# Cat Hairballs — Quick answer

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/cat-hairballs): Cat Hairballs — Quick answer. Hairballs form when swallowed fur accumulates in the stomach. Occasional vomiting of a hair cylinder is normal for many cats, especially long-haired breeds. See your vet if your cat vomits hairballs more than once a week, retches without producing anything, loses appetite, or has constipation — these may signal obstruction or another illness.

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/cat-hairballs): Cat Hairballs — Why do cats get hairballs?. Cats groom themselves constantly, and their rough tongues pull loose fur into the mouth. Most fur passes through the digestive tract and exits in stool. When too much accumulates in the stomach, the cat vomits it up as a hairball (trichobezoar). Long-haired breeds — Persians, Maine Coons, Ragdolls — and cats who shed heavily seasonally produce more hairballs. Excessive grooming from stress, skin disease, or pain also increases swallowed fur.

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/cat-hairballs): Cat Hairballs — Normal vs concerning hairball frequency. Generally acceptable: - A hairball every one to two weeks in long-haired cats - Occasional retching followed by vomiting a tubular mass of fur Needs veterinary attention: - Hairballs more than once or twice weekly - Frequent vomiting without hairball production - Loss of appetite or weight loss - Constipation or small hard stools - Lethargy or abdominal bloating - Diarrhoea alongside vomiting Repeated vomiting without hairballs may indicate inflammatory bowel disease, food allergy, or obstruction — not simply hairballs.

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/cat-hairballs): Cat Hairballs — Hairball impaction and obstruction. Rarely, a large hairball blocks the stomach outlet or intestine. Signs include: - Persistent vomiting — often with little food retained - Refusal to eat - Constipation or no stool production - Abdominal pain and dehydration Obstruction is a surgical emergency if conservative treatment fails.

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/cat-hairballs): Cat Hairballs — Prevention strategies. - Brush regularly — daily for long-haired cats, several times weekly for short-haired - Hairball-control diets — formulated with increased fibre to move fur through the gut - Hairball gels or pastes — lubricate passage of fur; use as directed - Increase hydration — wet food, water fountains, and multiple water stations - Manage skin conditions — treat fleas, allergies, and pain that drive over-grooming - Reduce stress — environmental enrichment lowers compulsive grooming Avoid giving petroleum-based products not formulated for cats without veterinary guidance.

PETHEALTH+ (https://pethealth.org.uk/health/cat-hairballs): Cat Hairballs — When hairballs mask other disease. Cats are skilled at hiding illness. Chronic vomiting attributed to hairballs sometimes delays diagnosis of: - Inflammatory bowel disease - Food hypersensitivity - Hyperthyroidism - Kidney disease - Intestinal lymphoma If vomiting persists despite grooming improvements, your vet may recommend bloodwork, faecal testing, or abdominal ultrasound.

Source: https://pethealth.org.uk/health/cat-hairballs