My cat is having trouble with a hairball. What can I do to help?

Question

My cat has been trying to cough up a hairball for a couple of days now. He just can't seem to get it up. He can still eat and drink because his bowls are being emptied, but he is coughing and hacking a lot. I've tried giving him a little butter to see if that would slick things up but it hasn't worked.

Does anyone have any tricks or ideas? He is very picky about what he will eat, I had to pretty much force feed him the butter.

Well I got some hairball gel from the store, they only had salmon flavored and he hates it but I made him eat some of it. So we'll see how this goes.

Answer 1

They sell hairball gel, it comes in maple or malted flavor in a tube (like toothpaste) ALL my cats have loved it.. I wiped it on their fur, on my finger, in the tube.. where-ever.. you can buy this stuff at the store, or take him to the vet and get a prescribed hairball med there. It should help clear it up.. also make sure to brush him/her more often so the cat wont lick so much.

I wouldn't suggest the butter, lactose intolerant cats don't take to kindly to that.. try the hairball maple stuff.. it works great!

Answer 2

Try 1 Tbsp. Vaseline, or 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil...no syringe you can aspirate (getting it into lungs) to easy. The best is the Hairball malted flavor found in grocery stores. If this doesn't improve within the next 24 hrs. PLEASE go to a vet. He may have swolled a foreign object...string with a sewing needle attached, yarn,rubber band are just some of the things we've found. Also brush your cat daily to remove the dead hair, when they lick, it is ingested causing hairballs. The best of luck!!

Answer 3

If you cat is coughing and throwing up hairballs, please take your cat to your vet. Why? I once lost my cat to a stomach blockage due to a hairball. Give your cat Petromalt each day until the signs of having hairball trouble, then give your cat Petromalt twice a week to avoid having your cat suffer. I work at petsmart so I know a lot about all animals. Hope your cat will get better soon.

Answer 4

I use Ponce hair ball moist chicken flavor, she loves it.

You can buy also in the pet stores a gel with malt syrup, if your cat doesn't like it you can put it in his legs and he will lick it.

There is a lot of treats in the supermarket for hairball, act now because hairball can get stuck in his intestines and you will have to take him to surgery

Answer 5

Try giving him a small amount of mineral oil . If you have a syringe use that. If not, take a small spoon, open his mouth and gently empty the small amount of mineral oil into his mouth. That should loosen the hairball and allow him to cough it up. In the future, to prevent hairballs, try putting just a bit of vaseline on his nose. He will lick off the vasoline and voila! no more hairballs.

Answer 6

have u tried petromalt at your local pet food store ?, maybre alos try a little hemlich touch, but very lightly. or call the vet, sometimes they are very nice and tell u over the phone for free. and try callling a couple of them if u dont get the rite answer. and try bacon fat.

Answer 7

even if if that's hair she might only cough it up at last... besides the undeniable fact that if she seems to be suffering get her to a vet at any expenses... if the cat is obviously in soreness the vet will certainly examine her

Answer 8

metimusil 1/4 teaspoon in canned food.
Lactulose syrup from chemist 1.5ml morning and evening until it passes then 1.5 mls daily (syringe directly into mouth).
Catlax paste daily until passes then weekly for maintenance.

Answer 9

Put a dab of petroleum jelly on his nose and he will lick it off if you do this a couple of times a week it will solve the problem

Answer 10

Check at unclematty.com they are a pet website and maybe they can suggest something safe for kitty.