How to help your cat with a 'hairy' situation

I live with two cats and one is more prone to hairballs than the others. Caused by hair that gets trapped in your cat's stomach from him grooming himself, hairballs are pretty much inevitable if you share your home with felines. Equally unpleasant for us as pet owners as they are for our cats, hairballs can actually lead to other health issues.

Hairballs should pass without problem for your cat, but they do have the possibility to cause life-threatening blockages. For your cat's health, it's important to know the signs of possible complications as well as how to help prevent hairballs in the first place.

Signs that your cat may be suffering from a blockage include repeated gagging or hacking without producing a hairball, constipation, lack of appetite, lack of energy, and even diarrhea. If you notice any of these symptoms, bring your cat to your veterinarian.

Hairballs are extremely common in longhair cats, but short haired cats that shed a lot or groom excessively are also prone to them. One of the easiest ways to prevent hairballs is to brush your pet regularly. Any hair you are able to remove with a brush is hair your cat is not swallowing. If your cat continues to suffer from hairballs despite your help with grooming, try to switching to a pet food specifically designed to help break down hairballs so they can easily pass through your cat's digestive systems. There are also products available to add to your pet's regular food that perform a similar function.

Keep an eye on your pet's grooming habits to make sure they are not grooming themselves excessively. While all cats spend a lot of time grooming, your cat should not be grooming himself enough to remove patches of hair. In addition to leading to hairballs, excessive grooming can be a sign of other underlying medical problems, so be sure to visit your veterinarian. In the end, remember that hairballs are not only annoying to you, they are uncomfortable for your cat, as well. Just a few simple changes, like helping your cat with grooming, can lead to happier, healthier cat - and a lot less hairballs to clean up!

Alaina Goodnough is the Promotions Coordinator at Cocheco Valley Humane Society in Dover, NH. She lives in Sanford, ME with two parrots, a cockatoo, two cats, a bearded dragon, and two dachshunds. She can be reached at CVHS at devassist@cvhsonline.org. To learn more about Cocheco Valley Humane Society, go to www.cvhsonline.org or call 603-749-5322.