Kitty owners-help with hairballs please!

[Simba's Mom]

Tigger's my first long-haired cat and I'm pretty sure he has hairballs. He's been vomitting them up and since last night now he's not his usual, bouncy self. He's always had wierd feeding habits-besides only drinking water from the faucet, he'll only eat dry food. And I mean ONLY-we've left the best quality steak, tuna, turkey, etc. down, and he won't touch it. So he's never gotten much oily food at all. Everything I've read seems to focus on prevention, which obviously I didn't do much of. If he doesn't improve tomorrow, he's going to the vet. Meanwhile, what can we try? Any suggestions? He's got thick, long Maine Coon fur.

BTW, thanks for everyone's support when Simba was sick 2 weeks ago. I took him to the vet (Boy, they should name a wing of the vet hospital for our cats after I paid that bill!), he had a kidney infection. A few shots, an IV, amoxycylin, and in a couple days Simba was good as new.

 

[helenabear]

My vet suggested Purina Pro Plan Hairball formula (not to be confused with Purina One)... you can only get it at pet stores. My cats did eat this, and they normally eat Iams. Though it wasn't their favorite at all.

I am glad you have plans to get him checked out if he doesn't get better. Last year we had an issue with that, thought it was just the shedding and a month or two later it turned out to be a gall bladder attack. Apparently her stomach was getting touchy from the hairballs, wound up with IBS like issues and then the gall bladder was next to take a hit.

Not trying to scare you, but if I had put it together better I wouldn't have had such a sick kitty. She had a bunch of antibiotics to take and steroids, and now is her bouncy bratty self Oh and we have two Maine Coon kitties too, so I can understand how the hair situation must be now! Mine are shedding like crazy!

I hope he does feel better soon!

 

[vettechick99]

We have a long-haired calico.

I just bought the Purina Hairball when I couldn't get her regular Iams Hairball and just Monday our cat graced us with her first hairball in over two years. I can testify that the Iams one is worth its weight in gold!!!

Oh, you can also get that gel hairball stuff, but I have yet to meet a cat that will get near it. That and those hairball treats. Don't waste your money.

 

[Rajah]

First, get him on a hairball food. I use Nutro Max (or is it Nutra... I never can remember ) and all my cats do well on it and enjoy it. It's cut the number of hairballs down by more than half. And they don't even eat only that food... we also have their favorite science diet nat-whatever (natural balance? Nature's Recipe? Something like that by Science Diet) dry food down and they all graze on both.

Next, pick up some pounce soft treats for hairballs. They have a filling in them that really helps with hairballs, and the cats usually love them.

Then, there's some goop you can get that you put on their paws if you can't get them to take it directly from your hand and it helps with hairballs. Same stuff that's in the pounce treats, only in larger quantities and by itself. I just can't remember the name right now. Ugh.

Finally, if you can (I know, it's easier said than done), keep up with brushing him regularly. Use both a surface brush, and a good comb that gets into the undercoat.

 

[sajetto]

I have a Maine Coon too!!!!! His name is Baxter and is a major 15lb alpha male

I had this exact same problem he won't touch wet food for anything. Honestly, I think he'd rather starve. I did the hairball gel, paste, oil in the dry food, etc. The ONLY thing that took care of it completely is IAMS ADULT HAIRBALL CONTROL cat food. Try it, it will probably give you the same result

 

[chager]

We put vasaline on our kitties paws when they get really really bad. They wont touch the hairball treats or tube stuff. I also tried the gravy stuff before. One cat likes it the other doesn't. Iams hairball is good but expensive. (Again one likes it and one doesn't )
Good luck!!

 

[Nala56]

I use Hartz Hairball Remedy. I comes in a tube, I put about an inch on my finger and put in Kitty's mouth, kinda of rub on her teeth. She doesn't seem to mind it and it really works. If I forget to give it to her, she throws up with hair ball. She normally only needs about once a week.

We use Hills science food for sensitive stomach because one of our cats has intestinals problems.

