Hairballs in Cats: Causes, Symptoms, and Remedies

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The cat is an extremely clean animal. He loves to wash, to have a clean litter box, and well-separated spaces between where you eat and where you sleep. Some cats (especially long-haired ones), if not brushed on a regular basis, exhibit vomiting attacks due to excess hair in the throat and stomach or constipation due to the inability to digest the ingested fleece. In this blog, we’ll discuss causes, symptoms, remedies and all about hairballs in cats

what are the Hairballs?

When we do not brush the hair regularly we cannot even help the growth of new fleece. It will be the cat that is forced to remove it by itself, with the tongue these masses, hair bales are swallowed by the cat and once accumulated, they come out with episodes of vomiting or create problems of constipation and digestion.

A Problem That Can Have Serious Consequences

The cat’s tongue is an extraordinary organ. It is covered with rough protuberances that facilitate the cleaning and removal of ‘old’ hair. Despite this peculiarity it also has a big flaw, it only works toward the inside of the mouth.

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The small protrusions are not made to remove the hair outwards (the cat does not spit) and the cat is therefore obliged to swallow the newly removed hair. When the hair builds up in the stomach, the cat throws up a real hairball.

Health problems can occur when the cat cannot get rid of excess hair by vomiting or through needs. Hairballs cause real corks, called constipation, in the cat’s intestine.

Constipation and Vomiting From Hairballs in the Cat

The two main problems with excessive ingestion of hairballs are vomiting and constipation. In both cases, it is possible to intervene with home remedies that do not always have the desired effects. When our cat has not been producing for two days, it is always best to go to the vet.

How to Prevent Hairballs in Cats

In some seasons (spring and autumn) the cat sheds its hair. In these months it is more common to find abundant bunches of old hair in the home, on the sofa or in the corners. The cat is led to lick more and the risk of suffering an increase in vomiting and constipation is more and more.

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The best way to avoid these problems are:

Brushing the Cat

Brushing to Prevent Hairballs in Cats

Favoring the cleaning of the cat’s hair is certainly one of the best methods to limit the ingestion of hair. To do this we can use special brushes or gloves.

Feeding

Yes, feeding can also help our cat. Choosing anti-hairball foods (i.e. with a rougher and more fiber-rich consistency) helps the cat’s organism to effectively eliminate hairballs.

Supplements or Paste against Bolus

There are many supplements on the market for the control of the elimination of hairballs.

Cat Grass

In nature, to get rid of the stomach, the cat would eat grass. It is a good idea to have catnip at home so that our cat can spiluccla when it feels the need to ‘clean his throat’.

Warnings

Be careful that the cat is not overweight. Chubby cats tend to have multiple hairballs. In addition, they are less active, so hairballs stay longer in the stomach.
Don’t be frightened if the cat is retching and vomiting hairballs. It happens to all cats sooner or later.
Don’t lose patience if prevention methods don’t work immediately. It will take several days or weeks for the situation to improve.

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Tips: How to Help the Cat in the Elimination

A small amount of vegetable oil can be added to dry jelly to act as a lubricant and help the cat get rid of hairballs. You can also rub oil on the animal’s legs, which will lick and swallow it.
If you notice that the cat licks himself too much, give him a new toy he can have fun with. In this way, he will have more to do and lick less.
If the cat continues to gag and vomit even after doing your best to prevent hairballs, take it to the vet. If symptoms persist or are constant, they may be indicative of other gastrointestinal problems.
Try adding canned pumpkin to the cat’s jelly several times during the week. Pumpkin fibers help the cat to get rid of hairballs more easily.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Hairballs in Cats

What to do to Avoid Hairballs?

The cat can only get rid of excess dead hair through vomiting, it is not said that it is right to get it to the limit. We could avoid creating the situation and make sure that the cat does not really need to vomit. Here’s we discuss what we can do to keep the dead hair from depositing on its coat.

When to Be Alarmed If the Cat Vomits Hairballs?

We could say that it is completely natural for the cat to get rid of these masses of hair accumulated in its digestive system, but when should I contact a veterinarian? In fact, there are some signs that should alarm us, for example when the cat:

Can’t defecate,
Often complains,
Cries,
Suffers from lethargy,
Suffers from loss of appetite and does not drink,
Has a swollen abdomen and does not like to be touched,
Retching is frequent.

Can A Cat Die From A Hairball?

No, But if the cat vomits hairball weekly or daily, it can be serious.

Are Cats in Pain When they Have Hairballs?

Hairballs in Cats or Vomiting an irregular hairball is normal for cats. However, if the vomiting is insistent, is frequent it can be painful.

Julia Henriques

Julia Henriques, a pet blogger with 5 years of experience, retired from a 35-year banking career to become the editor of the Pet Rescue Blog in 2019. She's passionate about her pet dog Joy, whom she's had since 2016, and now shares her expertise on pet care and natural healthcare options. Julia resides in Chicago with her partner Marc and their rescued Samoyed, Tarka.