All About Hairballs

Why Does My Cat Have Hairballs?

            If you own a cat, you have no doubt seen—or stepped on—a hairball.  I’m not talking about tumble weeds of hair on the carpet due to shedding.  I’m talking about those nasty, wet, cigar-shaped hairballs that are vomited up and always seem to be in the most inappropriate places, like right beside your bed first thing in the morning.  So, what causes your kitty to hack up hairballs, and what can be done to prevent them?

            Hairballs (or the fancy medical term—trichobezoars) are caused when cats swallow hair as a result of grooming themselves.  A cats tongue has barbs on it that pull out loose hair.  They cannot spit it out, so it gets swallowed.  Normally, the hair would move through the intestinal tract and be pooped out as waste, but, sometimes, if the cat ingests a large amount of hair, it will form a mat of hair in the stomach.  This mat may be too large to pass into the intestines or it may cause irritation to the lining of the stomach and this will cause the cat to vomit the hairball.  The classic cigar shape forms as the hair passes through the esophagus or food tube.  Long haired cats may have more problems with hairballs than short coated breeds. 

            Occasional hairballs are normal, but there are some things we can do to reduce the frequency of hairball issues.  Keeping your cat’s long coat brushed daily or clipped short will reduce excess shedding and cut down on the amount of hair ingested.  Brushing short-coated cats is also helpful in removing loose hair.  There are also a variety of cat treats, special diets and pastes or gels that can be used to help the hair move through the intestine instead of being vomited. 

            Once in a while, a very large hairball may cause an intestinal obstruction, though this is rare.  As stated, an occasional hairball is nothing to worry about, but, if your cat vomits hairballs frequently (once a week or more), he or she should visit the vet as kitty may have a medical issue such as a skin problem or anxiety causing over-grooming or a primary gastrointestinal problem causing frequent vomiting unrelated to hair. 

            This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding communities.