Not another
hairball!
Text: Mientjie Kleinhans | Photography: Kurteev Gennadii, KanphotoSS, Discovod, AltamashUrooi, Anurak PongpatimetCats are avid
self-groomers and will
often spend hours at this
task. Although it leaves us with
a lovely clean cat, the hair that
accumulates in her mouth ends up
in her stomach. In most cases the
hair will travel through your cat’s
system, or she might regurgitate
a hairball. It is natural for cats to
bring up a hairball, but there
are times when hairballs
cause a problem.In most cases you might find hairballs around the house, which
is normal. But if your cat shows signs of distress or struggles to
regurgitate the hairballs, then you need to take her to the vet. Also,
if you find more hairballs in the house than usual, consult the vet.
Sometimes the hairball can be too big to pass through her
system, which leads to various health issues. This is also a cause
for concern.
Ideally, your cat shouldn’t have too many hairballs and
therefore it is important to do what you can to prevent as many
hairballs as possible.
Hairball problems
If a hairball is causing a problem for your cat, she might display some
of these symptoms:- Loss of appetite or only eating small quantities of food at a time
- Indigestion
- Constipation or diarrhoea
- Hair entwined with the faeces
- Occasional vomiting
- Dry coughing or hacking
- Cylindrical masses on the floor or furniture
- Depression or lethargy
- Swollen abdomen
- Regurgitation of undigested food right after it is eaten
- Preoccupation with eating grass or plants
If you notice any of these symptoms, immediately consult your vet.
Symptoms of a stuck hairball
health
CATSLIFE
Prevent a
hairy situationby managing
your cat’s hairballs
Hairball composition
A hairball is literally masses
of hair that may contain food
particles or bile. It is usually formed
from hair that didn’t go through the
cat’s system. Cats with longer hair
tend to suffer more from hairballs
than shorthaired breeds.