Can this be a hairball?

Hi,
I think my cat ( short hair) has some hairball problems this past two days. Yesterday he was licking his tail and I saw him gag, i tought he just had a hair in his throat since he was ok after a couple of seconds. But today, again he was licking himself and started gagging. He doesn t really try to throw up, he just gags. Can this be a hairball problem?
This would be my first hairball and Im scared, I know they make some weired noises and sometimes have a hard time with it. Is there anything I can do to help him with this, besides brush him every day? Should I buy those hair ball treats?
Any advice and peace of mind would be really nice. Thank you

Every cat has its own needs, some of which are specific to the breed.My cat is the epitome of laziness.

Hi Loana

There is no reason to be scared, hairballs are common.  Regular brushing can help, and now that he's gagging, you can give him a hairball lubricant like Laxatone, available at pet stores which should help it pass one direction or the other.  Cats will eventually pass the hairball, usually by vomiting, but if he doesn't and he continues to cough, gag, etc without resolution, or he loses his appetite, then its time for a vet.

As Stephenq says, hairballs are not uncommon, and the best method to manage them is avoidance: regular brushing of your cat with a comb that helps remove some of the undercoat (which is the hair that sheds) is a good idea. A curry comb or a Furminator help, though a Furminator should not be used more than once every week or so.

But hairballs are a sign of GI motility issues, and with a proper diet, they can often be avoided altogether. Are you feeding a grain free food? Do you feed your kitty "meals," or are you feeding dry food and letting him graze? Because "indigestible solids" are the last thing to leave the stomach, and they need "hunger pangs" to push stuff like that through, so free-feeding can contribute to hairballs.

Here's an article on hairballs, written by a vet, that helps explain: http://consciouscat.net/2010/04/28/some-startling-new-thoughts-on-cats-and-hairballs/

And the best method to dissolve hairballs is egg yolk lecithin (not "lecithin," which is typically soy lecithin. It must be specifically egg yolk lecithin), and the best method for hairball avoidance is feeding your kitty an egg yolk once or twice a week. This explains why: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/266178/...using-egg-yolk-lecithin-to-dissolve-hairballs

Hope this helps!

I read both linked articles and they are very interesting and well worth reading.  I'm going to speak to my vet in the future about egg yolks and egg yolk lecithin. :-)

Thank you all for the help and giving me some peace of mind. Im scared because of the noise cats make when they do have a hair ball but he didn't gag since yesterday. Ill try my best to brush him every day, also Ill look into the yolk thingy and Ill read this articles right now.
Ohh and I feed him a can of wet food , half morning, half night and I put his lysine in. And also some dry food when he asks for it, I don't let him eat as much as he wants. ( dry food is from Instinct) .
Thank you again