular, tightly packed mass on the floor, sometimes accompanied by vomit and regurgitated food, is a clear sign of a hairball. Other signs are constipation, lethargy, refusal to eat, cough and matted coat. Though hairballs are a routine occurrence in a healthy cat’s life, if your cat is vomiting more than a hairball a month, he needs more attention.
Preventing Hairballs
Some cats, like long-hairs, are more prone to getting hairballs than others. Cats that are not brushed routinely will also have a greater likelihood of developing hairballs.
Hairball prevention is simple and inexpensive. A routine program of daily brushing will help reduce the amount of hair your cat swallows, which then reduces his chances of developing hairballs. In the case of a cat such as Duncan mentioned previously, all the cats in the household should be routinely brushed even if they are short haired. (A side benefit is that a routine brushing program will put less cat hair on your rug and sofa!)
Most cats enjoy brushing as it’s another form of grooming. (Duncan actually knows the word “brush” and comes trotting happily to his owner when he says it.)
In addition to brushing, hairball remedies available in pet stores, such as petrolatum-based hairball treatments like Laxatone, act as a lubricating laxative by coating the hair swallowed by the cat and allowing it to pass through the cat’s gastrointestinal tract without clumping into a ball. Plus, the treatment coats the colon and makes the cat’s bowel movement softer and easier to pass. Treatments are often used for two-three days and involve feeding a small ribbon of paste to the cat. (If your cat is like Duncan, he won’t take it willingly by mouth, so dabbing the ribbon on his paw forces him to lick it off—much to his annoyance.)
Another option for cats who won’t take the hairball remedy is finding hairball remedy treats that they may find tastier. (Duncan likes those!) Manufacturers of these treats include Pounce, Petromalt, Friskies and ProPlan among others.
Also, many cat food manufacturers offer food formulated to address hairball problems. Most formulas contain additional fiber for hairball prevention by pushing the hair through the cat’s system.
Purina’s ProPlan and One Advanced Nutrition hairball formulas employ a new technology based on a soy lecithin emulsifier that prevents fat in the cat’s stomach contents to combine with the undigested hair and forming a hairball. Instead, researchers say the hairball is broken up and can pass through the cat’s digestive system more easily. Ask your veterinarian if you are considering changing your cat’s diet and whether these formulas may help your cat’s hairball situation.
Some pet owners, especially those who prefer to prepare home-made diets for their cats, have found benefit in home remedies in hairball prevention. A teaspoon of unsweetened canned pumpkin is thought to have laxative benefits. Similarly, adding ½ teaspoon or so of butter to a cat’s diet twice a week may help ease hairball symptoms.
Hairballs are a nuisance that can turn into a severe and potentially expensive health emergency for your cat. Prevention is easy and affordable.