Mary Allen
Hairballs are just annoying for the cat. If you follow these tips, you will make life much easier for your velvet paw.
Cats are known to use their tongues to clean themselves: the easiest way to remove loose hair from the coat is to “brush” it with it every day.
The problem with this, however, is that the cat’s stomach cannot digest the hair. Although small amounts of hair are normally excreted through the intestines, larger amounts of hair can form a hairball that sooner or later has to be vomited out.
This is also completely normal and nothing to worry about. However, you should take a closer look in these cases: You should do this if the cat vomits.
However, it becomes problematic when the ball is already so big that the cat can no longer choke it out on its own. In the worst case, this can cause serious damage to health, such as a blockage in the stomach or even intestinal obstruction. And it can even be life-threatening for the animal!
Cats and hairballs – what you need to know about them
Especially long-haired breeds such as B. the Maine Coon and those cats that have a lot of undercoats are very susceptible to hairballs.
To make it easier for them to regurgitate, cats usually look for coarse pieces of plants such as a blade of grass or a blade of the houseplant. This stimulates the gag reflex and the bunion can move up more easily.
In principle, it is not a problem if the cat can excrete the hairball in this way, but the house cats often attack their owners’ favorite plants. And be careful, because these plants are poisonous to cats.
It is therefore important to provide enough cat grass and also to think about how to prevent hairballs from developing. We have summarized two important tips for this.
Tip 1: Supplementary nutrition to prevent hairballs
Special dietary supplements, such as malt pastes, which have a high-fat content, are suitable for making the hair “slip” better so that the animal can excrete it naturally.
For this, however, a regular intake of high-fat products such as these is mandatory – and this is not a good idea for animals that are already overweight.
However, there are also some food manufacturers who offer special food that prevents the formation of hairballs. However, there is no guarantee that the cat will tolerate the special food. This must be checked in advance.
Tip 2: Regular grooming
The cat certainly cares for its fur itself to a certain extent, but it doesn’t do any harm if the master or mistress gives a helping hand.
The cat’s fur should be brushed off regularly with a soft brush – ideally once a day for long-haired breeds. In this way, you avoid swallowing large amounts of hair because a large part of it has already been brushed out of the fur beforehand.
Take your time and groom your cat’s fur in this way. You’ll see, your cat will love you for it! It also strengthens the bond with the cat.