Furball help needed!!

[mofong]

I have two cats, a 7-year old and a 1-year old. My older cat has only left one furball on the floor since we got him 6 years ago. He sheds 24/7 and seems to never loose hair when I brush him over and over again. He sheds so much that I have to take the hair out of the brush at least three times, because it fills up. He gets hairball stuff about once a week, and it seems to keep him hairball free.

My little girl does not shed like the big guy, but is a lot fluffier. She has really soft downy fur, and she seems to leave clumps of fur around the house, rather than just cat hair everywhere like the older guy. She gets hairball medicine everyday, and is brushed until she starts to attack the brush. I can usually get a good brush full of hair at each brushing. She throws up hairballs every week!!! This has been a habit for the past month. I have now just switched their food to Iams Hairball Control.

Does anyone have any other suggestions on how to control this? I've never had so many hairballs in the 6 years that I've had cats.

 

[flea48]

Dear mofong, I wish I had some words of wisdom for you. All I can offer is sympathy :-) I have 5 cats, four of whom are short-hair. Even they throw up hair balls sometimes. My 11 year old Himalayan is a different story. Einstien has super-fine, white fur and sheds everywhere including clumps of fur. It is especially intense in the Spring and Summer. In addition, he detests being brushed and it is a battle every time I do it. This has necessitated a few trips to the groomer. :-) He really doesn't throw up fur any more than his short haired buddies. He also has alergies and asthma and sneezes as a result of his own fur sometimes. I have had really good luck with Pounce Hairball treatment.

Hang in there. It sounds like you are doing everything possible. In peace, flea/Hannah

 

[hattkatts]

Using a cat food labelled for hairballs is a good start as it may solve your problem for you. The hairballs must exit the body at one end or the other. You might supplement their food with omega oils to provide a lubricant to aid them in passing them with their stools as opposed to to leaving rug muffins to find in the wee hours with bare feet!

Pete

 

[reidrn]

One of my cats used to throw up hairballs every week, too. The Iams hairball formula has helped him pass them through the other way. He also takes Laxatone and that helps as well. Now he throws up about every two or three weeks. I can sympathize with your situation because my other cat has only thrown up one hairball in two years (Yikes! Two years... they're growing up so fast!) I feel so sorry for Max, puking all the time like that. The vet told me that's normal for him. His hairballs just don't like to go through the other way. Whoever metioned te oil might be on to something. I'm calling my vet today...

 

[sandie]

I used to mix regular science diet with the hairball formula. Until I started giving them 3v liquid caps with their dry food. It is an omega 3 fatty acid(like Pete said) suppliment along with some other vitamins. I havn't had a problem with hairballs since.

 

[havel1hv]

One thing I noticed, and it is prob. because of the ingredients, is my cats have more or less hairballs depending on their food. Science diet OM tends to increase hairballs while so far Innova lite cat food decreases it (compared to the SD, anyways).

Here's a question... On the omega 3s and 6s - can I pop the fish oil caplets I give to my dog and put it on the cat food? I use fish oil for my dog because they metabolize things differently (according to the vet) and those things that may be in the fish oil that hurt humans prob. won't hurt dogs (also they don't live as long

so the stuff doesn't build up - I'm talking about about pollutents that are stored in fat). How many caplets should I give - humans are supposed to do 2 caplets daily.... (as does the 114.5 pound dog

)

Thanks,

Heather Havel

 

[sandie]

Fish oil is in the 3v caps liquid I give my cats. You can also buy it in capsule form. The dose is 1 a day. I put it on the dry food.

 

[mofong]

Lots of great advice on my hairball situation. My cat does not eat all of her dry food at once, but my older cat does, and if I put the fish oil on all the dry food, and the other one eats her food, will that be too much for the older cat? I feed them twice a day, about a 1/3 cup each time, should I put the oil in only once, or twice?

 

[sandie]

I would put it into each feeding. The amount in the little capsules isnt very much. I would dump it in there and mix it really good.