Vomiting Fur

[Lulu&Finn]

Hi everyone, Finn has always been a cat that will vomit every now and then. Probably 2 to 3 times a month, some months nothing at all. I've had cats that are just "pukers". However, many times there's fur in the vomit. The last week he's thrown up probably 5 or 6 times, each time with different amounts of fur in the vomit. This morning there was a lot of fur.

He's eating fine, acting fine, running around. I see no difference in his behavior. My question is, what is the product that you use for this. I see many remedies but before I buy something I want to know if anyone has something that they love and feel works well.
As always, thanks!

 

[Norachan]

Hi Lulu&Finn

It's quite common for cats to throw up a lot of hairballs in the summer. They're molting in the hot weather, so they swallow more fur than usual. The best thing to do is groom them regularly to get rid of as much loose fur as possible. The less they swallow the less likely they are to get a hairball.

Do your cats like being groomed? I find a soft rubber brush is the best thing to brush them with.

 

[Kris107]

I agree with Norachan . When I was a kid (many years ago) we didn't brush our short haired cats. It just didn't cross our minds I guess. But my short haired cats - they shed a LOT! I brush them every couple days when I notice they're shedding a lot. Sometimes I can tell when I pet them that they need a brush. I have a lot of different types of brushes. Some cats prefer/tolerate certain ones better.

 

[Lulu&Finn]

Oh yes, he loves to be brushed. We brush him regularly and get tons of fur.
Is there anything you recommend to give him? I have something in my Chewy cart and I also saw olive oil, fish oil.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I'd keep hairball control products simple, at least to start off with - a drop or two of olive oil in his food (if he eats wet), or a dab of butter on his paw or your finger for him to lick off. These are essentially helpful in lubricating the digestive tract to help pass hair.

My first cat, Tawny, was long haired. We did brush him but not daily, however he got a dab of Vaseline (petroleum jelly) once a week and that seemed to do the trick as I can't recall him throwing up hairballs. A lot of folks get skittish about using this product, but tbh, many of the hairball control items actually contain a version of it. Of course, that is IF your cat will eat it; my two other ones refused. One of them, Gracie, was OK with a hairball paste because it was essentially malt flavored petroleum jelly. She was long haired too. My last cat, Feeby, was short haired and daily brushings were sufficient for her, although she did, albeit infrequently, throw up hair.

 

[iPappy]

Adding to the advice already given, if his fur is thick a comb post brushing will more than likely remove a lot more undercoat

 

[tabbytom]

Hi everyone, Finn has always been a cat that will vomit every now and then. Probably 2 to 3 times a month, some months nothing at all. I've had cats that are just "pukers". However, many times there's fur in the vomit. The last week he's thrown up probably 5 or 6 times, each time with different amounts of fur in the vomit. This morning there was a lot of fur.

Besides the great suggestions by the above posters, I would add that after brushing your cat, clear up the loose hair/fur that has fallen off onto the floor during brushing and also use a sticky roller to pick up the loose fur/hair from where he sleeps.

As your cat lays on the floor or places where he sleeps, fur/hair will get stuck onto his body and when he grooms himself, he'll lick up not only the fur from his body, he'll lick up the loose ones from the floor including human hair and and from where he sleeps. Picking up the loose hair/fur will reduce hairball.

I brush my boy every time he gets up from his sleep and also while he's sleeping and clean his bed during and after his sleep. I use a sticky roller and gently roll over him and also use the sticky roller to pick up the loose fur/hair from where he sleeps and also have a soft short bristle brush to brush him. He's a DSH.

My boy have hairballs too and I do this religiously to make sure he gets less hairballs.

 

[Lennybells]

I have been following suggestions like these since Hobbes was a baby and he has only had 2 hairballs in the 8 months we have had him. It definitely works!!

 

[Cat McCannon]

We brush Belle almost every morning, feed her commercial raw or wet (no dry), keep fresh water in a fountain and in there for years she’s lived with us, have found zero hairballs. She has thrown up maybe a couple of times a year. Belle is a short hair.

 

[tabbytom]

Forgot to mention this too, don’t forget to clear the hair from the brush after brushing and you can use a fine tooth comb to clear the hair off the brush so that each time you brush your cat, the brush is free of the previous fur that you brushed off.