Hairballs are one of the less pleasant aspects of having a cat - walking into a room a noticing a strange lumpy present the cat has left on the floor for you to clean up.
But more than the inconvenience, hairballs can also be a cause of health issues including intestinal blockages.
So is there anything that can be done to minimalize hairballs? Causes Hairballs are the result of the normal process of grooming that all cats have to keep their coat in good condition.
When a cat grooms themselves, the tiny hooks on their tongue catch up the loose and dead hair and swallow it.
Most all of this hair continues through the digestive tract without problem but some can stay in the stomach and this is when a hairball is formed.
Cats then vomit this hairball to clear it from their stomach and it normally comes out tubular in shape due to the shape of the oesophagus it has to pass through to do this.
Longhair breeds such as the Persian are most likely to get hairballs, as are cats who groom excessively because they are taking in more hair than they should do.
Cats often don't have hairballs when they are kittens but start getting them as they grow up but this is normal - as kittens their grooming is less effective than as adults, meaning there is more hair in the system to create hairballs.
Symptoms of a hairball Seeing and hearing a cat getting a hairball out of their system can be concerning as symptoms include hacking, gagging and retching following by the vomiting of the hairball.
However, there are some symptoms that are a sign of a problem further than just the normal elimination of accumulated hair.
If you notice any of the following, you should get in touch with your vet immediately.
These include: • Ongoing vomiting, gagging, retching or hacking without vomiting up a hairball • Lack of appetite • Lethargic • Constipation or diarhea Can hairballs be prevented? Normal hairballs cannot be stopped, as they are a normal part of the grooming process but there are some things that can be done to reduce the frequency of the hairballs or the likelihood of them occurring.
The first step is to regularly groom the cat, helping to remove the excess fur so there is less chance that the hair will accumulate in their stomach.
Either combing or brushing the cat on a daily basis will help to reduce hairballs and is also a great way to bond with the cat.
If your cat really won't let you groom them it may be worth looking at taking them to a professional groomer on a regular basis and occasionally even having a haircut for longhaired cats.
There are special formula foods designed to help reduce the chance of a hairball that are high in fibre and get the cat's coat into top condition so there is less shedding and hairballs don't accumulate.
There are also hairball products that ease the passing of a hairball and even a type of laxative to help them pass the hair in an alternative method.
If your cat is an excessive groomer, it might be worth speaking to a cat behaviourist to try to chance their behaviour and stop the overgrooming.
There are also lots of articles about the subject on the internet that might offer useful tips.