Monty4My cats mean the world to me – they are my children with fur. However, there is nothing worse than waking up in the morning with sleepy eyes half-open, walking out of the bedroom only to step in a wet, furry mess. You look down and there is a nice gift your kitty left for you overnight. A wet, furry tubular shaped heap of fur. Almost every cat owner has the delight in cleaning these messes at some point. 

I think for kitties – it’s equally as painful and disgusting. They groom themselves and accidentally swallow some of their fur. The hair that doesn’t pass through their digestive system ends up coming back up – with a lot of hacking, gagging, and then vomiting. If you’ve ever actually seen your cat mid-hairball throw up – it certainly doesn’t look like that cat is having much fun! 

As conscientious pet parents, we want to ease the stress of hairballs on our feline friends and also on ourselves! Well, have no fear – there are many easy and cost-effective hairball remedies!

1. Grooming:

  • Begin a daily routine of brushing your furry friend. Generally cats enjoy being brushed. Regular brushing will help remove a lot of the hairs that your kitty would swallow.
  • You can try bathing your cat – especially with a de-shedding shampoo. Whether you are even able to attempt this will be based on how much your cat dislikes water.
  • Try bath wipes. This is a much easier although not as thorough option to bathing. Wipes will still remove some stray hair and may cut back on how much your cat grooms himself.
  • Have your cat professionally groomed. The “lion cut” is a great option. Your cat might look a little silly, but all that heavy hair will be gone and there will definitely be no chance for hairballs!

2. Hairball Supplements

  • Many dry food brands now offer food with supplements to reduce hairballs
  • Adding some canned 100% pumpkin to your cats diet will add fiber. The fiber will better help hair to pass through the digestive system
  • Offer your kitty a hairball paste or supplement. These are specifically formulated to help your cat pass the hairball naturally. For my cats – this option works the best. They absolutely love the taste. We use the “Sentry HC Petromalt Cat Hairball Treament”. Its basically a flavored paste that I squeeze over their wet food a few days a week. This treatment has kept their hairballs at a minimum!

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