I have had my kitten for 6 months now and I have not once seen him cough up a hairball even though he licks himself a lot and is always malting. Have you got any ideas how to bring them up? One suggestion I got was giving the kitten cooking oil, is this a good idea?
2006-08-14 10:54:42 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
I need a quick fix, it is 11: 05 I dont have time to run to a shop and get hairball remedies, they will all be closed!
2006-08-14 11:06:10 · update #1
good god - if it aint broke dont fix it. a cat will vomit up a furball when its good and ready. Give it cooking oil and you'll kill it with the amount of fat or worse (yes worse!) you will have puke and diarrhea all over the place then a dead kitten.
leave the poor thing alone - some cats moult constantly - mine does - and will constantly clean themselves.
2006-08-14 10:59:32 · answer #1 · answered by Allasse 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If your cat gets a furball, he'll vomit it up sooner or later, or it may just pass right through him & out the other end. A little cooking oil now & then won't hurt. It acts as a lubricant to help the hair pass through the digestive tract. Getting Kitty to take it, however, is the real trick. I've even heard of putting a glob of Vaseline on one of the paws. Because cats habitually groom themselves, he'll lick it off & swallow it. It'll have the same lubricant effect & is non-toxic. You can buy a hairball remedy which does the same thing for a higher price. You could also ask a veterinarian, who might very well recommend some of the same things.
2006-08-14 18:15:13 · answer #2 · answered by WillyC 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your kitten has a stuck fur ball he will be constantly retching and crying in agony; If this is what he is doing, call an emergency vet, now- he could die. If you think he should be ejecting furballs but isnt, and he appears normal with no symptoms, then dont panic- not all cats throw up excess fur- some seem just to ingest it. If your kitten is an excessive moulter, you need to brush him thoroughlt at least once every day. Dont give him anything without a vets advice; you can cause irreparable damage to the gut, which will harm your cat permanently.
2006-08-14 18:51:36 · answer #3 · answered by k0005kat@btinternet.com 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have had six cats(long-haired and short haired) in my home for 14 years now. Only one has hairballs. I wouldn't just assume that hairballs are or will be a problem. If the cat coughs them up (oh how I love stepping on a wet hairball in the morning when I am barefoot.) that's perfectly natural and doesn't indicate there is a problem.
As someone has said if there isn't a problem you don't need to worry over a way to fix it.
2006-08-14 18:21:43 · answer #4 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can buy a tube of hairball medicine at the pet store. You just put a little on your finger and let the kitten lick it off or put a little on it's fur so it can lick it off itself. You can also buy cat greens that you plant in the little container that comes with them. The cat will eat them and it makes them vomit.
Don't worry too much about furballs. Cats, like dogs, can make themselves vomit when they want to do so.
2006-08-14 17:59:58 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If he's healthy, let him be. I have two cats right now and one I've never seen or heard have a hair ball and the other only once. If he's eating and going to the bathroom fine, leave him alone. Giving medicine to him even though he's healthy will only make him sick.
About two weeks ago, I had to take a friends cat to the vet for a hair ball clog. He gave her a shot and two prescriptions. She had been throwing up every time she ate and had bloody stool. When your cat does that, then take him to the vet, don't give him anything over the counter.
2006-08-14 18:36:54 · answer #6 · answered by beweird22 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Buy the hairball remedy at the grocery pet aisle, Walmart, pet store. Don't assume something is stuck just because you have never seen a hairball. He may be passing it naturally.
2006-08-14 17:58:40 · answer #7 · answered by jboatright57 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not cooking oil please
That would require a report to the RSPCA or equivalent!
Grass is good for the cat's digestive system
No known cases of cats dying from furballs
If you suspect something more serious a visit to the vets a good idea
2006-08-14 18:07:21 · answer #8 · answered by mise 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A cat will eventually cough up their own hairballs. Just look for piles on the floor.
2006-08-14 18:03:04 · answer #9 · answered by Haleigh's Mommy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cats are self cleaning when it comes to hairballs. When it is a problem they pass them at one end or the other.
If your cat is matting try brushing him more, you can find pet brushes next to the hairball medicine.
2006-08-14 18:09:06 · answer #10 · answered by Jane B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