Cats are especially clean animals that spend hours grooming themselves. When they lick themselves they ingest a large amount of hair. If you live with a cat, surely you have seen him cough and even vomit hairballs.
This is when some people turn to m alt for cats, a very useful product of natural origin that improves digestion and transit intestine of our cat.
Discover on our site everything related to m alt for cats, including the necessary doses, at what age it should be offered or information about vomiting. All the benefits of this product below:
What is m alt?
M alt for cats is a paste with a color similar to honey and a denser texture It is composed of vegetable oils and fats, extract m alt, fiber, dairy products and yeast mainly. They also often contain dyes, preservatives and vitamins.
There are numerous brands on the market with different formats. The most common is in the form of a tube of toothpaste. The composition varies slightly depending on the brand, but the base is m alt extract. Some cats show a predilection for a particular brand and eat it more willingly than other brands.
What is cat m alt used for?
Cats in their daily grooming ingest numerous dead hairs that advance through their digestive system and can form balls of greater or lesser size. They are called trichobezoars or more commonly known as hairballs.
A cat's tongue, as we can see in the image, has spines or keratin projections called papillae, which help them brush their fur and remove dirt. But they also help to loosen weak hairs and therefore to ingest hair.
Cat hairballs can accumulate in the intestine, stomach or esophagus. If the cat coughs and expels the ball easily, it means that it has not passed the esophagus. If, on the other hand, the cough is accompanied by nausea, lack of appetite and vomiting with half-digested food, then the hairball is lodged in the stomach or small intestine. If our cat suffers from constipation and lack of appetite it may be due to a hairball lodged in the large intestine.
The m alt helps eliminate this excess hair ingested through the faeces. It has a laxative effect and helps improve intestinal transit. That is why it is also suitable for mild constipation problems. In short, it helps the hairs that our cat ingests to be expelled without problems through the entire digestive system.
How do I give my cat m alt?
As you well know each cat is a world; some love m alt, eating it straight from the can and licking it up with no problem. Others, on the other hand, will be more reluctant and will not want to eat it willingly.
In this case we can put a small amount of m alt on a paw or in the corner of the mouth of the cat to lick it. He won't like it too much and will try to lick it off. You can also try mixing the m alt with the food although due to the texture of the paste it may not be the most appropriate.
You may have to chase your cat around the house every time he touches m alt but it's something he'll appreciate over time and you'll be able to see the results right away.
It does not have a bad taste for cats, so over time they will get used to taking it. You can also try different brands until you find the ideal one for your cat.
How much should I give him? And how often to offer it?
In each dose with a ball the size of an almond or hazelnut is enough. If your cat likes it, you can give it a little more.
For a short-haired cat two feedings per week should be enough. In the case of cats with long hair, four times a week. In times of shedding or if we observe that our cat coughs a lot, we can give m alt daily until we see improvement.
M alt is no substitute for brushing
We must not forget that good brushing is essential for our cat's he alth. With it we remove most weak hairs, dust or dirt that our cat can ingest when licking. We must choose the appropriate brush for our cat's hair and brush regularly.
In short-haired cats, one or two brushings per week are sufficient, but long-haired cats if they receive a daily brushing would be ideal. Discover brushes for short-haired cats as well as brushes for long-haired cats.
If you can't brush him every day make sure you at least once or twice a week brush him properly. Thus, in addition to reinforcing your bond with your cat by participating with him in grooming, you will help him to keep his fur he althy and considerably reduce the ingested hair. Don't forget that in spring and autumn, when she moults, you will need to brush her much more often.
Cats and m alt
As we have seen, m alt is a very useful product for cats. Combined with a good brushing, it will help our cat to live with hairballs.
Sometimes hairball blockages can be a problem; if the balls are accompanied by blood or the cat suffers from prolonged constipation, go to your veterinarian.
We must not forget that cats lick themselves, they lick themselves a lot. Every day they spend time grooming and caring for their fur. That is why we should not be scared if, despite giving them m alt and brushing them, they occasionally cough and expel ingested hair. It is normal and as long as it is not something exaggerated we should not worry.