Why Hairballs? What Can You Do?
Have you ever had your heart skip a beat when you hear your precious kitty coughing and gagging, only to find them coughing up yet another hairball (which you then have to clean up). Hairballs are not dangerous, though they can be unpleasant for your cat if they get stuck in her or his digestive system. Hairballs are something that all cat owners have to deal with at some point in their lives, so here I answer the question: why hairballs? what can you do?
Where do hairballs come from?
Grooming is an essential part of a cat’s daily life. As you can see practically every six seconds (ok, maybe a bit of an exaggeration), cats use their tongues to groom the fur all over their body on a regular basis. During this process, they manage to swallow quite a bit of their own hair which can clump together to form hairballs in their throat. Cats cannot digest hairballs, and having them lingering around in their digestive tracts can cause irritation. So what can you do about it?
Most cat owners do not have to do anything, as cats have their own ways of getting rid of hairballs. Cats can nibble on grass to help themselves throw up hairballs, or they simply cough until the hairball is gone. But, if your kitty seems to be having trouble coughing up a hairball, or if they seem listless and like they have got an irritation in their gut, make sure to get them to the vet right away as they might have a large hairball that will need to be removed professionally.
Grooming
Long haired breeds of cats (such as Persian cats) can be particularly at risk from big hairballs. One way to help them out is to do a little grooming yourself. Buy some special cat brushes and gently brush out your long haired cat’s fur. As well as being a great bonding ritual, this will help to rid them of some of the loose hairs that could turn into hairballs were they to lick them up themselves.
Grass
As mentioned above, cats nibble on grass because it stimulates them to throw up (something that cats can actually find pleasurable) and thus get rid of any annoying hairballs that have been irritating them. So, letting your kitty out to play on the lawn (as long as it hasn’t been chemically treated) or providing them with a little pot of indoor grass of their own will enable them to get rid of hairballs the natural way.
Specialty products
If your cat has a particular problem with hairballs, there are various remedies that you can buy from your veterinarian or over the counter at the pet supply store. These include laxative remedies that help pets to get rid of hairballs and pastes that cats ingest orally which lubricate the hairballs and make it easier for the cat to cough it up. Make sure to get professional advice before administering one of these remedies, though, as you do not want to make the problem worse!
So, hopefully this has answered your question of why hairballs? What can you do? Leave us a comment to let us know how you deal with the dreaded hairballs.
Meow for now … Kristian Taylor
