Hairballs can be a nightmare, not least for the pet owner, but also for the pet. They are caused by a build up of fur and lack of brushing. As we all know, cat fur is very thick and if it doesn’t get groomed regularly then furballs accumulate which the cat can then end up swallowing. These tend to get stuck in the cat’s throat and they start choking. This is an unpleasant thing to have to stand by and watch.
Cat health care is all about looking after all aspects of your cat. Look out for a build up of fur. The best thing to do is to schedule in regular grooming sessions each day to keep the fur smooth and hairball free. Grooming is great and it helps seal the bond between owner and pet. Be gentle with it and you will have many happy hours of grooming!
Since some cats out there have very long and thick fur, it is important that you check with the vet if anything specific needs to be done to look after it. Take Persian cats as an example – they have beautiful long fur but if it ends up forming hairballs, this could be very risky for them. You can’t stop the cat from licking itself, as they all do it, which is why hairballs are such a problem. In contrast, dogs don’t get hairballs but this is because they have finer and shorter hair, and they don’t like their fur like cats do. As cat owners know, cats keep clean by licking their fur and thus hairballs occur.
Once the hairball gets into the digestive system, the cat will start trying to cough it up. When the choking starts, the cat’s owner will get a bit nervous about how they are supposed to handle the situation. There’s not much you can do at this stage, and it’s a case of letting the cat cough the hairball up, but be sure to keep an eye on the cat. Check your cat is feeling okay after getting rid of the big clump of fur. If you like to stay prepared, there are some hairball treatments out there which a vet can advise on.
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