Cat Hair Balls

Hair Balls and why you should take extra care with your cat

Cleaning and grooming is a major pre-occupation with all cats, they love to be clean, which is good for the cat and the cat owner, but the hair that your cat swallows could be dangerous to it's health

Major Concerns of Cat Owners

What happens to the hair your cat swallows
Signs of Hair problems
Treatment and prevention

As your cat licks his fur any loose hair is gathered by the cat's rough tongue and is swallowed. This hair can not be digested and normally pass through the the cats bowel with no ill effects. Occasionally the hair does not pass through, which causes the hair to clog and accumulate slowly in the cat's stomach, If this happens the cat will normally be sick and the hair ball will come up with the vomit, solving the problem naturally.
The majority of the time the cat's body system deals with this problem with no ill effects . Problems arise when the swallowed hair gets trapped in the intestines and will not pass one way or the other
At this stage your cat will require urgent attention from a veterinarian to remove the blockage.

Your cat may vomit undigested food, evidence of hair should be visible, you may find fur balls on the floor, he may have dry heaves, where the cat is trying to fetch up the hair with no success. Constipation is a sign of problems and warning bells should start to ring, this is when a visit to the veterinarian is recommended

By removing excess hair through regular grooming is the best preventative method for reducing the risks. Starting a brushing routine with you cat when it is a kitten will make life easier you will gather a lot of hair over the years that would have ended up ingested by your cat or covered you best clothes. So prevention rather than cure is the best advice.

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