Cats love to keep themselves clean. They have some natural traits that teach them how they can remain self-groomed. Hence, they hardly need a bath. Nonetheless, at the time of self-grooming, cats end up swallowing loose hair, and it results in car hairball. The majority of cats get hairballs, so it isn’t a great issue. But if you are a cat owner, you must know the causes of car hairball as well as its symptoms.
Commonly, car hairball is acknowledged as digestive juices or dead hair that form in the stomach of cats. Cats form hairballs when they groom themselves and, by chance, swallow the hair. And they turn into hairballs when they reach their stomach.
Know the Causes
Cat hairballs seem disgusting, and they happen when cats groom themselves. During that time, they swallow some very small hook-like structures. Mostly, this hair reaches the cats’ digestive tract, and they confront no issues at all. However, if some hair remains in the stomachs of cats, they form hairballs. Usually, cats vomit the hairballs to escape from them. As these hairballs cross the narrow oesophagus when they go out, they look very thin in place of a round.
Long-haired breeds like Maine Coons and Persians suffer from cat hairballs more compared to other cat breeds. These cats shed lots of hair while grooming themselves. However, when kittens do not become mature and turn into cats, they lack hairballs, but with time, they develop them, and it is a pretty normal activity. When cats become older, they turn into highly adept groomers. As a result, they become skilled at removing fur with their tongues. This way, they clean up more hairballs. Though it is pretty rare, hairballs pose several kinds of danger, especially when they become very large or get stuck in their digestive tracts.
Notice the Symptoms
Cat owners find it frustrating to watch their cats eliminating hairballs. A few symptoms of cat hairballs are gagging, retching, and hacking. Commonly, cats vomit hairballs in an extremely short period. When people observe the following symptoms, they should reach out to their veterinarians as these symptoms prove that these hairballs have caused a life-threatening blockage. Some common symptoms of cat hairballs are:
- Lethargy.
- Gagging, hacking, retching, and ongoing vomiting create a hairball.
- Constipation.
- Loss of appetite.
- Diarrhea.
The treatment process
Unfortunately, you can’t prevent cat hairballs totally, but you can do some things that would lessen its chances:
- Add more fibre – If you think cats do not need fibre like humans do, you are wrong. Cats, too, require fibre so that they can retain their digestive tract. Hence, you can add some forms of fibre to your cat’s diet, like apples, Metamucil, cat grass, and carrots.
- Groom your cat frequently – If you remove more fur from your cat, it will have less fur. Hence, when you brush or comb your cat regularly, you can lessen hairballs.
- Do not allow your cat to over-groom itself – Cats groom them excessively when they suffer from anxiety, pain, and other causes. Hence, you should not allow your cats to over-groom themselves.
Summing up
Though it is pretty normal for cats to ingest hair when they groom themselves, at times, it turns into a serious issue and causes cat hairballs. If your cat spills up hairballs often, you should seek your veterinarian at the earliest. These vets suggest some lifestyle changes, and they lessen the occurrence of hairballs. To gain more information on cat hairballs, visit a reliable website, such as Chouchou.