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The dreaded by-product of owning a cat that we humans have to deal with. The odd hairball on the rug is almost unavoidable as a cat owner, despite being one of the cleanest pets you can have, hairballs are unfortunately part and parcel of sharing your home with a feline friend. But what causes hairballs and can they be eliminated?
Cats are meticulous groomers, and this means they end up consuming a whole load of hair each day whilst keeping themselves clean. Their tongues are barbed which means they stick to and remove any loose hairs during their daily pamper. And although this means kitty bath times are rarely necessary, any of that hair that doesn’t digest and end up in the litter tray usually has to find another way out. The official title of a cat hairball is a trichobezoar – that’s right, it has its own scientific name. Hair collected in the stomach gathers and will be randomly regurgitated by your floof as and when they see fit.
Observing this event can be pretty unsightly as an owner, but hairballs are a totally normal part of cat life. The four legged furballs are obsessively clean and like to keep their coats in gleaming condition, so although to us it seems a little distressing to go through just to look good, it really is normal for them. Dedicated to the cause of looking good at all costs.
Hairballs should only occur around once a month in a healthy cat, so if you’re finding the unsavoury surprises on your floor more often, it may be worth a trip to check in at the vets. Cats can overgroom is they are stressed or anxious, and this could leave to more frequent hairballs which isn’t healthy. Definitely worth a check up just to be sure.
To help your cat keep hairballs at bay, we recommend helping them out with a good daily brush. A helping human hand to brush away the stray hairs and minimise the amount of hair they ingest should keep hairballs to minimum and your carpets clean. And try not to forget, it it is normal, harmless behaviour in cat world despite how concerning it can seem to us mere humans. They’re built of tougher stuff and can deal with the odd hairball hear and there if it means they’re looking 10/10.
