Cat Hairball Information

Hairballs form due to cats grooming themselves.

Cats spend a large portion of their day grooming themselves. Ultimately, loose hair from their body is going to get attached to their tongues and find its way into their stomach. As a responsible pet owner, it is important to understand exactly what a cat hairball is, what you can do to help prevent them from occurring and possible risks a hairball can pose to your cat's health.

Hairball Formation

As the cat grooms itself, stray hairs will inevitably make their way into its mouth and are swallowed. These loose hairs bind together with other hair and food to form a "ball" within the stomach. In most cases, the hairball will simply pass through the cat's digestive system, or the cat will regurgitate the hairball to remove it from its body.

Identification

If you frequently come across slimy, hair-filled blobs of vomit on the floor, you can guarantee your cat often gets hairballs it cannot digest. Frequent hacking and coughing are other indications that your cat suffers from hairball problems.

Effects

The occasional hairball is to be expected and is typically no cause for concern. Continual problems with hairballs, however, do need to be addressed, as a hairball does have the potential to pose life-threatening problems to your pet.

Warnings

If your cat is unable to digest or vomit the hairball, the ball may move into the digestive tract and become stuck. This can cause constipation, which, if left untreated, can cause the cat to become septic and lead to death.

Prevention

There is no way to completely prevent hair from being ingested by your cat, but there are steps you can take to limit the amount of hair consumed to help reduce the risk of large hairballs. Brushing your cat daily will help to remove loose hairs and prevent an excess amount of hair from being present when they groom their bodies. There are also special foods and dietary aids that can be added to your cat's food to help the hairball pass through the body more easily.

References

• Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats; Richard H. Pitcairn D.V.M.; 1995
• The Complete Guide to Holistic Cat Care: An Illustrated Handbook; Celeste Yarnall; 2009
• Cats Explained