My mom's cat throws up hair balls & food 4 times a week .. We're tired of it.?

Question

Suggestions or tips would be appreciated! Thanks.

She is brushed almost every day.

Answer 1

I'm guessing she's a longhair. Hairballs, unfortunately, are part of living with this type of cat. You can reduce them by A) making sure to keep up with vet checks to be sure there are no other health issues, B) Healthy diet - use one of the premium cat food brands, rather than the cheapo junk food that they sell at the grocery store. My vet recommends Innova Evo and my cats are much healthier since they've started this diet. C) consistent grooming, and D) using some of the greasy hairball remedies, which lubricate the digestive tract and help ingested hair to pass through rather than ball up and cause vomiting. I used Laxatone with my kitty. It worked pretty well. I would rub a small amount on her paw (don't just put a dab on the paw - cats will shake those off and you'll have Laxatone on the walls and carpet - learnt that the hard way - rub it on so it's stuck to the paw). The cat will groom and lick it off and ingest it.

If you are consistent with all these things, you will reduce the hairball problem, though you will probably always have to deal with it on occasion.

Answer 2

Your cat's probably tired of it too, no animal LIKES to throw up.

There are foods that are made for sensitive stomachs, which work pretty good. Since grocery stores usually don't carry these, check out a pet supplies store and you'll find at least 3 or 4 different kinds. They're not expensive unless you're comparing it to the lowest priced dry food garbage the grocery stores tend to carry. $8-$10 a bag that lasts for a month is standard.

If the hairball is behind the blob of food being thrown up, you've got a hairball problem instead of a sensitive stomach problem and the brushing of her coat should be done every day during her summer shedding time (summer sheds last about 3 weeks), then three times a week after that. Long haired cats have a harder time keeping the fur from being swallowed when they groom, so they do need some extra help. Others with short hair may have so much undercoat that their stomach gets full of the compacted stuff when they groom and can also use some extra brushing help.

Answer 3

Have you tried the special formulated cat food for this condition? They also make over the counter meds you can purchase for hairballs as well. She may need to be brushed more than once a day. They have a new comb out called the Furminator, removes more hair then other combs. They have a website and you can also buy it on Ebay as well. I believe most major pet stores sell them too. Their website is www.furminator.com. If all else fails you may need to take her to the vet to find the cause/cure of this.

Answer 4

Purina One has Advanced Nutrition Hairball Formula dry food. I use it and it seems to help although I know of nothing that will eliminate the problem completely short of shaving your cat - and I do NOT recommend doing that.

They regurgitate hairballs because they swallow them during grooming. A cat's need to groom is innate - you can't and shouldn't try to prevent them from doing so. Keep up with the frequent brushing and try switching to the food mentioned. Some improvement should show within a few weeks so be patient.

Answer 5

First, have a vet check the cat to make sure there are no problems.

Next, change the cats' diet. Include a bit of fish oil or fresh fish itself - a little salmon two or three times a week is good. Feeding a cat dry food every day can cause a lot of dietary problems because of the amount of ash in it.

Answer 6

Have you tried hairball treats or food? My kitty was doing the same thing and I started giving him special food and treats for hairballs. Also my sister's cat has long hair, and she shaves her during the summer to prevent hairballs. It could also be the food she's eating, some food makes my kitty throw up. Maybe change her food and look at the store for the special hairball treats and food. If it still happens there is also a special liquid medicine that you can give her to help her with the hairballs, look in a specialty pet store like petco or call your vet and ask him for it.

Answer 7

We sell a product at the animal hospital I work at called laxatone. It comes in a couple of different flavors. It's a jelly-like substance that you give to them to help motility in the intestinal tract (help get food and hair down). My cat enjoys the flavor of it. I give her a few licks right from the tube a couple of times a week, she hasn't thrown up in about 2 weeks now. Just keep an eye on her - 4 times a week to throw up is quite excessive. She made need a little fluid therapy to replenish fluids & electrolytes she losing while vomiting.

Also, Hill's Science Diet makes a hairball formula dry food that your cat may benefit from. You could probably find it at your local petsmart or petco.

Answer 8

Give her Laxatone. That helps a LOT. Also consider a switch to hairball formulas. If she continues to throw up, try switching to just canned food for several weeks. If the vomiting stops, she may have problems with dry food. We've had only one cat that had this problem and it was likely related to her other health problems (she was born with reduced kidneys and heart murmur). Alternated between canned food and homemade food. She just could never have the dry.

Answer 9

first, take the cat in to the vet, it could be an underlying illness, or it could be age related. the older the cat, the more it has digestive situations. then check the ingredients in the food your cat eats. some foods are loaded with dies and other ingredients that disagree with a cat's stomache. if the cat cannot digest it, then it will come back up - a natural occurrence. also, you may want to switch the cat to a sensitive stomache formulated cat food. this can help tremendously. he could also be eating house plants or if he is indoor outdoor, eating grass and other greens will make them vomit.

Answer 10

Well, I use whiskas temptations and Luv treats for my cat she loves the taste and no hairballs ever! You should get the hairball control kinds also, you could ask a vet for help. Oh yeah and be careful with her diet. And watch what she eats. My cat used to puke her food out alot. So we changed brands and watched her every move. Turns out she just didn't like the food, and to make matters worse, she was the one who was chewing up our orchids! So just watch your cat and see if she likes to eats things that are not food!