First things first - your cat bringing up a furball is completely natural. However if there are too many furballs being brought up there may be something going on.

What is a furball?

The charming package your cat may leave on your carpet floor is compact, usually cylindrical with a matted fur appearance.

Furballs are formed from your cats regular grooming routine. When your cat cleans their fur, dead and loose fur gets stuck on their tongue which is then swallowed. Most hair will pass through their digestive system without a problem, but sometimes hair accumulates in the stomach over time and forms a hairball which will eventually irritate the stomach layer and be vomited up.

Furballs don’t always come out easily.

If your cat is struggling to regurgitate a hairball they may suffer from a depressed appetite, constant hacking, diarrhoea, discomfort and even pain. If too large a furball may cause stomach blisters or ulcers, esophageal or even intestinal blockages. If you suspect your cat may be having issues with a furball contact your vet immediately to ensure any serious blockages can be avoided or removed.

How you can help:

1. Grass – cats will eat grass to help bring up indigestible things they have eaten or swallowed. You can grow a tray of grass inside for your cat, or a small kitty herb garden.

2. Hairball Control Premium Food – if your cat is prone to getting furballs you can use a preventative approach by changing their diet to assist with furball issues.

3. Cooked Pumpkin- high in fibre, it can help your cats digestive system

4. Regular Grooming – whether your cat has short or long hair, grooming is important. Any hair you remove through grooming is less hair your cat will likely have to swallow! The less hair they swallow, the less likely you’ll get furballs.

5. Your Vet – if your cat has furball problems your vet may prescribe hairball medicine to lubricate the stomach and intestines. This will help the passage of hair through from stomach through to the litter tray.

We hope some of this information was helpful! How often do you groom your cat? Does your cat have issues with furballs?