Please help - cat has SEVERE hairball issue!

[It'sWDW4me]

I'm about to lose my mind. 3:15 AM and I'm once again cleaning a freaking hairball off my bed.

Backstory: Cosmo was the neighbor's cat. They kicked him out and left him to fend for himself for the past few years. I took pity on him and started feeding him (they wouldn't even leave food out for him) and he proved to be quite a sweetheart. This past December, I let him come inside when the weather started getting cold - and WHAT a winter for him to come in out of!!


Cosmo is a very fluffy cat. He has very fine, SUPER long fur - about 4-5" long.


And, with such long hair, he gets hairballs. He'd throw one up daily when he first came in so I started brushing him and getting all that undercoat out. Not much changed. I got him some canned food for hairball control (my other cat, Bear, has a problem with crystals in his urine so he needs to be on a urinary tract health diet) but he wouldn't eat it at first. He started eating more of it but, still, not much changed.

I've tried paw gel - chicken flavor, salmon flavor, catnip flavor. He won't eat it. Added it to his canned food. He can tell when the paw gel is in it and he won't eat the canned food.

I read that safflower oil added to food helps. He won't eat the canned food with 1/2 tsp of safflower oil in it.

He gets brushed daily and I get a hand-sized ball of fur out... DAILY.

He throws up a hairball (not a small one, either) 2-3 times a week and I'm losing my patience. Now I think I know why the neighbors kicked him out. He's destroying my carpeting, my furniture, my sleep.


Do you/did you have a cat with such a hairball issue? Any suggestions besides the vet - I'm unemployed and no longer getting UC so the vet is not doable right now.

 

[Shmily1]

They make several versions of a dry cat food for hairballs. It works pretty good and they love it. I have several that are long haired and get those too. I also bought some of the gel-like medicine from the vet in a yellow and white tube for about $7. I don't try to put it in their food or on their paws though. I put it on the tip of their noses if they don't lick it off of my fingers first. lol Some of them love it, some don't, but the nose trick works great because licking it off is the only way they can figure out to get it off.

Good luck!

 

[Gigi22]

I have a cat with hair ball issues. Added to the fun of hair balls, she has food allergies and can't eat any of the foods that get rid of the hair balls. So, we got a Furminator brush for her and brush her with that. I give her hair ball medicine at least once a week, up to every second day if she is having problems. Nothing fancy, the kind you can get at a pet food store. And, it's not so bad now. She still throws up a hair ball every now and then, but the frequency is something we can both handle. I also put a couple of bath towels on top of our duvet, and when she feels the need, she mostly hits the towels. Washing towels is a lot easier than washing a duvet cover!

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

I put the furball gel on my finger and force it in their mouth if they won't eat it. You might want to trim his fur down now that the weather is changing. That, combined with the furball gel (or other method recommended) might help you get ahead of the problem.

But there might be such a massive hairball in there that the only way to get it all out is surgery.

 

[Muushka]

Try buying a brush that will gather the fur.

I was cleaning out drawers the other day and stumbled onto one that I had used on my cats years ago.
My poor kitty is older and can't groom herself that well. I used this soft slicker:
Here is a link to what kind of brush it is:http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=19960

In just one setting I removed enough fur to build another cat!
She loved the grooming and she looks and feels much better.

I am certain your kitty will appreciate the help and appreciates the fact that you took him in.

 

[sunnyday123]

how about olive oil in his food? I also put vaseline (sp) on my long haired cats paw.

 

[platamama]

Take him to a groomer for him to get shaved.

 

[Hannathy]

Try some plain Vaseline. Very cheap. Just don't give it close to eating because it will block nutrients. Either put it on their paw or put some right in their mouth. And keep brushing!!

 

[It'sWDW4me]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and suggestions! Cosmo is here next to me playing like a little kitten. He's so cute and sweet and I know that he's suffering himself with these darned hairballs that it's hard to stay irritated at him.

