Hairballs

What Are Hairballs?

It's three o'clock in the morning. You've just woken up to the sound of your cat hacking up a symphony and you get up to investigate. Your feet hit the ground only to land on something warm and squishy. No, it's not a contender for the litter box you've just stepped in, it's something completely foreign looking, akin to a water-logged mouse. In fact, you've just had an encounter with a hairball.

Hairballs are the bane of every cat owner's existence, and if you share your home with a feline, you're bound to find one sooner or later. These noxious masses are the by-product of your cat's self-grooming. As she licks her fur, some of it is naturally caught on the rough surface of the tongue and is swallowed.

Since hair is very difficult to digest, it becomes mixed with undigested bits of food. Eventually the mass becomes compacted and uncomfortable, and must be brought up out of the stomach. Otherwise, it runs the risk of becoming lodged inside of the intestinal tract, causing constipation and a possible intestinal blockage. To rid herself of the problem, your cat must spend considerable time and effort coughing up the wad until it is expelled. Not a pleasant experience for man or beast.

Tell-Tale Signs

The following symptoms may indicate your cat is harboring a hairball.

• Listlessness
• No interest in food
• Unkempt coat
• Presence of hair in hard stools
• The sound of your cat coughing

Treatment and Prevention

Grooming

You can limit your cat's formation of hairballs with regular grooming. Treat your feline to a nice brushing about two to three times each week. This will remove a lot of dead hair that would otherwise wind up in Kitty's mouth as she cleans herself.

Diet

Many cat food manufacturers offer a hairball formula diet that is designed to inhibit their formation.

Home remedies include feeding butter or squash baby food to your cat. Butter is thought to help loosen the hair clod, and the extra fiber found in squash is believed to help keep the mass moving out of the digestive tract.

Commercial Remedies

Their are a number of gels, liquids and granules on the market to assist with the decomposition and passage of hairballs. The problem is, some of these solutions contain high quantities of mineral oil. Mineral oil is useful for lubricating a clod, but it also leaches Vitamin A from your cat's system. Items containing mineral oil must be used sparingly, if at all.

Conclusion

The old adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" certainly applies to dealing with cats and hairballs. Some routine grooming and a little added nutritional lubricant to your pet's diet will go a long way toward staving off a hairy situation.

Remember that when your cat gives you that next early morning wake up call.