How to Prevent Hairballs and Vomiting for Your Cat

Hairballs are natural occurrences for cats – they lick themselves to stay clean, but accumulate hair in their digestive systems due to their rough tongues. Eventually the hair ‘balls” up in the stomach and the cat vomits up a lovely present on the rug. (My cat prefers to return my love by horking on my bed. Awww.) Additionally, some cats seem to vomit for no reason, which can lead to digestive problems and severe tooth, mouth, and throat problems. It’s almost impossible to completely eliminate hairballs and vomiting, but there are steps you can take to improve the situation.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cat brush
• Hairball remedy
• Flea treatment supplies, such as shampoo, collar, or powder

1. 
    

   For starters, ensure that your cat is free of fleas and other parasites. Use special shampoo or powder. If your cat goes outside, you might want to consider treating your lawn for fleas. Even better, use a topical solution like Advantage or Frontline for superior pest prevention. These can be purchased online fairly easily, and all you have to do is squeeze a small amount of liquid onto the back of your cat’s neck every few weeks.

2. 
    

   Brush your cat regularly. This will help remove loose hair, reducing the amount of hair your kitty will ingest. Plus, most cats love the extra attention.

3. 
    

   Buy an inexpensive hairball remedy such as Hartz or Laxatone. These remedies are thick pastes that act as laxatives, breaking up the hairball and allowing your cat to pass the hairball through the digestive system. Simply smear a little of the paste on your cat’s paw according to the directions, and your cat will lick it off. Most of these remedies are flavored to encourage kitty to lick. Be careful, though – giving kitty too much of the remedy will cause diarrhea and discomfort. There are also chewable supplements available to help with hairballs if the paste remedies are not effective.

4. 
    

   Many cats are “gulpers;” they take in large bites of food and swallow with little or no chewing. This might cause them to vomit, especially if they already have a hairball brewing. Try feeding your cat smaller amounts of food more often throughout the day. Don’t keep the bowl full – domesticated cats sometimes don’t know when they’re full and overeat.

5. 
    

   Sometimes your cat’s food is to blame for vomiting. Try soaking dry food in water to soften it. Or perhaps your cat has a food allergy. Most of the popular brands contain preservatives and dyes that might irritate kitty’s tummy. Try buying a small amount of organic cat food and blending some in with their normal food and see if this makes a difference. Talk to your vet before you switch your cat’s food.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure your cat has plenty of fresh water available at all times.
• Keep your cat’s food and water bowls clean – wash them regularly.
• It might sound gross, but check your cat’s stool regularly to determine if he/she is passing blood, mucus, or has excessive diarrhea.
• If you decide to switch your cat’s food, do it gradually – blend in small amounts of the new food with the old food, then increase the amounts until your cat is weaned onto the new food.
• Take your cat to the vet if he/she vomits frequently or has severe diarrhea.

[staysik]

on 3/10/2009 Very very good tips!! I brush our little kitty A LOT. That really seems to help!

[FrazzledNanny]

on 2/16/2009 I love your pictures! Great article full of helpful advice and useful tips. Thanks! 5*

[kaylakitty]

on 1/14/2009 Excellent advice. Some of the tips should be done even if your cat isn't sick, like keeping the water bowl clean...If you just refill it without washing it gets slimy with kitty drool. Also, my kitten was throwing up alot (5-10 times a day) and it turned out he had worms, so that is another thing to check for.