Cat Hairballs: 8 Common Questions Answered

You're walking barefoot through the house when your toes suddenly encounter a cold, wet glob lying in the middle of the floor. Oh joy, your cat has left another hairball for you to clean up. You may love your kitty to pieces, but you could certainly do without their habit of leaving these surprises around the house for you to find.

So what's the deal with hairballs, and is there a way to make them stop? We answer eight common questions about cats and hairballs that may just help save your toes, your rugs and your sanity.

1. What Are Cat Hairballs?

Cats naturally spend a good portion of their day cleaning themselves. But all that licking and cat grooming causes them to swallow loose hair. While much of this hair passes right through the digestive tract and comes out in their stool, some of the swallowed hair can collect in the stomach, where it grows into a mass that usually ends up getting regurgitated onto your favorite rug.

2. What Do Cat Hairballs Look Like?

While the term “hairball" might make you expect an actual ball of hair, by the time your cat expels one, it becomes elongated into a tubular shape during its trip up through the esophagus. The result, by the time you're lucky enough to clean it up, is a slimy, mucus-covered, oval-shaped mass of hair, anywhere from one to several inches in length. It may be slightly darker in color than your cat's fur, discolored slightly by food and digestive secretions.

3. Can Hairballs Make a Cat Sick?

Although rare, the hair that accumulates in a cat's stomach can lead to constipation. Large hairballs can also pass into the small intestine and become lodged there, creating an intestinal blockage. In either case, this is a serious, potentially fatal condition that may need to be treated with surgery. Signs of a hairball blockage include lethargy, appetite loss and either unproductive dry-heaving, retching or vomit that doesn't contain hair. Your kitty should see a vet ASAP if you notice these symptoms.

4. My Cat Coughs and Hacks. Could My Cat Have Hairballs?

Your cat may make a hacking or gagging sound prior to vomiting up a hairball, but dry coughing or wheezing may indicate a more serious problem. These could be signs of a number of conditions ranging from allergies or asthma to heartworms or congestive heart failure. But as mentioned previously, dry-heaving or retching that doesn't produce a hairball could be a sign that your kitty has a hairball that's too big to pass. If your kitty is coughing, hacking, wheezing or gagging and no hairballs are coming up, you should contact your veterinarian, who may need to do a full blood panel along with an X-ray or ultrasound to properly diagnose and treat your cat.

5. Are Hairballs to Blame for My Cat's Vomiting?

While hairballs are a frequent cause of vomiting in cats, they're not the only reason your cat might throw up. Another cause of cat vomiting is eating inedible objects like yarn or string or things they find lying on the floor. It's usually easy to tell if this is what has caused your cat to vomit, as these objects will show up in the vomitus.

What's less obvious is whether your kitty ate something toxic like a poisonous plant, human medication, chocolate or household chemicals, all of which can induce vomiting in cats, usually accompanied by other symptoms that might include weakness, diarrhea, appetite loss, increased thirst and either increased or decreased urination.

Frequent vomiting can also be a sign that something more serious is going on with your kitty—anything from a gastrointestinal disorder or intestinal parasites to a major illness like cancer, diabetes or kidney disease. The bottom line is, if your cat vomits more than once or twice a week, vomits with no discernible cause or if their vomiting is accompanied by other symptoms, a vet should evaluate them ASAP.

6. How Often Do Cats Get Hairballs?

The frequency of hairballs varies from one cat to the next. It's not abnormal for a cat to cough up a hairball once a week, although some cats do so less frequently. Cat breeds with longer hair are likely to develop hairballs more frequently than short-haired breeds. That said, it's not normal for a cat to produce hairballs multiple times a week. Certain illnesses, like inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal valve issues, cancer or dietary issues, can exacerbate hairballs in cats, so frequent hairballs should be treated as a sign to take your kitty to the vet.

7. Can Cat Hairballs Be Prevented?

Alas, dealing with hairballs is one of the perennial blessings of owning a cat. But while you might not be able to eliminate hairballs completely, you can certainly take steps to reduce them.

• Brush your cat regularly. The more fur you can remove, the less will end up in your kitty's stomach. This is especially important for long-haired cats.
• Switch your kitty's food to an indoor cat formula, or one that's specifically designed for hairball control. These types of food are higher in fiber, which will make it easier for your kitty to eliminate her stomach contents in the litter box where they belong.
• Watch how much grooming your cat does. Obsessive licking and grooming might be a sign of allergies, fleas or a skin condition that needs to be treated, but it can also be a sign of anxiety or depression. If you can treat the cause of your kitty's excessive grooming, you'll cut down on the amount of hair they swallow.

8. Does Hairball Medicine Work?

Most over-the-counter hairball remedies contain petroleum jelly or mineral oil to help lubricate your kitty's stomach, as well as a mild laxative to stimulate them to pass hair through their bowels. These can be effective, but you should follow directions closely and take care not to overdo them.

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Expert Reviewer

Dr. Karen Halligan, D.V.M.

Dr. Karen "Doc" Halligan earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) from the University of California, Davis. After completing her formal education, driven by her love for animals and a desire to enhance the human-animal bond, she has worked tirelessly to provide exceptional care for pets and educate pet owners on responsible pet ownership.

She is the author of the award-winning book Doc Halligan's What Every Pet Owner Should Know: Prescriptions for Happy, Healthy Cats and Dogs and has authored countless articles for various magazines and other media. She has appeared on numerous television shows, including "The Doctors" and "Animal Planet," where she has shared her knowledge and provided expert advice on various animal health topics. Her ability to communicate complex veterinary concepts in an accessible manner has made her a sought-after speaker.

She currently practices general medicine and surgery at Marina Veterinary Center in Westchester, CA.

Author Bio

Jean Marie Bauhaus is a freelance writer and novelist. She has been writing about pets and their health for websites like Hill's Pet, Chewy and AKC.org since 2015.