My 5-yr old cat (long-hair) is having big hairball problems!

Hi all. 

Adopted Pigeon a couple months ago. She is such a love-bug! However, I feel awful for her because she goes into periods where she is very sick (vomiting, wheezing), and I am almost certain it is from hairballs. She has only coughed up one that I could find so far.

I have done the following so far:

• The dry food she eats is Science Diet Hairball Formula (she also gets wet food from Fancy Feast)
• I brush her with a Zoom brush as often as I think of it
• I give her a bit of the tube of the jelly-like medication (sort of like molasses) a couple times a week (I think she eats it, but not totally sure?)
• I just ordered a Furminator brush to trim her up even better

I was wondering:

• Should I be using a comb also/instead?
• Should I look for better wet food (maybe with higher fiber?)
• Is the tube medicine the best one, or should I look for a different one? And should I use it more often?
• Should I be seeing the vet very soon?

Thanks for all of your input! 

Combing does a good job of removing stray fur.  The Furminator is great, from what I hear, although I haven't tried it.

Winter is often a bad time for hairballs.

Wheezing isn't normally a part of trying to hack up a hairball. Has she seen a vet recently, and had a complete blood work up done? Our cat Flowerbelle was vomiting and wheezing, and as she's had problems with hairballs in the past, we assumed it was the same problem. We work with several vets, and just last year added a DVM that is trained in chinese medicine to our "vet arsenal." :lol3: We knew from chatting with her that hairballs are caused by a GI imbalance, so when it got bad, we took Flowerbelle to see her. We were hoping for some kind of herbal treatment that would clear it up altogether.

Well, she heard "crackling" when listening to her lungs, and it turns out Flowerbelle had bronchitis. She was also constipated, with a lot of stool backed up in her small intestine, which was likely causing her vomiting. She's on medicine for the bronchitis and an herbal stool softener and pumpkin for fiber... and no more vomiting, no more coughing.

Coughs in cats can signify a LOT of things. One of them is heart problems. Another is asthma. If she's wheezing, and having "big" problems... I wouldn't assume it's hairballs. Best to be sure.

AW sorry Pigeon (love the name ) is having some problems. I really would agree with Laurie - and take your cat to the vet. If this has been going on for a couple of month's it is best to get her checked out. It could very well be hairball blockage - but since this has become more of a chronic on and off episodes - definitely time for the vet. Wish you the best with your new furbaby - keep us posted