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On a game cam video from July 31st I noticed that our feral cat, Verbena, was coughing.
I figured it was a hairball, so I got her some hairball remedy paste from Tractor Supply.
Unfortunately, she REFUSES to take it. Verbena will - quite literally - jump back at the taste of it. It freaks her out every single time she comes in contact with it.
Since she's refused to take the paste, I started giving her Iams Hairball Remedy dry food. (She also get's a little canned food, which she does love. She always eats that, but if the paste is in there she'll eat around it). She doesn't seem to care for the new Iams dry food though. She barely touches it.
I'm going to try the hairball remedy treats next, which I also saw at Tractor Supply. (Freakin' expensive by the way. Even the paste was ridiculous). I'm hoping she'll eat that either as a stand-alone treat or mixed in with her wet or dry food. (The treats crumble, so I can sprinkle it in her food).
On this forum I've read that other options are:
- Coconut oil. (Edit: I tried this as well, and she avoids it like she does the paste. My Toy Aussie LOVES Coconut Oil more than treats, but the cat... nope).
- Non-flavored olive oil
- A dab of butter or a couple drops of olive oil
Are there any other suggestions I've missed? I don't even know if it's a hairball cough, and I can't trap her again and send her to a vet. (It took a year to trap her the first time to get her spayed, and she's very feral).
I just hope it isn't too serious. I want her to be as healthy as possible, but it is hard when I can't have any physical contact with her at all. All I can do is feed her on our porch every night and before sunrise every morning.
Thank You for any suggestions.
Kristin
I figured it was a hairball, so I got her some hairball remedy paste from Tractor Supply.
Unfortunately, she REFUSES to take it. Verbena will - quite literally - jump back at the taste of it. It freaks her out every single time she comes in contact with it.
Since she's refused to take the paste, I started giving her Iams Hairball Remedy dry food. (She also get's a little canned food, which she does love. She always eats that, but if the paste is in there she'll eat around it). She doesn't seem to care for the new Iams dry food though. She barely touches it.
I'm going to try the hairball remedy treats next, which I also saw at Tractor Supply. (Freakin' expensive by the way. Even the paste was ridiculous). I'm hoping she'll eat that either as a stand-alone treat or mixed in with her wet or dry food. (The treats crumble, so I can sprinkle it in her food).
On this forum I've read that other options are:
- Coconut oil. (Edit: I tried this as well, and she avoids it like she does the paste. My Toy Aussie LOVES Coconut Oil more than treats, but the cat... nope).
- Non-flavored olive oil
- A dab of butter or a couple drops of olive oil
Are there any other suggestions I've missed? I don't even know if it's a hairball cough, and I can't trap her again and send her to a vet. (It took a year to trap her the first time to get her spayed, and she's very feral).
I just hope it isn't too serious. I want her to be as healthy as possible, but it is hard when I can't have any physical contact with her at all. All I can do is feed her on our porch every night and before sunrise every morning.
Thank You for any suggestions.
Kristin
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