Effective Ways to Aid Your Cat in Passing Hairballs

Hairballs are a common challenge for cat owners, resulting from your feline’s meticulous grooming habits. While most swallowed fur passes naturally through their digestive system, occasional blockages can lead to discomfort, retching, and even potential health complications. Helping your cat manage and pass hairballs effectively is essential for their well-being.

What Are Hairballs?

The main reason why cats vomit hairballs is because when they are self-cleaning, they use their tongues to comb through their fur and will inevitably swallow some hairs. These hairs cannot be digested in the cat's stomach, and over time, these hairs will form a hairball in the stomach. When the hairball becomes large enough or causes discomfort, the cat's body will naturally expel it by vomiting. 

Causes of Cat Vomiting Hairballs

• Self-cleaning: cats swallow some hairs when they are self-cleaning and combing their fur with their tongues.
• Hair is indigestible: these hairs cannot be digested in the cat's stomach.
• Hairball formation: Over time, these hairs will form a hairball in the stomach.
• Vomiting out: when the hairball becomes large enough or causes discomfort, the cat's body will naturally expel it by vomiting.

Symptoms of Clogged Hairballs in Cats

• Dry heaving: your cat may dry heave frequently, especially after eating. This is because the hairball irritates the stomach and causes discomfort. 
• Vomiting: Cats may vomit up hairballs or liquids with hair in them. If the hairball obstruction is severe, the cat may not be able to expel the hairball through vomiting. 
• Loss of appetite: As the hairball blocks the digestive system, the cat may experience a loss of appetite. This is because the hairball affects the normal digestion and absorption of food. 
• Constipation or diarrhea: Hairballs may block the intestinal tract, causing your cat to experience constipation. Hairballs may also cause diarrhea if they irritate the intestines. 
• Loss of Spirit: The cat may show depression and inactivity due to physical discomfort. 
• Abdominal swelling: If the hairball obstruction is severe, it may lead to abdominal swelling. This is due to gas and food not being able to pass properly through the digestive system. 

If your cat is experiencing any of these symptoms, it is advisable to take him to the veterinarian promptly so that he can be diagnosed and treated. Ways to prevent hairball obstruction include regular grooming of your cat's coat, feeding her a hair gel or cat grass, and choosing a cat food that contains fiber to help the hairballs pass through the digestive system smoothly. 

How to Handle When Cat Vomits Hairballs?

I. Observe the vomit and the cat's state

• Characteristics of vomit

Look carefully at the vomit, if there is only a small amount of hair and the cat's mental state is normal and its appetite is not affected, this may be a normal phenomenon of excreting hairballs.
If there is a large amount of hair, undigested food, or abnormal substances such as blood or bile in the vomit, special attention is needed.

• Cat Spirit and Appetite

Observe the cat's mental state after vomiting hairballs. If it is still active and curious about its surroundings, it may not be a problem.
If the cat becomes depressed, lethargic or completely uninterested in food, further examination is required.

II. Take appropriate measures

1. Daily care measures

• Provide cat grass or hair-altering cream 

If you have cat grass growing at home, you can let your cat forage for itself. Cat grass is rich in fiber, which helps stimulate intestinal peristalsis and prompts the elimination of hairballs.
If you do not have cat grass, you can feed your cat hair-chemical cream. Follow the instructions on the use of hair-reducing cream and feed the cat the appropriate amount according to its weight, for example, small cats can be fed 3 - 5 cm of hair-reducing cream per day.

• Grooming

Brush your cat's hair with a special comb for pets, which will reduce the amount of hair your cat swallows during the licking process. Brush once a day, especially during the hair changing season, to increase the frequency of combing.

2. Adjust the diet

• Oils for Lubrication

  Small amounts of healthy oils can help lubricate the digestive tract:

  • Olive Oil: Mix ½ teaspoon into your cat’s food once or twice a week.
  • Fish Oil: Provides omega-3 fatty acids and aids in hairball prevention.

• Add dietary fiber

Add some dietary fiber-rich food to the cat's food in moderation, such as pumpkin puree (made of pure pumpkin without sugar or additives), and add 1 - 2 tablespoons every 1 - 2 days to help the hairballs to be discharged with the feces.