They make several versions of a dry cat food for hairballs. It works pretty good and they love it. I have several that are long haired and get those too. I also bought some of the gel-like medicine from the vet in a yellow and white tube for about $7. I don't try to put it in their food or on their paws though. I put it on the tip of their noses if they don't lick it off of my fingers first. lol Some of them love it, some don't, but the nose trick works great because licking it off is the only way they can figure out to get it off.

Good luck!

Ah, I'll have to try the nose trick! I did put some on his paw but his leg hair is so dense (I think he may be part or full Maine Coon) that he was able to wipe it off... onto the carpet.

The boys get soft food every morning and there are always crunchies available to them. My other cat, Bear, needs urinary tract health food so that's the crunchies that I have out. I don't know what hairball crunchies would do to Bear's system so I'm hoping to find other solutions for Cosmo's hairball issue. I have urinary tract health canned food for Bear and hairball relief canned food for Cosmo. I'm NOT a morning person so it's always interesting as they're dancing around my feet waiting for breakfast to make sure that I'm giving the right formula to the right cat. LOL

I have a cat with hair ball issues. Added to the fun of hair balls, she has food allergies and can't eat any of the foods that get rid of the hair balls. So, we got a Furminator brush for her and brush her with that. I give her hair ball medicine at least once a week, up to every second day if she is having problems. Nothing fancy, the kind you can get at a pet food store. And, it's not so bad now. She still throws up a hair ball every now and then, but the frequency is something we can both handle. I also put a couple of bath towels on top of our duvet, and when she feels the need, she mostly hits the towels. Washing towels is a lot easier than washing a duvet cover!

And I like the bath towel trick, too! I had just washed my queen-sized blanket on Tuesday because of an early morning hairball and now I have to wash it AGAIN on Thursday because of an early morning hairball. Bath towels or beach towels definitely would be a LOT easier.

I put the furball gel on my finger and force it in their mouth if they won't eat it. You might want to trim his fur down now that the weather is changing. That, combined with the furball gel (or other method recommended) might help you get ahead of the problem.

But there might be such a massive hairball in there that the only way to get it all out is surgery.

Yeah, I've thought surgery might be needed too. He's eating and using the litter box daily so I know he's not completely blocked. Once I find I job I'll have to have the vet do an x-ray of his poor tummy to find out.

Try buying a brush that will gather the fur.

I was cleaning out drawers the other day and stumbled onto one that I had used on my cats years ago.
My poor kitty is older and can't groom herself that well. I used this soft slicker:
Here is a link to what kind of brush it is:http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=19960

In just one setting I removed enough fur to build another cat!
She loved the grooming and she looks and feels much better.

I am certain your kitty will appreciate the help and appreciates the fact that you took him in.

Thank goodness that Cosmo just LOVES to be groomed. I have a double sided brush - one side has those metal bristles like that slicker brush and the other side has softer, plastic bristles. I use the metal bristles and he seriously blisses out - purring, eyes closed, happy dancing feet. I usually have to clean the brush out 2-3 times per session. Maybe I need to save all that fur and stuff a new quilt for my bed!

how about olive oil in his food? I also put vaseline (sp) on my long haired cats paw.

I've tried safflower oil figuring that might have a lighter taste. Yep, he can tell when I put the extra oil in and he won't eat it. (wasn't there a banging your head against the wall smiley?)

Take him to a groomer for him to get shaved.

And that's my next step. I've got to get him up to date on his shots first, I think. The neighbors wouldn't leave food out for him so I'm pretty sure he never got his shots annually.

 

[Hannathy]

If you just want to get some extra oil into his system buy some canned tuna in oil. Just the cheap generic stuff that's canned in oil instead of water. Haven't met a cat that won't eat that. you can even drain the oil and pour it over their dry food.

 

[It'sWDW4me]

Try some plain Vaseline. Very cheap. Just don't give it close to eating because it will block nutrients. Either put it on their paw or put some right in their mouth. And keep brushing!!

Hmm, second Vaseline suggestion. I might have to give that a go. Like you said, very cheap, so it sure can't hurt! Thanks.

