Effective Ways to Get Rid of Cat Hairballs

Effective Ways to Get Rid of Cat Hairballs

Cats get hairballs - it is just a part of their nature. The truth is, there are a few things that you can do to help protect your cat and get rid of them. Hairballs are bothersome to your cat, and they can even make them have digestion problems.

First, you will want to make sure that you know how to detect the hairballs. One of the biggest signs is coughing and vomitting. Sometimes, cats will gag without actually throwing up. Getting rid of these hairballs can be tricky, but it can be done.

We sell 6 supplements that can be given to your cat to help with her hairballs:

Katalax is a palatable blend of white soft paraffin, cod liver oil and malt extract that aids in the elimination of hairballs

Cat Malt is a similar product that can be added to your cat's food, or even placed directly on your cat's paw!

Defurr-UM Paste aids in preventing the formation of hairballs in cats and kittens as well as helping in the removal of any which have already been formed

Cat A Med Hairball Remover is a dual-action product that eases the passage of hairballs as well as providing probiotics to help your cat's digestion

 Lax-a-past is a palatable laxative to help with the elimination of problematic hairballs

 Laxapet is similar to lax-a-past, it is a easy-to-administer laxative gel with added vitamins and fish oil

There are also a couple of 'home remedies' that may be of benefit to your cat. Petroleum jelly can be used to help treat hairballs. It makes your cat's throat and digestive tract smoother, thus giving the hair the ability to pass through without a problem. You can place a tiny amount in their mouth or you may just want to put it on their front paws.

Pineapple Juice can also be beneficial, but as with petroleum jelly, pineapple juice may not really be welcomed by your cat. The good news is that it works to help break down some of the hair, because it has an ingredient called bromelain. The hard part is getting your cat to actually take it, but if you can then it can really be effective. You should try to give them one teaspoon twice a day, and no more.

Dietary Fibre can help, your cat may just not be getting enough dietary fibre each day. Dietary fibre can help to push the hair through their digestive tract easier. Feeding your cat a diet that is high in fibre can not only help to prevent hairballs, but it can also help to treat existing hairballs. If you only want to give them extra fibre every once in a while, for treatment of really pesky hairballs that won’t seem to go away, then you can use canned pumpkin. Give your cat about 1 teaspoon of it each day. They will usually like the taste of it, and it can be effective.

We stock a range of specially formulated cat foods to help combat hairballs in cats, such as: Iams Hairball Control System and Hills Feline Adult Hairball Control

Brushing your cat regularly. While this may really be a no brainer, it really is important for you to brush your cat on a regular basis. If you do this, you will be able to get a lot of the loose fur out of the way, and they won’t even get the opportunity to swallow it. While your cat may not really like being brushed, it is good for them. You can even offer them a treat if they let you do it without much of a fight. Some cats may even like to be brushed, and if yours does then this should be one of the easiest things for you to do.

So, while your cat likes to keep clean and groom himself often, you need to be on the lookout for signs of hairballs. You may even want to go ahead and prevent the hairballs by feeding them a diet that is specifically designed to prevent the formation of hairballs.

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