• Increase water intake

Adequate water intake can help hairballs move through the intestines and facilitate elimination. 

• Use corkscrew (under veterinary guidance)

If your cat develops a hairball obstruction and is unable to expel it on its own, you can use corkscrew to help expel it under the guidance of your veterinarian. 

• Probiotics

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Probiotics can regulate intestinal flora, enhance intestinal peristalsis and help hairballs to be discharged. You can choose pet-specific probiotic products and use them according to the instructions.

III. Seek medical attention if necessary

If your cat vomits hairballs frequently (e.g. multiple times a day), or shows other abnormal symptoms such as loss of spirit, loss of appetite, constipation, diarrhea, etc., you should take your cat to the veterinary hospital promptly. The veterinarian will determine the cat's health condition through palpation, X-ray and other means of examination, and give appropriate treatment, such as the use of medication to promote gastrointestinal motility.

How to Prevent Your Cat from Spitting Hairballs?

I. Hair management aspects

• Regular grooming

Frequency: It is recommended to brush the cat's hair every day. For short-haired cats, comb for 5 - 10 minutes daily; for long-haired cats, comb for 15 - 20 minutes daily.
Tools: Use a comb that suits the length and texture of the cat's hair, such as a pin comb or row comb. Combing should be gentle and meticulous, starting from the cat's head and combing in the direction of hair growth to the tail, so as to remove floating hairs and shedding hairs on the cat's body, and to reduce the amount of hair swallowed by the cat when licking the hair.

• Keep the hair clean

According to the cat's living environment and hair condition, bathe the cat regularly. Generally bathe every 1 - 3 months. Use pet-specific bathing products to avoid irritating your cat's skin. Clean hair is less likely to harbor stray hairs and also reduces the amount of hair swallowed by the cat when licking the hair.

II. Dietary adjustments

• Choosing the right cat food

Ingredients: Choose cat food that contains the right amount of fiber ingredients. Fiber can promote intestinal peristalsis in cats, which helps the hair to move and be discharged in the intestinal tract.
Brand: Choose a well-known brand of cat food with a good reputation to ensure the quality and nutritional balance of the cat food, to avoid poor nutrition resulting in poor quality cat hair, which is easy to fall off and be swallowed.

• Provision of hair-altering products

Hair-altering cream: You can feed your cat hair-altering cream regularly. Generally small cats are fed 1 - 2 times per week, 3 - 5 centimeters each time; medium-sized cats 2 - 3 times per week, 5 - 8 centimeters each time; and large cats 3 - 4 times per week, 8 - 10 centimeters each time.

Cat grass: Plant cat grass such as wheat grass and oat grass at home. When the cat grass grows to about 7 - 10 cm, let the cat feed itself. The fiber in the cat grass can stimulate the cat's intestinal peristalsis, prompting the hair to be discharged with the feces.

III. Living Environment

• Reduce stressors

Provide a quiet, comfortable and stable living environment for the cat. Avoid frequent moving, changing furniture and other situations that may cause stress to the cat. Cats may lick hair excessively when stressed, thus increasing the amount of hair swallowed.

• Provide enough space for activities

Ensure that the cat has enough space for activities, such as setting up toys such as cat climbing frames and cat scratching boards. Proper activity can boost your cat's metabolism, which will help with hair health and reduce the amount of hair shedding.

When to See a Veterinarian

Contact your vet if your cat:

• Cannot pass a hairball after several attempts.
• Shows signs of lethargy, constipation, or abdominal pain.
• Stops eating or drinking.
• Vomits frequently or produces no hairball after repeated gagging.

In rare cases, a hairball may cause a blockage requiring medical intervention.

Related: Understanding and Addressing Lethargy in Cats

FAQs

Conclusion

Helping your cat pass a hairball involves using remedies like hairball gels, fiber, and oils while ensuring proper hydration and grooming. With regular care and preventative measures, you can reduce the frequency of hairballs and keep your feline friend healthy. If symptoms persist, always consult your veterinarian to rule out more serious issues. For more tips on cat care, bookmark this page and share it with other cat owners!