Hairballs are perfectly normal for your cat. When brushing, she swallows loose hair that can form into hairballs in the stomach. Has your cat ever strangled hairballs like this? Find out how to make it easier for your cat to get rid of hairballs.
Cats are generally very clean, clean animals and spend a lot of the day grooming their fur. So if your cat swallows the loose hair by brushing it out with her rough tongue, hairballs form in the stomach, which must then be excreted again. This happens either through vomiting or through the intestine, Most hairs pass through your cat's gastrointestinal tract easily. However, larger amounts can also cause digestive problems. In addition, hairballs that stay in your cat's stomach for a long time can lead to complications such as gastritis, In serious cases, persistent constipation up to intestinal obstruction occurs. The vomiting of the hairballs is triggered by a certain amount of hair in the stomach - your cat then feels a gag reflex, Some cats use grass to help ease the choking and subsequent vomiting of the hairballs.
Does your cat have long hair? Then she is more likely to be affected by hairballs. Even during the seasonal change of fur, your cat may have hair balls. Sometimes, however, there are also disease-related causes behind the formation of hairballs. Severe hair loss can be a symptom of malnutrition and increased nervous licking. In these cases, it is ad visable to see your veterinarian.
If your cat is a freelancer, you may not even notice it choking up hairballs. You may have already seen your house cat actively spewing out your hair. Hairballs are usually harmless, but you can help your cat to excrete them. It is advisable to brush your cat regularly to assist in grooming and to remove loose hair so that it doesn't swallow as many of them. It also gives you the opportunity to spot parasites such as ticks and fleas in good time. While changing fur, you can increase the frequency of brushing to prevent hairballs. There are special brushes that support grooming. It is best to practice this procedure with your cat from an early age, It is also important for older cats to reward them for keeping still.
In addition to supportive grooming, it helps if you encourage your cat to play more to ensure more movement. You can also offer your velvet paw cat grass to make it easier for you to gag out the indigestible hairballs. The right food can also support your cat if it frequently suffers from hairballs: the Happy Cat dry food with the All in One concept contains natural raw fbers from the chicory root, which help prevent hairballs. This will make it easier for your cat to shed the swallowed hair over the feces instead of having to choke it out.