 

[bettymae1121]

I second the Furminator brush. Just be sure to get one for long coats. They run around $20 I think, but it is money well spent. I have a short hair cat whose previous owner didn't brush him at all due to her allergies. When I took over his care, the first two sessions with this brush and I could have knitted another cat. Since he is a short hair I only brush about twice a week now and still get a decent hand full of fur. He still gets the occasional hairball but not nearly what he used to yack up. I bet if I brushed him every other day it would likely stop all together.

If all you are getting is a handful of fur brushing daily with a long hair cat...your brush isn't good enough. Invest in one of these!!!!

 

[LJSquishy]

Give your cat monthly baths to help. Get a Furminator brush.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I have a main coon cat (he has a lot of hair). We feed him Temptations treats for hairball control every morning. He gets 7 everyday and it really controls the hairballs. He maybe throws up 2-3 times a month. You can get these treats at the grocery store, Target, Wal-Mart.

He gets combed every morning. He took a liking to my DH comb several years ago now he had his own comb. Like clock work he waits for DH or myself to get out of the shower and he hops up on the bathroom counter for his combing.

I also treat my couch and carpets with scotchguard and I use the Wool lite carpet cleaning solutions when he has an accident.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

Walmart has a generic furminator type brush that it is a lot less expensive...
Bought one a few years back and it is amazing what it takes out of our short hair kitty.

IMHO shaving seems kind of cruel to the cat....
Maybe when he gets shots you could ask the vet what he recommends doing.

Kitty is lucky to have found you!

 

[mom2rtk]

how about olive oil in his food? I also put vaseline (sp) on my long haired cats paw.

Try some plain Vaseline. Very cheap. Just don't give it close to eating because it will block nutrients. Either put it on their paw or put some right in their mouth. And keep brushing!!

Hmm, second Vaseline suggestion. I might have to give that a go. Like you said, very cheap, so it sure can't hurt! Thanks.

My vet recommended Vaseline. Just put a dab on your finger and put it on the corner of his mouth. He'll lick it off.

Expect this to be the worst time of year as they shed their winter fur.

 

[Imzadi]

As many others said, get a FURminator. NO substitutes! Here is a thread about it with a link to all the other people who use it.

It's up to 3,676 Amazon reviews. This thing WORKS!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2336481

 

[SharonZ]

I have four himalayans, and I prefer a metal comb. I agree with getting an x-ray when you take him to the vet for his shots.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Shave him down = Problem solved.

 

[pixiewings71]

Take him to a groomer for him to get shaved.

yes, this. We have 3 cats, 2 shorthair 1 long, the long hair cat doesn't get hairballs, ironically enough. lol But one of the shorthair girls is really big, not fat, she's all muscle but she's huge, so big she literally cannot reach her back to clean herself, we do brush her but she gets mad very quickly and starts to swipe and bite at us, there is NO way in the world I'm going to bathe her and she won't let the dog close enough to groom her (the dog grooms the long hair cat regularly) so we end up having to shave her because she gets hair mats on her back. We bought a cheap Conair brand hair trimmer and that's what we use on her, we do it every 3-4 months in the garage, we really have no other choice. The trimmer was $20 at Ross, well worth the investment IMO. It isn't hard to shave her but we do need two people, one to keep her focused on getting pet and the other to shave her. Takes us about 15 minutes tops.

I have a main coon cat (he has a lot of hair). We feed him Temptations treats for hairball control every morning. He gets 7 everyday and it really controls the hairballs. He maybe throws up 2-3 times a month. You can get these treats at the grocery store, Target, Wal-Mart.

He gets combed every morning. He took a liking to my DH comb several years ago now he had his own comb. Like clock work he waits for DH or myself to get out of the shower and he hops up on the bathroom counter for his combing.

I also treat my couch and carpets with scotchguard and I use the Wool lite carpet cleaning solutions when he has an accident.

We give the Temptations for hairball control as well, they are Tigger's favorite treats, he loves them. He's the long hair, he never gets hairballs, I think it's the combination of the dog grooming him (and he grooms the dog too) and the treats. Our cats get wet food every 2-4 days, our female Calico has the urinary issues that you mentioned. So we have 3 cats, the 2 females are the ones with issues...yup, that settles it, I'll get boys from now on......LOL