Cat hairballs

Hairballs are clumps of hair that have been picked up from grooming. When your cat grooms their fur, some loose hairs are ingested and gathered into a small ball in the gut. This usually passes in their poo, but your cat will sometimes vomit this hairball instead.

If your cat is about to vomit a hairball, they may begin loudly retching or gagging. The sound can be distressing, but there is generally no harm caused.

How often do cats produce hairballs?

It’s normal for cats to bring up hairballs from time to time – every few weeks is common. But if your cat is vomiting more frequently, you should contact your vet for advice.

On average cats shed around 112 grams of hair annually. Two thirds of this passes through their poo, while around one in 10 cats experience vomiting from hairballs. Long haired cats are twice as likely to experience vomiting.

How do hairballs form?

Cats groom themselves using the barbs on their tongues. These barbs pick up loose hair, which can then be swallowed. This hair usually passes through the intestines without problems.

What causes hairballs?

Nobody knows exactly why hairballs sometimes cause vomiting. Cats spend about a quarter of their waking hours grooming themselves and swallow lots of hair. Most cats can pass this through their intestines without problems, but where hair loss is greater than usual or if the intestines are not moving as they should, your cat may vomit hairballs.

Inflammatory bowel disease can also affect intestinal movement, which can contribute to blockages of hair. In rare cases, these blockages may need to be removed with surgery.

As cats groom themselves more when they’re itchy, cats who suffer from skin allergies or fleas are likely to swallow more hair than others. Pain and anxiety can also cause excessive grooming.

What can you do if your cat is suffering from hairballs?

Hairballs are not usually life-threatening but regular vomiting is unpleasant for your cat. If there is frequent vomiting, loss of appetite or weight loss or if your cat appears unwell in any way, your cat may need veterinary care.

There are some things you can do yourself to try and reduce the likelihood of hairballs:

• Groom your cat daily to help remove loose hair before it can be ingested
• Feed a high fibre or special allergen diet (if your vet suspects that inflammatory bowel disease could be the cause, and has advised a special diet) – studies have shown that this may increase the amount of hair that passes through the faeces and can reduce hair clumping. There is no evidence that a natural raw diet reduces hairballs.
• Reduce stress – this can be through creating separate areas for eating and toileting away from other cats, and offering hiding places

There are some products available containing a variety of agents (such as white petrolatum, mineral oil, liquid paraffin or polyethylene glycol) claiming to help with the removal of hairballs. But there is no scientific proof that these products are effective.

Long term use may even risk your cat losing important vitamins and minerals in their diet. Speak to your vet if your cat is struggling with frequent hairballs, as they may be able to provide treatment.