Cat Hairballs And How To Remove And Prevent Them.
Prevention is the Key to Controlling Cats’ Hairballs
If you’re a cat owner, chances are you’ve learned to live and deal with hairballs.
We find them unpleasant to clean up, but for our cats they can be more than undesirable – they can be dangerous. Hairballs in cats and other animals that prevent digested food from passing through the digestive tract can be deadly. Impacted hairballs require veterinarian care to remove and some cases even call for surgery.
Just coughing up a hairball can be traumatic and uncomfortable for your cat, never mind having to take him or her to the vet for an emergency enema or surgery.
You can avoid a lot of stress on your cat and yourself and save a lot of unnecessary vet bills by taking steps to prevent hairballs from becoming a problem in the first place.
Brushing for Hairball Prevention
One thing you can do is of course, brush your cat. No matter how many times cat owners hear this many still don’t take the advice, especially if their cats are short haired. Maybe you do a good job brushing right after a hairball incident, but then let your best efforts slip by the wayside. Our cats keep themselves looking so clean, it’s easy to forget we really should be brushing them.
You will need to brush your cat several times a week. It doesn’t have to be a long, intensive grooming session. Just a few minutes of brushing is all it will take to help prevent hairballs. It doesn’t really even matter what sort of brush you use, although slicker brushes may remove the most hair. It’s better to find and use a brush your cat likes than to try to force him to tolerate one he hates.
Brushing can be a great time to take another preventative step in controlling hairballs. You can take the opportunity to make sure your cat’s skin is healthy. Dry skin, bald patches, bumps or wounds can cause or be a sign of excess licking. This in turn can of course lead to more hairballs. Be sure to take your cat to the vet at the first sign of any skin condition for his comfort and health.
Hairball Treatment Regimens
In addition to brushing you’ll also want to start using some type of hairball prevention formula. Some cat owners swear by home remedies such as fish oil, olive oil, Vaseline or canned pumpkin. Talk to your veterinarian before you decide to try out a home hairball remedy. Hairball treatments can be purchased over the counter and are not overly expensive. Commercial products are specially formulated for cats and may be easier to dose and for your cat to digest.
Fresh Catnip and Cat Grass
One home remedy you can safely offer your cat is fresh cat nip and cat grass you grow yourself. You can purchase seeds at a farm store or from a pet shop and plant fresh greens for your cat to chew on indoors. This can help prevent your cat from eating houseplants or outdoor vegetation that could be harmful or even toxic. The added roughage may help move hairballs through the digestive tract and your cat will probably enjoy having a convenient source of plants he likes.
To remove cat hair ball stains Pet Friendly For Stains Is your answer….
Article by:
Andre DeLano
The Odor & Stainologist
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