Cat Tips: How to minimize hairballs.

Hairballs are among the least favorite aspects of having a cat in the family. They are disgusting and we all cringe when we pick them off of the carpet and furniture.
While we may not be able to completely eliminate hairballs, especially during shedding season, we can minimize the amount of hairballs being produced by our furbabies.

Grooming
Grooming our cats not only makes our cats look good, it also minimizes hairballs. We as pet parents help minimize hairballs by brushing away shedded hair. When our cat goes to groom itself, he or she won't be picking up the shedded hair on its tongue.
As a fellow pet parent, I recommend brushing your cat daily. My cat Patches loves being brushed.

Correct excessive grooming behaviors.
If your cat is constantly grooming his or herself, that raises the risk of more hairballs being produced. You can minimize this behavior by training your cat to participate in another activity. Give your cat a toy to play with, or find an activity that you two can do together (I recommend the laser pointer. Cats cannot get enough of the red dot).

Provide cat food that contains a hairball reduction formula.
Pet food manufacturers are now making cat food that can aid in reducing the amount of hairballs being produced by your cat. This food is high in fiber and can reduce shedding.

Hairball laxatives
If your cat is still producing hairballs, consider giving kitty a mild laxative to help get that hairball through the digestive tract. I do recommend that you talk to your vet in order to get an idea of what laxative may work for your cat's individual needs.

By combining all of the above tips together, you will reduce the amount of cat hairballs being produced, and reducing the amount of time cleaning said hairballs up. That opens up more play time and cuddle time with kitty.

If the problem persists, contact your vet right away.

Photo Credit: Shauna Silva (me). Photo is of my cat Patches.