In the ancient Egyptians, they worshiped cats, just like the modern cat lovers do. This is even though we commonly do not carve the passion we have in cats onto some stone tables. Furthermore, it is very important to keep these haughty kind of thoughts regarding our felines in mind, specifically when one climbs out of the bed in the middle of the night, and then a bare foot happenstances the inimitable cold and mushy cat hairball. What really are these hairballs? Read on to this article and get to learn more facts about cat hairballs and many more!
Facts about Cat Hairballs: What is this?
What really are hairballs, and how alarmed should you be in case your cat coughs up one of which? Firstly, it is a misconception that a cat can cough up hairballs. Further, the hairball actually lives in the digestive system of the cat, not in the lungs. Therefore, in a technical manner, the feared hairball is actually being vomited. Moreover, cats may spend about 10% of their waking hours just in grooming themselves through licking their fur.
Accordingly, the hair may sometimes in the digestive tract. The hair, which isn’t removed in the cat litter box might sometimes be debarred from some other end in the hairball form.
The medical or scientific name for the hairball is trichobezoar. This commonly appears as a tightly sausage-shaped bump of dense hair, which is vomited up by the cat itself. An intermittent cat hairball isn’t usually a cause for your worry. Nonetheless, hairballs may be lethal for self-grooming pet rabbits that may not be able to vomit.
Causes of Cat Hairballs
It is true that hairballs may be so disgusting, yet they actually develop due to the cat’s fastidious and healthy grooming habit.
When the cat grooms itself, the hooks on its tongue catch the dead and loose hair. This is what they then swallow. The mainstream of the hair passes all throughout the digestive system with no problems. However, if some hair stays on the stomach, it may form a hairball. Commonly, the cat will vomit the hairball, in order to get rid of it. Due to the fact that hairballs pass into the narrow esophagus, they often appear like a thin tube, instead of round.
Furthermore, the cat hairballs are more probable to appear in long-haired cat breeds, like the Mine Coons and Persian cats. Moreover, cats, which shed so many or grooms itself extensively are more likely to have hairballs, as they tend to swallow so many furs. The causes of hairball are one of the best facts about cat hairballs that you need to know.
Signs and Symptoms of Cat Hairballs
The cat hairballs aren’t usually an indication of a serious health condition. However, if a cat vomits unreasonably, a few times each week for more than one month, it must need a trip to the veterinarian. This is to see if there are some other causes.
Furthermore, cat vomiting may be an indication of some other behaviors or conditions, including these:
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Ingesting a foreign object
- Thyroid or kidney disease
- Diabetes
- Intestinal parasites
- Spoiled food
- Eating plats or grass
- Change in the diet
The intermittent hair-packed tarn coughed up by the cat must not be a cause for any alarm for somebody, except, of course, your carpet cleaner. Nevertheless, if the vomiting occurs persistently, it is now the time for a trip to the vet or animal clinic. This is to determine if there’s more serious medical condition. In most of the severe cases, a cat hairball may cause an obstruction in the stomach, colon or intestine.
Moreover, the symptoms might include excessive coughing, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Some other signs of potential obstruction may include consistent retching, frequent diarrhea, or hacking, which doesn’t result in hairball. In case a hairball causes a blockage, a surgery might be needed to correct the situation. This may be dangerous for the cat, as well as so expensive for the owner.
Prevention and Treatment of Hairballs
Perhaps, among the best facts about hairballs that you can learn are these –the prevention and treatments for hairballs.
One of the least expensive and most effective ways in preventing hairballs in cats is via the daily brushing. There are actually a variety of brushes and combs available at stores. These are essential in helping you get rid of the excess fur of your cat, which may just cause more hairballs. Moreover, this is an expressly significant tip for the long-haired cats, or the cats that groom themselves more frequently.
Some other preventive measures and hairball cures include a variation of dry cat food that are designed mainly for the maintenance of the digestive health. These foods usually contain some mild fiber blends, which help in increasing the normal elimination.
Giving some kitty grass or an administered walk to the lawn may also help a cat with its digestive issues. Further, cats instinctively know when they need to eat grass and will commonly do so freely. These are great sources of extra fiber, together with exercise, may help in getting the digestive system of the cat moving in most of the cases.
Some of the cats may produce hairballs at some point in their lives. You, being aware and thoroughly monitoring the behavior in order to see if it perseveres or becomes more austere, may indicate whether it’s just a sign of some medical condition or an inconvenience, which will or will not need vet advice.
