One of the most common characteristics of felines is their level of cleanliness, they are animals that groom themselves frequently, which they use the sandbox and they can't stand it being dirty and that, only on very rare occasions, we have to bathe.
But maintaining this type of cleanliness without helping our pet in any way has its price, and that is because the dreaded hairballsThey can become a very serious he alth problem if they cannot be expelled, so the animal will need our help and attention to avoid this condition.
In AnimalWised we explain in detail everything you need to know about hairballs in cats so you can help your feline to be he althy.
Why does my cat swallow so much hair?
Cats spend a lot of time grooming to keep their fur clean and in good condition, a task they can easily accomplish thanks to their special tongue that has small spines that allow it to effectively drag all the fur that falls off. The problem is that the animal is not able to spit out that hair once it drags it with its tongue, so it has no other alternative than to swallow it.
When the fur accumulates excessively in the animal's stomach, it will make an effort to vomit, thus discarding the furballIt is a serious problem that has its causes in the lack of brushing and even diseases related to the skin and coat.
However, sometimes they are not able to successfully vomit the hairball because it gets stuck in the intestine, producing severe constipation and making it impossible to eliminate. This is when it is important to opt for home remedies to help in its expulsion, however if the animal does not succeed we will have to go to the vet urgently.
The weather and the cat's fur
Although the cat grooms itself all year round, it is in moulting season, that is, in spring and autumn, when our feline most hair loses so these are the times of the year when there is a higher risk of hairballs becoming a problem.
During these seasons of the year it is important to be very attentive to the behavior of our animal, watch if it eats, if it passes its stools normally and if it is animated, in the same way we must help it as much as possible to avoid the as little accumulation of hair on your stomach as possible by following some suggestions that we will give in the following steps. But how do you know if a hairball can't be expelled? Here are the symptoms of this condition.
Symptoms of Stuck Hairballs
In general, cats expel hairballs through feces and in very serious cases through vomiting. A safe way to allow the cat to purge itself without risk is by acquiring a plant known as catnip, cat grass or catnip, which in addition to being very liked by cats felines will help them purge when they need it.
But sometimes the animal simply cannot eliminate the hairball because it is stuck in its intestine, in this case it will present symptoms like:
- Decay and apathy
- Frequent retching
- Regurgitations
- Vomiting in which you expel liquid and food
- Constipation
If this condition continues for more than two days, it is essential to take the cat to a veterinarian for examination and diagnosis.
Prevent hairballs
Although grooming is part of the natural behavior of cats and cannot and should not be prevented, as owners we can help our animal to prevent hairballseffectively, especially during moulting stages.
To do this, it is very important to brush the cat daily, a task that will greatly help to eliminate the hair that falls out and prevent the cat from swallowing them all. It is advisable to start the feline in this habit from a young age, but if your pet is already an adult it may take a little longer to get used to it, however eventually it will, because when combing it the cat feels as relaxed as when we caress it. For this task you must acquire a special comb suitable for the type of hair of your pet, it is for sale in any pet store.
Brushing our cat is essential if it has long hair or if it is an elderly feline, because during this stage the animal does not have the same energy so it cannot groom itself as effectively.
Effective treatments to eliminate hairballs in cats
If you notice that your cat regurgitates, he is listless and vomits without successfully expelling the hairballs, it is advisable to give him some help. In addition to catnip or catnip, which, as we have explained before, is of great help to the animal, you can also favor expulsion with these options:
- Smear a little Vaseline on the animal's paw, due to its great cleaning capacity, after a few minutes the cat will begin to lick removing and swallowing the Vaseline, which will help facilitate expulsion, reducing constipation due to the fat in this product.
- If you don't have Vaseline handy, you can also spread butter or m alt, equally effective solutions.
- Valeriana is another of the plants that we can have on hand at home to help our cat purge effectively, if the animal has the need, he will not hesitate to bite it to relieve his discomfort.
Of course, if after applying these products you don't see any improvement, the ideal would be Go to your trusted vet
