Has your cat been coughing and hacking lately? Has he been leaving disgusting skinny oval blobs all over your floor? If so, your cat might have hairballs.

imageWhat exactly is a hairball? It is a mass of hair and food that did not digest that forms inside a cat's body. The hair comes together and forms a ball in his stomach instead of simply passing through his body. Since these hairballs aren't able to break down and be digested, cats often cough them up to get rid of them.

While most cats don't have a problem with dislodging hairballs, they can occasionally pass into a cat's intestines and cause a blockage. If your cat seems to be constipated, he may be experiencing a small blockage. If he seems lethargic and his coat is dull and unhealthy looking, or he is eating less than usual, then he may have a serious blockage.

Either way, you should take him to your veterinarian to be sure a hairball is the problem and to have it removed.

Preventing hairballs

Of course, it is much better to prevent hairballs in the first place. One of the easiest ways to keep your cat from developing a hairball is to groom him frequently by thoroughly combing or brushing his hair each day to remove excess hair and dander.

If you begin this routine when he is a kitten, he will actually look forward to being groomed. If your cat doesn't care for brushes and combs, try a grooming glove, instead.

There are also several dietary aids that you can try. For example, there are many dry cat food brands on the market that are developed specifically to prevent hairballs.

There is also special hairball remedy on the market. The remedy is in the form of a gel. This gel can be added to your cat's food or placed on your cat's paw. This gel is actually a lubricant and will help the hairball pass through his body. Talk to your veterinarian before using one of these hairball remedies for a long period of time, as they can end up removing important vitamins and minerals along with hairballs.