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Friday
22Jan2010

Cats Hairball  

DateFriday, January 22, 2010 at 6:14AM

Cats spend the better part of their day either sleeping a lot, or cleaning and preening themselves. So it is no wonder that every now and then they suffer from a hairball. 

It is considered normal for your cat to suffer from hairballs every now and then. If your cat is having problems with hairballs on a regular basis it is worth trying to understand why. 

A hairball is a collection of hair that is swallowed during the cleaning process. For those of you that don't know, cats lick their fur to clean themselves. The hairball collects in the digestive system and needs to be expelled, either through regurgitation or excrement.

Cats hairball

Treatment and Prevention

  • Brushing - You can help your cat by brushing it's fur daily, this will eliminate excessive build up. This is especially important for longer haired cats. 
  • Digestive Health - There are a variety of dry cat foods designed to maintain and enhance digestive health. These are clearly labeled with digestive nutritionally focused information. 
  • Grass - eating kitty grass or regular lawn grass can help with digestion. Cats instinctively know when they need to eat grass and will do so independently. Eating grass provides your cat with the extra source of fiber, this combined with exercise will keep your cats digestive system in a healthy state. 

    • Having a hairball is not a life threatening aliment, although you should always monitor your cats health. If your cat is struggling with hairballs on a regular basis you should consult your local vet for advice. If you are observant and attentive you can minimize this problem. This will make you and your cat much more content.

    - Dr. Liz

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    Reader Comments (1)

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    January 22, 2010 | Unregistered CommenterArlene Chase

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