Cat suddenly having hair balls?

Question

Okay, my cat is 2 years old, up until about 4 months ago he NEVER had a hair ball or threw up. Now he's had about 5-6 hair balls/thrown up his cat food in those 4 months. Twice in the last three weeks. He doesn't act lethargic or sick and nothing seems to be wrong, but before I make an unnecessary vet visit, I just thought I'd see if anyone else knew reasons why he may be throwing up now. Could it be aging?

Answer 1

You can try a couple of simple things. Get a hairball control food for him. It keeps hairballs from forming. The other thing to try is a product called Laxatone. It is a gooey gel that comes in a tube like toothpaste and you squeeze a little onto his paw and he licks it off and it dissolves the hairballs as well. You don't need to do both, but if you are concerned, try the laxatone 1st. Cats get finicky about switching their food and so you have to do it gradually. Hill's Science Diet Hairball Control is a great product. You can get it at Petsmart. After you have transitioned his food you should be able to cut way back on the laxatone usage. GL

Answer 2

Maybe he was passing the hairballs with his bowel movements up until now. As to why all of a sudden he is having problems, it could be that he is not as active as he used to be. I have a cat that is very prone to hairballs, as he is a Maine Coon and has really long, thick hair. I have to give him hairball remedy once a week and I give him Friskies Hairball treats most every day. Sometimes my cats throw up their food when they have a hairball that is giving them trouble. So go get some hairball remedy at your pet food store and follow the directions and see if that solves the problem. If it doesn't, a trip to the vet may be in order. Of course, if he starts to act really sick, take him to the vet right away.

Answer 3

It sounds like you are paying close attention to your cat. If he is still eating regularly I wouldn't rush to the vet. Try using some hairball remedy (it's brown stuff that comes in a tube), to see if that will help things move along or special food to prevent hairballs may help. Is he grooming more than usual, that may cause hairballs. Just keep watching, and if it becomes more frequent definitely go to the vet.

Answer 4

How to Prevent Hairballs and How to Get Rid of Them
Nothing is quite so alarming as hearing the "hack-hack-hack" of a cat trying to cough up a hairball. And almost nothing is as disgusting as seeing one on the floor, unless it is stepping on it at night in bare feet. Ughh! Seriously though, although hairballs may be the topics of jokes among thoughtless humans, they are a source of discomfort or worse, for cats. Hairballs pose a potential danger by blocking the passage of digested food through the intestines, causing an impaction.

Hairballs are formed when a cat grooms itself and swallows hairs. Since hair is not easily digested, it can compact with undigested food in the stomach and gastrointestinal tract. Impactions are serious business, and sometimes must be removed surgically. In lesser cases they can cause painful constipation, something no concerned caregiver wants to wish on her cat.

How to Recognize Hairball Problems:

* Cylindrical (cigar-shaped) masses on the floor or furniture. Once you've seen one, you'll never forget!
* Constipation, or hard stools with hair showing.
* Dry, matted coat
* Frequent dry coughing or hacking, particularly after meals
* Lack of interest in eating.
* Depression or lethargy.

It would be wise not to wait until these symptoms appear, as hairballs can be so easily prevented. The number one way to avoid hairballs on the floor and in your cat is:

Brushing!
Most cats enjoy being brushed, and the bonding that develops during cat and human during these brushing times is an added bonus. Our cats will practically brush their own faces. One of us holds the brush still, and Bubba or Jasper will rub his face against the bristles, purring to beat the band. Bubba even enjoys being vacuumed following a brushing; he learned at a very early age that the vacuum is harmless, and it's like having his own personal spa.

Other ways of preventing or aiding hairball relief involve feeding "slippery" substances that will help the passage of hair and digestive waste down the intestinal tract. These come in several different forms:

High quality food-NOT a hairball diet. If you need a special food like that you are feeding the wrong food in the first place!
* Commercial Hairball Remedies
These come in various forms, including tube-served gels and granules to be sprinkled on food. They provide assistance in passing hairballs through lubricating action or by providing soft bulk, or a combination of both. It should be noted that many hairball relief remedies contain mineral oil. Taken in quantities, mineral oil can deplete the body of vitamin A. If using one of these formulas, ask your veterinarian if a vitamin A supplement might be in order.

Answer 5

Trust me I know all about cats and I have three of them. When your cat cleans themself, their fur sticks to their tongue, then gets into their stomach. When they eat their food, it irritates the hair in their stomach and tickles the inside of their stomach. Then POP, comes a hairball! They make cat food to prevent hairballs. Just ask your nearest store retailer to see if they have that kind of food.

Answer 6

Have you changed his diet lately? That can cause the throwing up of his food.
As for hairballs, brush him daily, and see if that doesn't get rid of the problem. Sometimes, grooming is all that's needed.

Answer 7

It is February. My semi-long haired female is definitely starting to shed, but this being Minnesota, it has not yet gotten so dramatic. If you live anywhere warmer than here, it could just be the right season.

Answer 8

It was bound to happen eventually.
Get the Hairballs formulae in dry cat food.

Answer 9

He is probably shedding alot atm and is ingesting hair when licking and grooming, that later needs to be spat up.
Try brushing and grooming him each day to help keep the hair balls away.

Answer 10

did you change food or have new carpet installed if no then put ypur cat out some times because he might just be eating RATS