Cat Hairballs: Causes, Brushing Tips and When to Call the Vet

Short answer: an occasional hairball, roughly once every week or two, is considered normal. Regular brushing is the best way to reduce them, especially for long-haired cats. Call your vet without delay if your cat is lethargic, refuses food for more than a day or so, or keeps retching without producing anything, because these can be signs of an intestinal blockage.

What is a hairball?

The Cornell Feline Health Center describes a hairball (trichobezoar) as a damp wad of undigested hair mixed with bile and digestive fluids. It is usually slender and cylindrical, about an inch long, though some reach five inches. It looks similar to the cat's fur colour and has only a mild odour.

Why cats get them

Cats swallow loose, dead hair while grooming, because backward-facing barbs on the tongue carry hair down the throat. Cornell explains that most of it passes through in the stool, but some stays in the stomach and gradually clumps together. Long-haired breeds such as Persians and Maine Coons are at much higher risk than short-haired breeds. Risk also rises in older cats that groom meticulously and during shedding seasons, while kittens are less likely to develop hairballs. Our guides to the Maine Coon and Persian grooming show what long-haired coat care involves.

How often is normal?

According to Cornell, vomiting up a hairball roughly once every week or two is nothing to worry about. More often than that, or if it is accompanied by other signs, is a reason to talk to your vet. Our guide to cat vomiting explains when a digestive upset is more than a one-off.

How to prevent hairballs

• Brush and comb your cat. Cornell advises daily brushing and combing, starting early so it becomes routine. Use a brush that suits the coat; the Somali and Ragdoll guides below show how routines differ.
• Consider a professional trim. If your cat resists brushing, a vet or groomer can give a haircut once or twice a year, especially for long-haired breeds.
• Ask about a hairball remedy. Cornell mentions a mild petroleum-based laxative given once or twice a week. Ask your vet whether one suits your cat and which product to use.
• Keep thread and small objects out of reach. Thread, paper clips and twist-ties can become part of a hairball if swallowed.

Short sessions with plenty of rewards work best. See our guides to Somali cat grooming, Ragdoll grooming and Turkish Angora grooming for breed-specific tips.

Warning signs: when it is not a hairball

Cornell lists these signs of a possible intestinal blockage, which can be life-threatening:

• lethargy
• refusing to eat for more than a day or so
• repeated retching that produces nothing

Frequent hacking can also come from a respiratory problem such as asthma, which may need emergency treatment. Contact your vet without delay if any of these appear. Blockages are diagnosed through a physical exam, bloodwork and X-rays, and treatment may involve surgery or several days of hospital care with IV fluids and a laxative.

Quick checklist

• One hairball every week or two is normal; more often, ask your vet.
• Brush or comb often, daily for long-haired cats, and start early.
• Keep string, thread and small items out of reach.
• Retching with nothing coming up, no eating for a day or more, or lethargy: call the vet now.

Keep reading

• Cat vomiting: when it is normal and when to call the vet
• Maine Coon cat guide: size, coat, personality and health
• The ultimate Persian cat grooming guide
• How to stop mats in a Norwegian Forest cat
• Somali cat grooming guide
• How to trim your cat's claws at home

Sources

• Cornell Feline Health Center: Hairballs