There are but a few creatures as sensitive to tidiness as cats. They can spend the whole day licking every inch of their coat and when they are done they start all over again. They are unwary of the fact that in the process of licking the coat, they swallow a few hairs. Though the hair may get past the digestive system of the cat, some of the hair gets trapped and form hairballs.
As more hair is swallowed, the hairball becomes large and the cat tries vomiting it out. While this may look like a deadly situation, hairballs are rarely harmful to cats. Be as it may, you need to help the cat get past the situation smoothly. Try the tips below. Feed the cat a tasty hairball lubricant Cats like tasty foods. To this end, you should feed your cat with a tasty hairball lubricant. You can find delectable lubricants such as Laxatone and Petromalt in pet shop supplies. Once the cat gets used to the lubricant, they will go around the house looking for it.
The lubricant eases the process of getting rid of the hairball trapped in the digestive system. High Fibre Diet Sometimes getting rid of the hairball takes feeding the cat with a high fibre diet. According to Martin J. Fettman, D.V.M PhD, a professor at Colorado State University, high fibre diet accelerates the passage of the hairball from the digestive system. In pet shop supplies, you will find cat foods that have a fibre percentage of 3.5 to 10. These are the best. The fibre percentage is always indicated on the package label. Prevent Fleas Infestation and Comb the Cat’s Fur When fleas infest your cat, she grooms more often thereby swallowing more hair.
This calls for a good flea busting method to get rid of the fleas and reduce the rate at which the cat licks their fur. Cats shed a lot of fur especially during summer and spring. If you comb the cat’s fur, you will get rid of the excessive loose hair on its coat thus reducing the amount that goes to the stomach. After you have combed the coat, use a soft and moist washcloth to remove all the loose hairs that remain on the coat. This way, when the feline licks the coat, only a little hair will get to the digestive system. Play with the cat more often Felines are made fastidious. They have to lick their fur no matter what. Normal licking does not result to formation of hairballs.
However, when a cat overdoes it, the hairballs are formed. Mostly this happens if a cat is stressed. To avoid this, keep the cat’s mind out of licking by often playing with it. Seeing a Vet Though, as earlier mentioned, most hairballs are not dangerous, some are long lasting and may lead to intestinal blockage. If your cat retches and gags for more than three days, or if it refuses food for a day, you should seek the help of a pet vet.
