Hairball

A hairball is a mass of fur and digestive fluid that a cat vomits up. When a cat grooms, the tiny hooks on its tongue pull loose hair, which it swallows. Most passes through the gut and leaves in the stool. Some stays in the stomach, builds into a clump and is brought up, usually as a damp tube shape rather than a ball, often after gagging and retching. Longhaired cats and heavy groomers have more.

Bringing one up once in a while is normal. A cat that produces hairballs often, say every week, may have a problem that deserves attention, such as skin disease or allergy that causes over-grooming, stress, or gut conditions like inflammatory bowel disease. Retching with nothing coming up, repeated vomiting, a poor appetite, constipation or a swollen belly can mean the hair is blocking the gut, which is an emergency. A dry cough is sometimes mistaken for a hairball when it is actually feline asthma.

Regular brushing removes loose hair before the cat swallows it. Ask your vet before using any hairball paste, gel or diet, and before treating a cat that vomits often. Your vet can also check for the causes behind the problem.