Is This A Furball Or Do I Need To Be Worried?

[Claire07x]

Okay. Disclaimer, I'm a fairly new cat mum.

Today I found a lil sludgey surprise beside my couch and I'm pretty certain it's a furball but it's also super sludgey, so I kinda want to know for sure - fun fact, as lovely as the Google images are, they're not much help right now!

There definitely was fur in it, I broke up the contents in a paper towel when clearing it up. Still a lot of goop though!

Do you think it's a furball or should I be worried? She's been acting fine but does groom a lot (unfortunately a false pregnancy side effect!).

Ps apologies for the goop picture .

 

[Claire07x]

PPS .The black stuff was her fur. She also killed a fly which is how I noticed (peeked to see what she was chasing) so it definitely happened today, since I cleaned the house yesterday evening.

Also the white stuff is a combo of paint specs (glass stains wood flooring, funnily enough!!) And the litter she just trailed through. Going after her with a brush 24/7 it seems!!

 

[neely]

Yes, I think it's a furball but don't fret, it's perfectly normal. Here is an Article that I think might be helpful about treating and preventing hairballs:
How To Treat - And Prevent - Hairballs In Cats
Please don't feel the need to apologize about your floors, having pets goes hand in hand with white specs and the like on the floor.

 

[duckpond]

well, she is a cute little tuxedo kitten, i have one too but he is a big ole boy.
If she has not had a vet check recently i would recommend one. if she has and this is a one time thing i wouldn't worry too much about it. If it continues, vet check

cats will occasionally barf, hair ball, eat too fast, upset tummy, parasites many different reasons. It does look as if she had a hairball. If its just every great once in a while i wouldn't worry. if its several times a week i would. Brush her regular, may need to try a different food, or feed her less at each meal but more times per day? and make sure there are no odd things around the house she might eat. they eat the weirdest things, tissue paper, hair bands, little bits of this and that.

welcome to the world of cats. i read somewhere that the best alarm clock would be the sound of a cat hacking up a hairball

 

[Tobermory]

I agree. I think it's a fur ball with a little bit of food mixed in for good measure. Did she eat the fly? One of my cats used to eat various multi-legged things, whether crawlers or flyers, and then "give" them back to me in disarticulated form with hair mixed in for good measure.

Fact: If you put cat barf in the wastebasket, it will smell worse than poop in a couple of days. (See? No need to apologize for goop pictures here. Everyone talks about--and posts pictures of--all kinds of things from poop to penises. Truly.)

Edit: That would be CAT poop to penises.

 

[Tobermory]

welcome to the world of cats. i read somewhere that the best alarm clock would be the sound of a cat hacking up a hairball

We used to call it Yup Yup because that's how one of my cats sounded when she vomited: "Yup, yup, yup, YUP." She's crossed the Bridge, but I still remember the sound.

 

[Claire07x]

Haha! Thank you all so much for your amazing replies and calming me down! Apologies for the late reply, timezones and things!

Duckpond ooh I'd love to see a photo of him, tuxedo cats are just beautiful imo!

To cover a few points:
The floor thing - I blame my mum, i have to apologise everytime she's round she moans about bits of litter and fur. She doesn't seem to understand cats are living things so naturally move around.. I do try clean behind her daily but you know what it's like, always more around! Thanks for being so understanding haha!

I'm not sure if she ate the fly, I did see her chasing at it then the next time I saw it it was dead.. paw swipe or eaten, I'm not sure!

It's the first time she's done it since I've had her, hence my panic haha! She also had a vet check recently (two weeks or so ago?) And all was fine then so I'll stop worrying unless it becomes regular!

Thank you all again for being so wonderful!!! Xxx

 

[Karl641954]

Okay. Disclaimer, I'm a fairly new cat mum.

Today I found a lil sludgey surprise beside my couch and I'm pretty certain it's a furball but it's also super sludgey, so I kinda want to know for sure - fun fact, as lovely as the Google images are, they're not much help right now!

There definitely was fur in it, I broke up the contents in a paper towel when clearing it up. Still a lot of goop though!

Do you think it's a furball or should I be worried? She's been acting fine but does groom a lot (unfortunately a false pregnancy side effect!).

Ps apologies for the goop picture .

That is not a hair all in

 

[Karl641954]

That is not a fur ball. Don't know what though.

 

[Timmer]

It is a furball with food mixed in. No worries. Mine will do that now and then and it reminds me time to get the comb out and do some brushing/combing.