Hairball Control
This page is educational reference material for preparing questions. A licensed veterinarian examines the animal, makes the diagnosis, and sets the treatment.
Cat foods formulated to reduce hairballs through fiber content and coat health ingredients. Top brands and feeding strategies compared.
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Common Questions About Hairball Control
Where can I learn more?
A cough that owners call a hairball may be asthma, and a true hairball is a trichobezoar. The exam separates those, and heart disease can look similar.
How often should I take my pet to the vet?
Owners often call a cough a hairball. Asthma and heart disease can look like that hack, which is why an adult cat is still examined about once a year and a cat from about 10 years old is often examined every six months. Kittens are examined every 3 to 4 weeks until about 16 weeks, and a kitten hack should not be written off as a hairball at those visits. A hairball diet does not sort those causes out. Repeated retching, weight loss, or a cat who stops passing stool should be seen now.
How can I save money on pet care?
A hairball diet bought for a cat who is actually coughing from asthma or heart disease is the wrong bag, and you still pay for the respiratory workup. Have the cough examined before you switch foods. Brushing a long-haired cat is the free step that reduces hair the cat swallows. The diet is optional after the cause is known.
Got a Specific Question?
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A hairball is swallowed fur. Daily brushing takes that fur off the coat before the tongue does. Some cats improve on a hairball diet or a measured dab of a cat hairball lubricant. A cat that vomits often, stops eating, or strains in the box needs an exam. Constipation and an intestinal blockage can look like an ordinary hairball from the hallway.