How to Help Cat With Hairball?

Unlike other pets, it is most apparent that cats are endearing little carnivorous mammals and are especially safe to interact with human beings. It is why we love to have cats as our pets in homes. Having a cat as a pet always cycling around our legs is quite a fascinating one. But have you noticed your pets spewing up occasionally or venting out water? You might have several thoughts and uncertainty moving around your brain. The primary reason can be the formation of the hairballs. We will discuss the how to help cat with hairball, its causes, impaction symptoms and remedies in the following sections.

Hairball in cats is defined as the accumulation of hairs in the digestive system. It is medically termed a Trichobezoar. According to several studies, hairball formation in wild cats is comparatively lower than indoor cats. Generally, cats love grooming because it releases a hormone called Serotonin, a pain relief factor. They possess a rough textured tongue, moreover like an emery paper. While cleaning process, the weak stranded hairs from its fur get stuck internally down to their digestive system. It passes through the digestive tract and gets deposited in the cat’s intestines. As an outcome of this, they tend to vomit. In some instances, this accumulation of hair gets released via faeces. Felines with long hair are more susceptible to cat throwing up hairball.

What Causes Hairballs in Cats?

Cats are named self groomers and are more conscious about their bodies. Hence they are sterile or germ free. It can be best understood with an illustration. For example, if your body responds to the increase in oxytocin level, it increases your tendency to hug or touch animals. As a result, you will touch them in the way we communicate love. Especially in the case of cats, the first thing we could observe in them after we unleash our hands is that they lick their entire body thoroughly for certain minutes and clean up themselves.

By knowing all these hygienic behaviour of cats, it will, unfortunately, end up with disease free, germ free, and with other names that best suits the term hygiene. But the thing is quite complicated in the other way. As mentioned earlier, the habitual nature is to lick themselves might also lead to an intricate situation while it turns to cat hairball vomit. Excessive grooming also causes skin allergies or flea, which might lead to the drastic formation of affected hair follicles getting into the intestines, thus paving the way for other diseases in cats. The major cause of hairball is intestinal/bowel obstruction.

Cat Hairball Blockage Symptoms

The symptoms of long-time hairballs deposition are quite perplexed. Being lazy, drowsy, immovable are some of the most common signs in felines having hairball.
The root of the problem can be found when you find your cat gagging and discharging excess mucus after the food intake. This marks the beginning of hairball formation. In this stage, cats are inactive, especially due to loss of appetite.
Another cat hairball symptoms is the tendency of vomiting along with the discharge of watery substances.
Cats with hairballs suffer from severe diarrhea.

Cat Hairball Remedies

There are some best rated cat brushes available in marktet, you can use them to brush and comb periodically. Exhibit the habit of pampering your pets regularly.
Pet owners should be concerned about the food given to the cats.
Shower your pets periodically, atleast monthly once.
Anti-flea cat hairball treatments should be carried out to avoid the risk of damaged hair follicles, thereby avoiding the cause of other diseases while the grooming process swallows those follicles.
Massaging cats with virgin coconut oil is considered one of the most natural ways of preventing infections on the cats’ peripheral layer and reduces the loosening of hair.
Provide essential fatty acids and protein rich supplements.
Always keep them hydrated by providing ORS electrolytes for pets because the factor called dehydration /loss of liquid increases during vomiting and diarrhea.
Avoid giving more solid food forms for 3 to 4 hours after dehydration.
It is not a big deal if the cat puking hairball occurs periodically, but it becomes pretty complicated if it happens more than two times a week. This might cause blockage of hair in the Oesophagus. Providing plenty of water for cats can cure the hairballs formed by making the digestive tract run straight breaking down the tubular shaped hairballs.

How to Prevent Hairballs in Cat?

The best way to avoid this condition is to provide best hairball control cat food recommended, thereby reducing the risk of hairball formation. It is important to look at the anti-hairball packets because the food composition varies according to the age of the cats.
Also, Excess intake of anti -hairball foods causes loss of fat. Therefore a limited quantity should be given.
Deficient nutritional food habits, especially decrement of omega36 fatty acids, increase hair fall or result in dry skin and loosened strands. So it is very much important to provide a nutritious diet for your pets
It is also important to consider your cat’s psychological moods, thereby finding other ways to divert their attention. Making them play with toys will help them distract from grooming.
Formation of hairball can be minimized by giving them proper combs so that the hairs that are ready to shred will be removed by combing.

Conclusion

Self grooming cannot be changed as it is an inborn character of a cat. But over grooming leads to unhealthy deposition of hairballs. However, this can be prevented to a particular extent. On the other hand, if it goes beyond the initial stage, it is better to get a veterinarians advice. Providing them prescribed cat hairball medicine could make them spit out. Sometimes hairball formation becomes fatal in a few cases. Thus, it is the responsibility of every individual to take care of our pets and look after their hygiene.