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Entry 315Filed under Breeding

How to Help a Cat Who Keeps Getting Hairballs

Regular brushing can reduce swallowed loose fur, but recurring hairballs or vomiting deserve veterinary attention—especially with lethargy, appetite loss, or unproductive retching.
3-minute read By Animalso Team

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Brush or comb your cat regularly to remove loose fur before it is swallowed. If hairballs keep recurring, become more frequent, or come with signs of illness, contact a veterinarian: repeated vomiting should not be assumed to be harmless, and a hairball can sometimes cause an obstruction.

Why cats get hairballs

Cats swallow loose hair while grooming. Most of it passes through the digestive tract, but hair is indigestible and can collect in the stomach as a mass, often called a hairball or trichobezoar. Some cats vomit these masses; a retained mass can irritate the stomach or obstruct the digestive tract. Merck Veterinary Manual describes frequent brushing as a way to reduce the amount of loose hair a cat swallows.

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Longhaired cats may be at greater risk. Hairballs can also be more likely when a cat has gastrointestinal or skin disease, or grooms excessively because of stress or pain. If you notice bald patches, irritated skin, or unusually persistent grooming, tell your veterinarian; the hairball may be only one sign of an underlying problem. VCA Animal Hospitals discusses these risk factors.

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How to reduce hairballs at home

Brush or comb away loose fur

Regular grooming is the clearest supported home prevention step. Cornell Feline Health Center recommends daily grooming, particularly as prevention. Longhaired cats and cats that shed seasonally may need especially consistent brushing. Choose a brush or comb your cat will tolerate and make short, calm sessions part of the routine.

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Brushing helps remove loose fur before it is swallowed; it does not treat a blockage or explain why a cat is vomiting. If hairballs continue despite grooming, ask your veterinarian whether a skin or digestive problem should be investigated.

Discuss food changes and supplements with your veterinarian

Some diets and treats are formulated to help prevent hairballs. VCA describes hairball-specific diets as higher in fiber to help move hair through the digestive tract, but they are not guaranteed fixes. Ask your veterinarian whether a diet change makes sense for your cat, particularly if the cat has another health condition.

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  • Helps reduce & manage hairballs: Cat hairball treats for hairball control help remove existing hairballs, prevent the formation of new ones by promoting healthy digestion, and support overall digestive health.
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Hairball gels and digestive lubricants are oil-based supplements sold over the counter. VCA advises using them only under veterinary direction. The FDA does not review non-drug health products for safety or effectiveness before sale, so an over-the-counter label is not proof that a product is appropriate for your cat. Do not give a gel or laxative to treat a suspected obstruction. VCA’s guidance on digestive lubricants and hairball gels explains their use.

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When should you worry about hairballs?

Contact a veterinarian if hairballs or vomiting recur, become more frequent, or occur with other symptoms. Veterinary sources use different frequency thresholds: Cornell advises prompt evaluation for vomiting more often than once a week, while VCA advises contacting a veterinarian when hairballs occur more than once a month. There is no single universal frequency limit that establishes what is normal for every cat. Cornell’s vomiting guidance and VCA’s vomiting guidance list signs that warrant veterinary attention.

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Call promptly if vomiting comes with lethargy, weakness, reduced appetite, blood, changes in thirst or urination, or diarrhea. Seek urgent veterinary assessment for repeated unproductive retching, marked lethargy, prolonged refusal to eat, or inability to keep food or water down. A blockage may not produce a visible hairball, and persistent hacking or retching can have a respiratory or other cause. Do not assume that repeated vomiting is simply a hairball.

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What the veterinarian may investigate

When episodes keep happening, a veterinarian can assess whether excessive grooming, skin disease, stress, pain, or gastrointestinal disease is contributing. The appropriate next steps depend on the cat’s signs and examination; a hairball remedy should not substitute for finding the cause of recurring vomiting or checking for an obstruction.

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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