How Hairballs Complicate and Jeopardize Your Cats Health

Most people believe that a cat with a hairball will vomit hair. I know this sounds logical, but it is really not the case. Some hairballs, do get vomited. But, more often, the hairball is parked at the exit to the stomach (called the pyloris)

The act of eating stimulates the stomach to contract and push Kitty's big meal out into the intestines to be digested. The forceful waves of stomach contractions send the food toward the pyloris with the intent of emptying the stomach, but if the pyloris is blocked by the hairball napping in the road.

The food essentially crashes into the blockage and surprises Kitty by reappearing on the floor 10-15 minutes after she thought it safely cached in her tummy. The food is generally undigested, and since the cat experiences no real nausea or cramping, the cat usually goes back to her dish to begin satisfying that mystifying, returning hunger.

Meanwhile, the hairball is being tossed and churned by a stomach that has begun the mixing stage of the digestion process, and is either dislodged from the pyloris to float freely in the stomach, or is forced into the intestines to be digested and passed. So you see, hairballs can cause vomiting of hair, food, or even water soon after drinking. A normal cat can vomit in this matter an average of one time per week. Most cats with a hairball will vomit once or even twice in one week, then be fine for 2-3 weeks before another episode.

For a hairball remedy to work (these are malt-flavored petroleum jelly in a tube), they need to be used as a preventative measure, not as a treatment after vomiting is a problem. These products physically coat the hair ingested during routine grooming to prevent it from entangling and joining other hair already in the stomach, thus preventing the dreaded hairball. If the hairball is already present, a petroleum product will not be able to penetrate the densely packed hair in a hairball. The most the hairball remedy can do if a hairball has already formed is slime the surface of the hairball, encouraging it to get on its slippery way into the intestines.

If your cat vomits more than an average of once weekly, see your veterinarian! Vomiting can be caused by a huge list of kitty problems, some of the most common being the ingestion of a foreign body (such as toys or string), infiltrative or inflammatoryboweldisease (very common), stomach tumors, kidney disease, diabetes, and thyroid disease. 

REMEMBER that "routine" hairballs do not cause a cat to feel sick or miss meals! If your cat is avoiding food or losing weight, get to your veterinarian

Here are some other hairball facts for those of you striving to be true hairball experts:

Hairballs are frequently associated with a characteristic "hairball cough" caused by a presumed "tickle" in the cat's throat as hair is about to be vomited. HOWEVER, this cough is identical to the dry, honking cough of "feline asthma", the only difference being frequency. If you are hearing this cough more than once weekly, it is time for chest x-rays!

If the hairball is not passed normally the hairball can actually create a blockage and cause a variety of problems including blockage of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine or colon causing megacolon. If not treated these problems can become serious. In severe cases surgery may be necessitated to remove the blockage. If you suspect your cat is having trouble passing a hairball consult your vet.

More on Cat Hairballs :
What is Hairballs
Hairballs Sign
Why the Cat Hacks Up Hairballs
Hairballs Prevention
Hairballs causes Constipation