Treating Feline Hairballs

Although the causes of hairballs are shared among cats, prevention can be attained through a number of treatments. Hairballs, or trichobezoars, are an inevitable result of the cat's regular grooming habits. Likewise, their very often loud and melodramatic expulsion is just as common as the hairballs themselves. One might notice a cat arching its back and releasing loud choking and coughing sounds, only to then vomit a ball of fur that is very often mixed with food. Self-grooming is part of the cat's nature, and over time, hair can build within the digestive tract and cause intestinal blockage, thus making it difficult for cats to eat. One should not panic when noticing these behaviors: they can and often do sound horrible and painful, and the cat might seem like it is choking and unable to breathe, but just relax. These occurrences are part of owning a cat and they can be prevented.

If one notices a cat regularly vomiting its food, a hairball could very well be the cause. The cat will continue to vomit until the hairball is finally discharged from the system, but there are a number of remedies one can undertake for prevention.

1) Brushing

Brushing your cat is the most obvious way of eliminating excess hair. It also can be a great bonding experience between owner and cat. By ridding the excess hair, when the cat next grooms, there will be less excess hair for the cat to ingest.

2) Specialized diet food

There are a number of hairball prevention foods, and whether to go with moist or dry really depends on the cat's preference. Jennifer Larsen, DVM, PhD told WebMD: "Some cats benefit from the higher moisture content of wet food, which makes their urine more dilute. But most cats do fine on dry. It's an issue of personal preference." Many also recommend a high fiber diet to aid in gastrointestinal mobility, but high fiber is not without its drawbacks. According to http://www.catsofaustralia.com/ more fiber will result in a higher concentration of urine, thereby increasing the risk for urinary tract infections.

3) Gastrointestinal lubricant

So what if your cat is exhibiting hairball symptoms and you want to know how to rid your cat of them? The best way of ridding blockage is via way of gastrointestinal lubrication. One of the cheapest to buy (and one that depending on your cat's preference could either love or hate) is canned pumpkin, which works as a natural laxative. Giving your cat a teaspoon of canned pumpkin a day for about 10-14 days is a great way to loosen the gut and expel all the hair that remains within it. As result, the stools might be softer than usual. Yet if you find that you cat does not like canned pumpkin, there are a number of commercial hairball remedies that offer a pungent smell that is appealing and tasty to cats.

Please note that excessive hairballs and vomiting (such as several times a week) could be the signs of more serious ailments. Be on the look for any kind of lethargy or lack of appetite, for these symptoms could indicate a digestive problem that would require treatment from a veterinarian in order to ensure both hairball prevention and the overall health of your cat.