The Joy of Hairballs?

Have you ever been rudely awakened in the middle of the night from a delicious dream, with that ever so familiar sound made by your cat hacking- up a hair ball? Worse yet, have you at one time or another stepped upon a cold and slimy ball of fur embedded in the carpet, which frequently squishes between your toes? Well of course you have if you live with cats.

You thought they were hairballs, but the technical name for them is trichobezoars. Tricho refers to hair and the meaning of bezoars is "rock". This is made by partially digested or undigested tightly packed material found in the stomach or other parts of the feline digestive tract. The hair which often binds with undigested fat, forms a tight ball inside the tummy, waiting for the cat can hack it up. Too much information? Yuck!

Hairballs are formed as cats groom themselves. Since cat's tongues have a texture similar to sandpaper, and are unable to spit out the fur which clings to it, cats must swallow this hair which is not digestible. Most of the time the hair passes harmlessly out the other end, but if that hair builds up in the tummy and cannot be expelled; cats must cough up the offending material.

While these furry projectiles are often the object of humor, hairballs that cannot be eliminated one way or another can become impacted in the cat's gut which can become a serious medical problem which may require surgical removal.

There are several ways in which hairball problems can be recognized. The most obvious one, of course, is seeing cigar shaped masses on the floor or furniture. Trust me; once you have seen one of these objects they will never be forgotten. Observing hard formed stools with hair in the litter box, or frequent constipation is another possible clue to hairball problems.

If your kitty is coughing frequently, or is hacking, mostly after meals, hairballs may be suspected. Poor appetite and depression may also be a sign of hairball woes. Since these symptoms may also be a sign of another medical condition, it is crucial to bring your kitty for a vet check as soon as possible.

For an excellent article about Hairballs, visit: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/hairball.html

Of course, your veterinarian will be able to provide you with the best information, suggest products to handle hairballs, and also tell you how to recognize signs that indicate other conditions that are more serious.

What do you do to prevent or treat hairballs? Leave a comment and let us know.