Does this mean he has a hairball?

Sometimes my cat will crouch down and start coughing. The first time I saw him do it, I thought he was about to throw up, but he never did. I've seen him do it several times since. It's as though he's trying to cough something up, but he never quite manages to. Do they do this when they're trying to get rid of a hairball?

For what this is worth, he's a short-haired cat, and I try to brush him at least once daily. If anyone has any ideas, I'd certainly appreciate them.

Could very well be!!! Try and give him some hairball meds and see if that helps. My Loki also shorthair - is shedding like a madman this years, like most of them - just see some of the other posts - and even though I brush every day, it's hard to keep up.

If he also has other symptoms like sneezing, etc. I would have him check by your Vet.

In the meantime try hairball meds and keep an eye on him!

Thanks for the heads-up, Hell603.

What are some good hairball meds to try? I've started him on a "Hairball Formula" cat food--think it's Purina. Can someone describe their experiences with this?

Ginger likes Petromalt, and it has made a huge difference in how often she gets a hairball stuck in her throat.