Hairballs

By Nancy Otten, Animal Health Technologist

What are hairballs and why do cats get them?

The typical hairball is a mass of mucous and hair that forms in the cat’s esophagus.  The cat’s tongue has tiny barbs all over its surface.  When the cat grooms himself by licking, hair gets caught in the barbs.  These barbs point backwards so there is no way to get rid the hair caught on the tongue other than to swallow it.  Most of the time the hair just passes through the digestive system as food would pass through it.  However, when a lot of hair is ingested, the hairs get felted together like a mat and this mat does not pass through the digestive system easily.  The cat then has to regurgitate this mass of hair to be rid of it.  

Why do some cats get lots of hairballs and some get very few?

The longer and thicker your cat’s hair, the more hairballs he is going to get.  Long-haired and thick-coated cats simply ingest more hair when grooming.  However, your cat doesn’t have to have long, thick hair to get lots of hairballs.  Older and overweight cats tend to get more hairballs than younger and more active cats.  Because they aren’t very active, they tend to groom more to fill the time.  If your cat is young, short-haired and very active and still regurgitates more than his fair share of hairballs, there may be an underlying problem.  Sometimes stress manifests itself in excessive grooming and thus excessive hair ingestion.  Stress can be caused by a bullying cat, a new baby, a recent move or even a new carpet.  Your cat may be grooming a lot simply because he is itchy.  Cats will relieve itchiness by scratching and licking so the itchier he is, the more he licks and the more hair he will ingest.  Itchiness can be caused by a variety of factors such as allergies, parasites, and infection. If your cat doesn’t groom excessively but still gets a lot of hairballs, excessive hair loss might be the problem.  Inadequate protein intake can cause hair loss so if your cat is a poor eater or eats a poor (inexpensive) diet, this may be the root of the problem.  Certain skin diseases also cause hair loss so regular visits to the veterinarian will rule that one out.

Do hairballs ever cause problems for the cat?

Sometimes hairballs form in the stomach or the intestine and aren’t regurgitated. Generally these hairballs just pass through the digestive system in a normal manner.  They may cause some vomiting, constipation and/or discomfort however.  Sometimes the hairballs get to be too big to pass normally and they cause obstructions either in the stomach or in the intestines themselves.  This sort of problem can only be solved surgically. 

Is there any way that we can prevent hairballs from happening?

Unfortunately, we can’t prevent them entirely.  Just like scratching, it is something that we accept when we live with cats.  That doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try to reduce the frequency of them.  If your cat will tolerate brushing, this is probably the best defense.  Daily brushing will remove any dead or loose hairs before your cat removes them with his tongue.  If your cat is young but overweight and sedentary, you both will benefit by getting him more active.  A weight loss regimen may also be in order.  The more active and happy that your cat is, the less unnecessary grooming will be done.  If hair loss and a poor hair coat is the problem, a visit to the veterinarian may be what is needed.  If you can solve the excessive hair loss problem, not only will you reduce the number of hairballs that your cat gets but you also will make your cat healthier and more comfortable. 

There are a couple of diet related solutions to the problem that you may want to consider.  Several different companies have come up with Hairball Formula diets.  These diets are high in fibre and bulk up within the digestive tract to push the hair through.  You should know that there is some worry about high fibre diets in cats.   High amounts of fibre may draw too much fluid from the body into the digestive tract.  If your cat is older or doesn’t drink adequate fluids, this may lead to dehydration and other medical problems.  Another dietary solution is to lubricate the digestive tract to facilitate the easier movement of hair through the system.  There are petroleum based products (ex. Laxatone) that you can purchase from pet stores and veterinary clinics that help lubricate the digestive system.  They are very palatable and most cats will easily ingest it.  However, these products must not be used daily as there is some concern that by lining the digestive tract they interfere with the absorption of nutrients.