“Hairy” Indigestion: How To Deal With This Problem

Cats are very hygienic animals that spend a good part of their day cleaning themselves. So, even if they don’t bathe, the cats are always beautiful and impeccable. But since nothing in life is perfect, this over-cleaning has its consequences. These are the famous hair balls that form in the animal’s digestive tract and can cause indigestion.

What causes hairballs?

Cats mainly use their tongues to clean themselves. It is the ideal instrument for this, as it has small thorns on its surface that allow you to drag all the dead hair.

The problem is that cats can’t get rid of the hair in their mouths and end up swallowing it. Although many of these hairs are normally eliminated through feces, others end up accumulating in its digestive tract, forming the famous balls, which the animal will try to eliminate through vomiting.

If you are unable to expel these hairballs through your mouth, it is likely that, in more severe cases, they will end up obstructing the intestines, requiring surgical intervention to eliminate them.

What are the fur balls that cats vomit like?

Those with cats have certainly asked that same question the first time they saw their pussy expel the hair that had accumulated on her stomach: “Why are they called balls?”

In fact, the so-called fur balls have a flattened shape, roughly similar in color to the animal’s coat and varying in size, between three and four centimeters. It mixes hair, food waste and saliva.

When the little animal is vomiting to eliminate one of these balls, it makes sounds similar to a human cough. Generally, a cat expels one or two of these hairballs a week.

How to facilitate the expulsion of hairballs and avoid indigestion?

Most likely, your cat will seek to “medicate” itself by eating herbs and thus causing vomiting to expel the hairballs. If you have a garden or yard, don’t squelch the animal if it pounces on grass or other plants. However, take some precautions:

• Do not use pesticides or other chemicals that could be toxic to the cat.
• Ask a veterinarian about plants that might be dangerous to your pet.
• To prevent your pet from destroying your garden, also cultivate the most suitable plants for it to consume. Look for a veterinarian once again.

If you live in an apartment and your cat does not have access to the outdoors, the ideal would be to plant his favorite plants in pots. You can also buy them from pet shops or specialty stores and offer them to him regularly.

Brushing your pussy is a good way to stop it from swallowing too much fur.

Another key way to keep hair from building up in your cat’s digestive tract is to brush it often.

Although cats with longer coats tend to produce more hairballs, those with short fur are not exempt from this drawback.

Thus, ask a veterinarian for advice once again to choose the most suitable brush for your cat.

In times of fur change, the ideal is that you brush your furry friend daily. If you do it with care and care, your pet will surely love the brushing sessions, which will also help you relax.

Other tips to fight hairballs and indigestion

You can take other measures to prevent excessive hairball formation, such as:

• Feed your cat a high-fiber diet. You can either introduce this diet naturally or buy a feed specially formulated to reduce hairball formation. In either case, seek advice from a professional.

• Avoid stress. Remember that an anxious cat will lick itself more often, ingesting more fur.
• Make sure he doesn’t swallow any small objects, fabrics, or threads he finds around the house that help to clog his digestive tract.