Harball? Or..?

I really have a hard time describing this behavior so I've been reluctant to post a question about it, but I was lucky enough to catch it on video.  My cat, Samson, has a very loud purr I was trying to capture to send to a friend.  Well, I guess I got lucky.

Please help me identify what is going on here, I am a first time cat owner and not sure what this means.


Sorry for the video quality, cell phone camera and awkward angle.  Keep in mind I was only really going for audio on this one.  If it's upside down, hang tight, YouTube takes a sec to process the flip.

The video cuts out before the story is finished, after the "incident" he went back to doing everything he was doing before hand.  Walking about me, purring quietly, playing with the post and a toy nearby, normal cat stuff.

He's done this a handful of times, but not often (not even close), and every time I've observed it he's never made a mess and always went back to doing whatever afterward.  It doesn't happen after exercise or eating or anything like that, it seems to happen randomly.  One of the first times he did it I thought he was going to make a mess, and he was on carpet only feet from a tiled floor.  I tried to pick him up and place him on the tile so I could easily clean whatever it was that came out, and when I did he immediately stopped and looked up at me as if to say "Why are you staring at me?"

But I want to be sure it isn't something respiratory.  It doesn't seem like a typical vomit spasm and sounds a lot more forced from the lungs, but on the other hand it's not a cough or asthmatic fit either...  He definitely hacked up something, but he immediately swallowed whatever it was.

I want to avoid a vet trip if possible, I don't really have an income at the moment as I've been laid off for quite some time.  I'm barely scratching by as it is and don't need to rack up several hundred over something that has the potential to be quite minor.

Any and all help is appreciated.

Thanks!

Hi @Watcher-45 and CONGRATS for being a first time cat owner of a very handsome cat with an amazing purr!!!

From my POV this is classic hairball but i'm going to link you to 2 articles on hairballs, and 2 on asthma for comparison.  But, even if its a hairball its important that he be able to pass it either by vomiting or by pooping, and that if it became an obstruction it would be dangerous.

The first thing to do generally (although consulting a vet is always the safe way to go) is get a hairball remedy like PetroMalt from a pet store.  It's a flavored lubricant that will help grease the tracks so to speak and help him pass it.  You can safely give twice the dosage they recommend.  If he won't eat it either as a treat or mixed with his food, you can put some on his paws and he will likely lick it off.  This should either end the symptoms and/or produce visible results in a couple of days.  If he stops the wheezing but you see no hairball, its probably in his stool.  A good way to help prevent future hairballs is lots of brushing.  All the hair that shows up i the brush is hair he doesn't ingest!

If however he becomes constipated, lethargic, looses appetite has unproductive vomiting (vomits but no hairball)  then you must consult a vet and quickly.

Frequent hairballs can be a sign that he may be predisposed to inflammatory bowel disease, and it is much cheaper  to prevent this than treat it, so if he gets frequent hairballs then i would consult a vet.   This issue is discussed in the ASPCA hairball article below.

Hairballs

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/hairballs

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/health_resources/Hairballs.cfm

Asthma

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/asthma

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/FHC/health_resources/Asthma.cfm

Thanks for such a fast and informative reply.  I'm glad it's nothing too serious, and thanks again for the advice.

I do brush him at least once a week, but I will do my best to make it once a day.  The weather is improving so I'll expect he will be shedding a bit more, yes?

His coat is very dense but it seems like he doesn't shed nearly as much as you'd expect.  He sleeps on a black blanket and it's not completely covered, plus one resident here is allergic to cats but he doesn't bother her.  She can pick him up and rub her face on him and be 100%, but if she so much as walks into a household with cats she starts getting all sneezy and a runny nose.

Ok let us know how things progress ok

My baby girl has a big problem with hairballs. I have found that anti hairball cat food was the best way to go for me, that is if it's hairballs. hope all is well with your baby girl