In the process of grooming, cats ingest a significant amount of their fur, which can complicate their digestion. Hair cannot be broken down by the digestive process, and it doesn't pass easily through a cat's gastrointestinal tract also, while some of the swallowed hair is expelled in the stool, the rest of it forms a dense hairball that the cat vomits up. If you see your cat in this situation, don’t worry. Take some comfort in the fact that you're not alone in your fight against dreaded cat hairballs. Here are some answers on how to reduce those cringe-worthy piles of hair. But first, let’s dive into the article to get some knowledge about hairball in the cat.
What Are Hairballs?
Hairball in cats is not a disease, it is just a cat’s habit to release their hair out of their body. The cat owners all know that the cat spends most of their time grooming themselves frequently. Their rough tongues remove dirt, debris, and loose fur, which they then swallow. Typically, the hair passes through the stomach and digestive system without a problem. If a large amount gets stuck, however, your cat can throw it up, producing a hairball.
Normally, hair ingested by your cat passes through her intestinal tract and is expelled into the litter box. But when the hair accumulates in the stomach or esophagus and isn't digested, she gets rid of the hair by vomiting it up. The form differs from cat to cat, but most frequently hairballs are cylindrical due to their trip up the narrow esophagus. It's not uncommon if you observe that your baby is vomiting more than usual, take him to the vet.
Symptoms of Hairballs in Cats
It can be disturbing to watch (and hear) your cat eliminating a hairball. Some common hairball symptoms include hacking, gagging, and retching. Usually, your cat will then vomit the hairball in relatively short order.
If you notice the following hairball symptoms, be sure to contact your veterinarian, as they could indicate that a hairball has caused a potentially life-threatening blockage:
- Ongoing vomiting, gagging, retching, or hacking without producing a hairball
- Lack of appetite
- Lethargy
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
How Can We Manage & Prevent Hairballs?
Three ways can help you to minimize hairballs in your cat. Let’s check it out.
1.Help your cat to groom
Cats are excellent self-groomers. If your cat sheds a lot, however, they may swallow a lot of the loose fur, which increases the likelihood of a hairball. You can help to decrease the risk by brushing them periodically. You should groom your cat to reduce shedding.
Regular brushing sessions will keep your cat from ingesting loose hair through self-grooming. Your brushing won't keep your cat from self-grooming but will reduce the amount of hair they ingest. Ideally, you should brush your cat at least once or twice a week. If your cat has long hair, you may want to brush them more often. Some cats benefit from daily brushing.
Some cats enjoy brushing, while others may not. If your cat falls into the second category, consider wearing grooming gloves instead of using a brush. With these pet-friendly gloves, your cat will feel like they’re being petted rather than brushed. If they’re resistant to brushing and petting, you could also consider shaving the hair down.
2. Choose the right shampoo
There are products on the market such as shampoo that prevent hairballs by controlling shedding. You should choose shampoo suitable for the cat’s type of coat. Check put some VEMEDIM shampoo to pick up the suit one for your cats.
3. Use supportive product
Understanding of the cat owner, VEMEDIM has researched and released Hairball cure - a nutritional supplement gel with natural lipid and fiber to be fed to cats above 6-month-old. It helps pets have a healthy coat, improve digestion and prevent the formation of hairball in the gastrointestinal tract and its associated problems such as constipation and vomiting as well. Click to the Hairball cure to explore right now!
REFERENCES
- https://petoi.vn/blog/lam-the-nao-de-ngan-bui-long-o-meo/
- https://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/what-to-do-about-hairballs-in-cats#1