| If you have owned a cat, especially one of the long | | | | lodged in the cats' stomach and just continues to |
| hired varieties you will be familiar with the problems | | | | grow. The signs of this apart from loss of appetite |
| of hairballs. All cats suffer from them to a lesser or | | | | are that the cat will become constipated and may |
| greater degree but are a particular concern to the | | | | begin generally neglecting themselves and their |
| owners of long haired cats. | | | | grooming. At this stage there is only one option and |
| The basic problem is that as the cat cleans itself it | | | | the pet has to be taken to the vets to have the |
| licks its fur and as a result swallows large quantities | | | | hairball surgically removed. This is not a very pleasant |
| of its own hair. This slowly works its way down into | | | | experience for the cat or your wallet, operations do |
| its digestive system. Hopefully it will work its way | | | | not come cheap. |
| through the system and be evacuated in the normal | | | | Regular grooming using a cat grooming rake will |
| way. However, some will remain in the stomach and | | | | remove a lot of the dead and loose hair and this |
| eventually this will collect with other undigested hair | | | | goes a long way to preventing the build-up of |
| and form into a ball of matted cat hair. Sometimes | | | | hairballs. This is especially important when your cat is |
| this ball can grow quite large and become a threat to | | | | moulting, When I first got my cat he hated being |
| the cats' health and welfare. | | | | groomed but now he loves it and rolls over in |
| One of the first signs that a cat is suffering from hair | | | | anticipation when I get the brush out. It is amazing |
| balls is that it will go off of its food. Normally before | | | | the amount of hair that I get off of him. It is far |
| the hairball becomes a serious problem the cat will | | | | better to have the hair on the brush than his tummy. |
| regurgitate the hairball and cough it up. When it is | | | | If your cat is particularly prone to hairballs there are |
| doing this is can make a very harsh rasping, almost | | | | some cat food products which are designed to help |
| choking noise which can be quite alarming the first | | | | the digestion of the hair through the system thus |
| time your hear it but once the cat has spat the | | | | preventing the build-up of cat hair inside the stomach. |
| hairball out it will be fine. | | | | I have not used any these so I do not know how |
| It becomes more serious when the hairball gets | | | | effective they are. |