Hairball questions

My Meowlison will be a year old on April 30th & we love her with all our hearts but she has been having some digestive issues...for about 3 days she was having diarrhea....my friend suggested to not give her any food that evening so I thought I would give it a try....well, that DID NOT go well....she completely destroyed my closet, knocking boxes over & tearing up a beachtowel...she then proceeded to poop on the floor (something she hasn't done since we got her in August) & while I was cleaning up that mess she did it AGAIN RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!! I grabbed her & put her in her litter box but she didn't poop anymore...i went to Pet smart & got her better canned cat food,a new litter box (the old one was getting a little small for her) & a kitty genie so we could scope her poop more often...now she seems like she hardly ever goes poop like she used to...a friend asked me how many hairballs she was coughing/pooping out...i said I have never seen her do either & she said that was not good because EVERY cat has hairballs & for her age, she should have DEFINATELY had one by now & if not, she probably has a blockage & that is what is causing her issue....does anyone agree with that??? Do you have any suggestions for me on her issues??? I am going to try the pumpkin trick but I am really worried my baby could have a hairball blockage & I am really worried about her....

I suggest that you take your cat to the vet for an exam. I'm sure your friend means well but unless she's a vet herself, you should take any advice she gives with a grain of salt. Not every cat has hairballs. Digestive issues and diarrhea doesn't always mean hairballs. Not pooping is a concern and can mean constipation. Canned pumpkin may or may not help with constipation and some cats don't like it. A vet really  need to give your cat a through exam and provide the right treatment.

I am taking her on Monday if not for anything but my peace of mind...thank you so much for your help!!

Definitely take her to the vet.
What are you feeding her? Is the canned food that you got her grain and carageenen free? Both can cause digestive upset. Did you switch foods slowly? If not, that can contribute to it too.
Don't punish her if she get sick. That will just stress her out and more than likely make the situation worse. Start with a vet check up and go from there.

One of my cats, I don't think he's ever coughed up a hairball.  I just assumed it was because he was short haired.  The stress of not getting dinner on time would certainly trigger the pooping, and cats really shouldn't go without eating.

If you do the canned pumpkin, read the label carefully.  You want canned pumpkin, not canned pumpkin pie.  They're usually sold right next to each other in nearly identical cans, so read carefully.

Someone showed me something called Farmina pumpkin for cats... any advice on this product??