How to Prevent and Treat Hairballs for Your Cat

Hairballs are an extremely common and normal thing among cats. But they can sometimes be a pain to deal with for your cat and for owners too.

Here’s our helpful guide on how to prevent and treat hairballs for your feline friends.

What are hairballs?

Hairballs are simply balled tufts of fur that form in your cat’s digestive system during their grooming. Their tongues trap loose or shed hair which they swallow and are unable to digest.

If you are unsure of what the symptoms of a hairball are, these are the top 5 things to look out for, especially when you have a fluffy cat;

• Lethargy
• Hacking/coughing/gagging
• Weight loss
• Changes in bowel movement
• Distended belly.

How do I prevent hairballs?

If you notice any of the above symptoms in your cat, they may have a hairball obstruction.

The best ways to help prevent these are easy. You will need to brush them daily; we would recommend doing this with a brush that is going to catch any of the loose hair in their coats.

A brush with bent wire bristles will penetrate your cat's coat and remove all the loose hairs, this Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush will do just that. The slicker brush also features a self-cleaning button, allowing for the brush to be cleaned easily.

If you have the time for extra pampering, you can also incorporate a nice wash into your pets grooming routine. Try using the Pet Head Fizzy Kitty Mousse, this foamy no-rinse shampoo is perfect for your feline friends and will help those with a thicker coats smell better too with the yummy strawberry lemonade sent.

If you are in a rush and need a quick solution you can give the Pet Head Deshedding Wipes a try. These handy hypoallergenic wipes help keep the shedding at bay with the addition of the beachy smell of pineapple and coconut! 

Give your cat a tasty treat and help prevent and remove hairballs at the same time. Healthy Bites Hairball Remedy for cats and kittens are tasty treats that help to assist the passage of swallowed fur through the gut to avoid the formation of hairballs.

Another tasty treatment for your cats to try is the Beaphar Hairball Paste. This 2 in 1 paste contains malt to encapsulate ingested hairs and help ensure the smooth, natural passage of hairballs through your cat’s intestines and prebiotic mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS) to encourage healthy gut flora and aid digestion.

You can also help hairballs by giving your cat some Trixie Soft Cat Grass. This is a special treat that minimalises the risk of hairballs and aiding in their digestion, forming a great part of a balanced diet. By growing this yourself, you have more control over what they are eating and reduces the risk of them eating normal grass when on their adventures.