 

[dopeys biggest fan]

Vasaline works like a charm!! My cats love it! When I here the "noise", I run to the bathroom for the vasaline, they lick it right off my finger! I haven't seen a hair-ball in years!

 

[vettechick99]

When I here the "noise"...

Every cat owner loves the "noise"!

 

[sammi]

We had a major problem with Sammy last year that required an emergency trip to our vets. He also gets regular hairballs but always manages to upchuck them (usually in the middle of the night and in the middle of my bedroom carpeted floor! ) lol but this day he'd been trying to get sick over and over and then he started to go to the bathroom all over the house...with little bits of diarrehea all over. So we took him to the vets and she gave him a shot for pain and a good megadose of Laxatone to get him going again. He was fine all night and then the next day we took him back for xrays which revealed a large massive furball which was getting close to be expelled. So now we have him on a tight regimine of Laxatone mixed with a little soft gravy type of food twice a week and so far so good! The Laxatone is bought from our vets but I know there are other things you can get from the pet stores too.Also we've had him on Iams hairball food for years and this was the first problem he had.

Good luck with your little one!

 

[makinorlando]

Every cat owner loves the "noise"!

Too funny! It is a unique noise is it not....

 

[keishashadow]

Our oldest cat is nearly 18 (grandpa LOL).

He almost died from a urinary tract infection over 10 years ago & had to start taking vit. C & eat low-magnesium cat food.

He's been getting constipated (happens when they get older), so vet switched him to canned food only & had us go to GNC & buy 100% pure aloe vera, no sodium (comes in a gallon jug & must be refrigerated). He stressed it cannot be the type you find on drugstore shelves. Working like a charm (for both hairballs & bowel problems). We give him anywhere from 1/2 to 1 tsp day.

Poor kitty, used to taking vit C every day - now this. It does taste horrible, adults can ingest it too for digestive help. We usually hide it in small amount of cat food.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

My vet swore by feeding cats...PUMPKIN!

A little bit of canned pumpkin every day and no hairballs!

 

[debden]

Hi Simba's Mom Thanks for the update on your kitty.I'm so glad you took him to the vets and he's feeling better! I put up another thread to find out how he was doing but Laura gave me the link to this post....
Our cat has problems with hairballs because he's always grooming the other five.Our vet gives us what's called 'Laxatone' and it helps alot.It's not a cure all but it does help.
Glad your kitten is OK!
Debbie

 

[sammi]

Mickey Fliers pumpkin is a good thing to use too...my DS's cat takes it daily for constipation (he suffers from megacolon which is really serious) and loves it! I haven't tried anything else on Sammy yet other than the Laxatone.

 

[makinorlando]

Mickey Fliers pumpkin is a good thing to use too...my DS's cat takes it daily for constipation (he suffers from megacolon which is really serious) and loves it! I haven't tried anything else on Sammy yet other than the Laxatone.

Pumpkin good to know - I heard that in a post about dogs with tummy trouble too!

My cats eat canteloupe every day, have since they were kittens, - pumpkin, melon - maybe there is something in the melon family, as these two cats rarely have hair balls!

 

[Simba's Mom]

According to my vet, it's best if all long haired cats were on a hairball control cat food all the time. I mentioned soft margarine for "tough" times, and the vet wasn't too crazy about that. I must admit, I hadn't thought of pumpkin-I'll try that sometime.

 

[sammi]

makinorlando...our youngest cat Willy will smell a cantalope being peeled and cut from anywhere in our house and comes running to get some!!!lol It's almost like he's after catnip when he smells the melon. I thought we were the only ones whose cat loves melons!

 

[Mickey Fliers]

The only reason I know about the pumpkin is b/c I had a stupid cat who preferred puking up giant hunks of hair to taking Laxatone or eating hair ball prevention food.

That cat was a giant pain in the behind when it came to that stuff. The pumpkin however, she would eat that stuff up just like Peter, Peter.

 

[LK03]

I feed my two cats one a long haired, Royal Canin indoor and no hairballs ever. Before that, they ate NutroMax hairball management control and did not have hairballs either. I was skeptical but whatever is in that food works!