Hairballs: What, Why, and What To Do

Why do hairballs happen?

When cats groom themselves, hair gets swallowed and enters the stomach, and if too much of it collects there, it starts to form a ball that’s too large to pass out again. So where does it go? Right back up the way it came in.

There are a lot of reasons why your cat may get hairballs, but they basically come down to this: they’re ingesting too much hair or there’s something going on with their gut.

If your cat is ingesting too much hair, it could be something relatively straightforward, like a longhaired cat that’s not getting groomed enough or a cat that’s grooming other pets in the household. But excessive hair ingestion can also happen because your cat is overgrooming, and there are a lot of reasons why this might be happening, including:

• Pain
• Boredom
• Stress or anxiety
• Neurological disorders
• Dermatitis, such as from a flea infestation or skin disease
• Musculoskeletal issues, such as arthritis
• Urinary tract issues

Pay attention to where your cat is grooming itself, if there are any triggers, and any other behaviours or patterns you might notice.

Hairballs can also be a sign that something’s wrong in the gastrointestinal system. This can include problems with intestinal motility (the function that keeps things moving from one end and out the other) and GI diseases, like IBD, pancreatitis, kidney or liver disease, gastroenteritis, or cancer.

How many is too many?

Did you know frequent hairballs aren’t normal?

Even though hairballs are common across all cats, there are very few studies on what’s considered a “normal” number, and not even vets can agree on it. Some say twice a month, others say twice a year.

It might help to consider what’s normal for your cat and whether there are any other symptoms, like weight loss, loss of appetite, or overgrooming.

When should I talk to my vet?

It’s not clear whether frequent hairballs might be a sign of underlying gastrointestinal issues or if they’re a potential cause of it.

One thing is noted: Hairballs tend to get worse as cats get older, possibly due to the digestive system slowing down. (Another reason why gut health is so important for your kitty!)

If hairballs are happening more than twice a month or you notice other symptoms in your cat, you should make an appointment to see your vet. These kinds of symptoms include:

• Loss of appetite
• Unexplained weight loss
• Frequent vomiting (more than once a week)
• Diarrhea or constipation

Are hairballs ever an emergency?

Apart from the fact that hairballs can be a symptom of a number of diseases, having a hairball in itself isn’t an emergency.

However, sometimes a hairball creates a blockage in the intestinal or digestive tract, and that is always an emergency. Look out for signs like:

• Lack of stool
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting bile, phlegm, or blood
• Refusal to eat
• Inability to keep food or water down
• Lethargy or weakness
• Fever
• Hiding
• Bloated or hard abdomen

If your cat is showing these signs, you should contact an emergency clinic right away.

How can I treat hairballs?

Unfortunately, there’s no one solution to treating hairballs in cats. Different things will work for different cats, so experiment a bit to see what works for your kitty.

Of course, the first step is talking to your vet and making sure the hairballs aren’t a symptom of something else. If they are, you should be able to stop the hairballs by treating the underlying condition.

If they’re overgrooming, figure out why the overgrooming is happening. Is it anxiety? Boredom? Fleas? Food allergies? Pain?

If there’s an underlying gastrointestinal disease, getting that diagnosed and treated should help the hairball issue.

If you’ve ruled out other medical issues with your vet and your cat is still having hairballs, don’t worry! There are still things you can do to make your cat more comfortable and your living room carpet less disgusting.

A fresh food diet

Of course, first thing on the list is what they’re eating. We’re obviously big fans of fresh feeding here at Wholesome Canine, and feeding a species-appropriate, non-processed diet is vital for cats.

Cats need real, bioavailable protein sources loaded with moisture and low in carbohydrates. Fresh food diets in cats improve gastrointestinal as well as overall health, and there’s evidence that feeding whole prey can relieve boredom and reduce stress and anxiety. Cats fed a raw diet also have healthier skin and coats, leading to less shedding, and a lower gastric pH, which helps break down ingested fur.

Even adding fresh ingredients on top of a processed diet can be helpful. Proteins like organ or lean muscle meats, eggs, and tinned sardines (packed in water with no added sodium) make great toppers. Not only are they full of protein and other nutrients, they’re easy to find, and a lot of them can be served either raw or gently cooked.

Hydration

Cats are designed to get their water intake from their food source, which means a cat fed a dry diet will never make up the appropriate amount from the water bowl alone. Water helps keep the body, including the gastrointestinal system, running smoothly and helps keep the skin and coat healthy.

While switching to a processed wet food, like canned, is better than feeding kibble, these foods are still highly processed, increasing inflammation, decreasing the benefits of their ingredients, and often made with low quality ingredients and fillers. However, they’re still a better option than kibble, so adding even a small amount of wet food to their daily rotation can help.

If you’re already feeding a canned or fresh food diet, there are still ways you can increase the amount of moisture your cat is getting. Bone broth is both full of gut-happy nutrients and (if cost is a concern) easy and cheap to make, and raw fermented goat or sheep milk is hydrating and full of healthy bacteria. Adding a teaspoon or two to your cat’s meals is an easy way to add some hydration, and if your cat is picky, even just plain water will do the trick.

Fibre

The studies on the effectiveness of fibre for hairballs is inconsistent, but there’s enough anecdotal evidence to suggest it can help in some cases. Giving your cat fibre increases gut motility and improves gut health, and theories suggest it may take the place of things like fur, feathers, tendon, and cartilage, which cats would normally be ingesting in a whole prey diet.

Fibre can be soluble or insoluble, and different kinds will help in different ways. Sources of fibre you can try include psyllium, coconut, chia seeds, oat bran, wheat bran, sugarcane, slippery elm, and cellulose. Experiment with different types and amounts to see what your cat does well on.

It’s important to remember that while fibre can be good for cats, it isn’t an essential nutrient, and too much of it can cause other issues, like constipation and improper nutrient absorption. Avoid feeding more than a teaspoon a day, and watch out for symptoms like straining at the litter box or stools that are too bulky.

Other supplements

There are other supplements that have shown to help hairballs too. 

High-quality omega-3 oil. Adding this to your cat’s diet not only helps lubricate the digestive tract, it also creates healthier skin and coat to reduce shedding.

Slippery elm or marshmallow bark. Not only are these sources of fibre, they also soothe gut inflammation and create a slippery mucus that coats the digestive tract and helps hair to move along.

Probiotics. These can help balance the gut microbiome and restore motility.

Digestive enzymes. These help break down the ingested hair and, as a bonus, help with digestion and nutrient absorption.

Egg yolk lecithin. This helps on two fronts: as a source of choline to help with GI muscle contraction and as an emulsifier, binding the fat in hairballs and helping to break them down.

Lubricants. These often come in the form of mineral oil or petroleum. They won’t prevent the formation of hairballs, but they can sometimes help them pass.

It’s important to remember that every cat, every situation is unique. What might work for one cat won’t always work for another, and what worked for your cat once might not work again later.

Hairball diets

There’s little impartial evidence to suggest that hairball diets are widely effective. The companies that make them haven’t published or made public their studies.

Hairball diets are usually made by adding fibre, which doesn’t work for all cats or situations. Given the wide range of fibres and the fact that efficacy varies between cats, it’s just as, if not more, effective to simply add fibre to their existing food.

Also, if there’s an underlying health condition causing your cat’s hairballs, it could be exacerbated by a highly processed hairball diet.

The bottom line

There’s no easy answer to the hairball question, but there are a few important things to remember:

• Frequent hairballs aren’t normal
• Hairballs can be a symptom of a more serious issue
• Hydration and feeding a species-appropriate diet is vital
• It’s never too soon to talk to your vet if you’re ever worried about your cat