Hair Balls are a common complaint among people owned by cats.
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Hairballs are more than just unwanted gifts your cat leaves next to your shoes. Oftentimes, they can cause health problems. Use these tricks to reduce your cat’s hairballs.
Hairballs aren’t just unpleasant surprises to find around the house; they can be bad for your cat’s health. They’re a natural result of the grooming process, but they can lead to potentially serious intestinal blockages. Long haired breeds and heavy shedders are most susceptible to troublesome hairballs. Take a look at these tips on how to get rid of hairballs — reducing their frequency and treating symptoms like retching.
Here are some recommendations to help you and your cat:
- Feed your cat a high quality diet and supplement with Omega-3’s.
- Brush your cat for a few minutes each day. After brushing wipe your cat with a damp paper towel or cloth to get rid of any residual fur.
- Psyllium seed husk powder. Also known simply as psyllium, this powder is made from portions of the seed of the plant Plantago ovate, a native Indian plant. This fiber source is water soluble and becomes mucilaginous when wet, helping to push built up hair along the GI tract. Add the contents of a capsule to a tablespoon of water, then mix in with your cat’s food daily.
- Pumpkin. Add a teaspoon of canned or freshly cooked mashed pumpkin to your kitty’s food each day. Canned pumpkin (make sure it is 100 percent pumpkin) is a non-grain fiber source that can aid digestion.
- Add a good quality animal-sourced digestive enzyme to your kitty’s diet.
- Put a dab of papaya jelly on your finger. Kitty will lick the jelly, swallow it, and with any luck it will coat the hairball, allowing it to be expelled more easily.
- Apply essential oils that are good for digestion such as a combination of Ginger, Fennel, Coriander, Peppermint, Tarragon, Anise and Caraway and Cardamon to your cat topically or add it to the litter box as described in my book SpOIL Your Pet.