保険アリコ

Cat Advisors Online

Reports, Articles & Advice
on Cats and Cat Care

Your selected article is displayed below. Other articles can be selected by either returning to the home page or from the menu further down this page.

What is a Hairball and How Can You Prevent Your Cat from Getting One?

Hairballs are no fun to have.  Many animals are susceptible to it. Heck, even humans can get a hairball.  However, it is our favorite feline, the housecat, which suffers the most.  A hairball is exactly what it sounds like - a ball of hair!  So you are probably wondering – why in the heck do cats get hairballs in the first place?  The answer lies in their grooming practices.  You’ve seen cats give themselves “baths” before, haven’t you?  Where do you think all that hair they lap up with their tongues goes?

Cats have a rough tongue that can be likened to serrated taste buds, sort of like sandpaper.  When cats lick their fur, these “serrations” capture the hair.  The cats are unable to spit out the hair, so they have to swallow it to get it out of their mouths.  The result is a build-up of hair in their tummy called a hairball.  For the most part, cats can pass these offending balls through their digestive tract and eliminate them through normal means.  It is only when these disgusting wads of hair grow too large to pass from the stomach and through the intestinal tract that things get tricky.

When you see cats heaving and retching, be prepared to have a disgusting wet wad of gunk come flying out of their mouths.  When these hairballs cannot pass efficiently through the digestive system, cats have to force themselves to vomit in order to get rid of these offending things.  Please note that watching a cat rid itself of a hairball through these means can be a bit of a trial.  However, just know that this does not really hurt the cat.  However, you as the owner may get totally grossed out!

All cats are susceptible to hairballs, but the long-haired varieties are particularly plagued by them.  This is simply because of the excess hair they have in relation to the short-haired cats.  Unless you own one of those rare and exotic cat breeds that are practically hairless, you will have to deal with your cat’s hairballs at some point or another.  Hairballs, while hard to avoid, are fairly easy to maintain. Just do a little research on the internet about it or call and talk with your veterinarian for advice on how to treat it.

First of all, if you brush your cat and help with its grooming, there is less chance of it swallowing a lot of hair. Brush strokes help get rid of a lot of that dead, loose hair.  By brushing your cat, you are also forgoing a shedding problem.  The diet of your cat could be helpful in eliminating hairballs from its system.  Some cat food lines that manufacturers produce have special oils in the food, like mineral oil.  These oils help break up the hairballs, allowing for easier digestion. Another benefit to these specially formulated foods is the improved condition of your kitty’s skin and the healthy coat of hair. This means that shedding is minimized meaning less ingestion of hair.

There are also special treats that you can give your cats that contain petroleum products.  These products come in a variety of flavors that cats enjoy.  These petroleum-based treats help coat the tummy and digestive system for easy passage through the body. There are several ways to administer these petroleum-based treats.  You can try and spoon feed your cat see if they will eat it that way; put some on their snout so they can lick it off; or, put some on the paws of your cat and watch them lick the treats off that way.

It is only when your cat starts retching and vomiting that you know they have a hairball that is just too big to pass out of its tummy.  By this time, you just have to hope that the cat gets that offending hunk of gunk out. Otherwise, your cat could start developing symptoms of a stomach or intestinal blockage, which is serious business. These symptoms usually include hacking for more than twenty-four hours, lack of appetite and/or lack of body eliminations. By this time, surgery is the only option to unblock this hulking hairball. By following some of the preventative measures, your cat can lead a relatively hairball-free life.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Find further advice, articles, cat care FAQ, and more at:
http://www.cat-advisors-online.com
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

Deworming Your Cat How Often
Parasite Problems in your Family Feline
Measures You Can Take to Prevent an Infestation
Fighting Fleas Indoors
Tips to Treating your Yard for Fleas
Flea Treatment Options for your Cat
How to Treat for Ticks around the Clock
Why the Cat Hacks Up Hairballs
How Can You Prevent Your Cat from Getting Hairballs
Five Basic Tips to Co-Exist Peacefully with your Feline
Reasons to Declaw Your Cat or Not To
Five Tips for Litter Box Training Your Cat
How Often Should You Clean Your Cat's Litter Box?
Six Basic Behavioral Problems in Cats
What Is Cat Scratch Disease, and Preventing It?
Common Cat Allergies and How to Treat Them
Dental Care for Kitties
Easy Tricks to Medicating your Cat
Five Reasons Why Your Kitty Needs a Special Diet
Treatment for those Kitty Ear Mites
Mange Treatment Options for your Cat
What to Do when Your Cat Gets a Snake Bite
Top Three Skin Conditions in Cats
Top Signs that your Cat Might Have Been Poisoned
What to Expect When Your Cat is expecting

Important Basics in Baby Kitten Care
Major Milestones in Kitten Development
Timetable for your Cat’s Vaccinations
What Illnesses Does Your Cat’s Vaccinations Cover?
Ten Tips in Preparing Your Home for a New Cat
Six Important Cat Items Every Owner Should Have
General Nutrition Information for Your Feline
Dietary Needs for your Cat
Five Most Common Cat Ailments to Watch For
How to Avoid Catching an Illness from your Feline
Five Most Toxic Houseplants for Cats and What to Do
Interpreting your Cat’s Stalking Instinct
Spay or Neuter your Cat
Can Cats and Dogs Co-Exist Peacefully?
Things to Look for When Adopting a Cat from an Animal Shelter
Weight Management for your Feline
Birthing Basics for Cats What You Should Know
Beating the Heat Protecting your Cat from Extreme Temperatures
Easy Tips for Cleaning Up Cat Messes
Toxoplasmosis What is It and How to Avoid It
Training Your Cat Is It Even Possible?
Cats Need Leashes Too How to prepare them for that first walk
Valuable Insight into all that Caterwauling
Claw Care for Kitties
Collaring your Cat-How to Safely Keep Them On

Cat Advisors Online

Reports, Articles & Advice on Cats and Cat Care

Reports, Articles & Advice
on Cats and Cat Care