What is a hairball?

[solomonar]

My tomcat started to vomit once a day three days ago. The vomit is brown, liquid and contains hairballs = packs of hair, in my understanding.
There is a lot of info on the internet about hairballs. However, it is not clear for me what it is a hairball.

It is relevant for me to understand what a hairball means, to make sure that vomit is not from his chronic gastritis.

In other words, hair in vomit vs hairballs vomit.

Thank you very much!

 

[maggie101]

I asked my vet that. My cat throws up spit and fur. It is still considered a hair ball even though it's just a patch of fur. Once a month is OK but not every day so keep an eye on him. So he is a stray? Since winter is coming there won't be as much grass to chew on to help prevent hairballs

 

[fionasmom]

Actually there is a difference between hairballs and vomit with hair.
Hairballs | The Cat Community

This might say it more clearly than I would.

5 surprising misconceptions about hairballs in cats - T.H.E. Cat Hospital

This basically says the same thing. In my experience with my own cats, true hairballs are really hair with no sign of food, froth, bile, liquid more than it took to upchuck them.

 

[solomonar]

fionasmom Thank you!

My tomcat sheds a lot this time of the year - we are in late autumn in my area, winter is approaching.
I comb him, but perhaps I am not very effective :-).

I am still concerned, because of his history of gastritis, :-(

 

[solomonar]

maggie101
He is 100% indoor. I should bring him some grass, I guess.

 

[fionasmom]

My cats have never vomited repeatedly with hairballs. They have been few and far between. I do have cat grass available for my cats and dog inside, but it is debated as to whether or not they need it.

 

[solomonar]

I think I have to visit my vet then :-(

 

[maggie101]

maggie101
He is 100% indoor. I should bring him some grass, I guess.

My cats don't like the cat grass. I do brush every day and give laxitone. Canned food helps. It could also be acid reflux so use a timer at night. How old is he? If senior the vet might suggest blood test

 

[solomonar]

maggie101
He is 5 years old. Integer.
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I had a remote consultation with his vet. She said that many cats vomit hairballs repeatedly this time of the year (late autumn) because of shedding before the winter.
The Vet recommended high-fiber dry food and Famotidine (if tom will keep vomiting).
I feed Royal Canin Indoor and High fiber response, along with Purina gastro (all dry food) and reduce the wet food (gastro) intake to 2 teaspoons per day. No Famotidine yet.
I also comb the cat 2-3 minutes per day - which annoys him a lot, judging from soft bites. He never bites, so this is a very relevant. :-)

So far, after 2 days of doing so - no vomit.

However, I must keep an eye to him, because he never vomited hairball by this year and has a chronic gastritis.
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Everybody keeps telling me that the inner cause of these health problems is that he is not neutered. The explanation seems to be that the testosterone stresses him. I am not sure about that - do sexually-deprived men develop gastritis and vomit?
It could be true or not - I don not know as long as I could not find any justification in biochemistry.

 

[di and bob]

Humans can rationalize, and figure out ways to get around things that stress them. Cats rely on instinct and are motivated by the here and now, so stress is increased. He may be grooming more because of autumn and being 'deprived', but if he is kept entertained and happy, he won't miss what he has never had. You know your cat more than anyone else, does he seem stressed or unhappy, does he spray and scream at the door, does he get aggressive? if the answers are no, don't worry about his stress from not being neutered, cats can't hide their feelings and emotions like we do, YOU would know.
This may be just an isolated incident, hair may bother his gastritis and he vomits before a ball can be formed. Hairballs are formed in the stomach when they don't pass out through the intestines as they should. I give my cats a teaspoon or so of butter every three days or so and it seems to help with their hairballs. (butter has almost nonexistent lactose that can upset cats) I would first try the diet for a couple of weeks and see how it goes. If he continues daily vomiting for a week, I would take him in. All the luck!

 

[solomonar]

di and bob Tom has is a very still and quiet cat. He never screams and never turns aggressive. One year ago he used to spray, not to much. Now he does not spray at all. He does not want to go outside.

He vomited one or two times a day for three days in a row. Hairballs with one spoon or two of brown liquid.
After reducing the wet food and feeding high fiber dry food he ceased to vomit and now he behaves as usually.

 

[di and bob]

I'm so glad he feels better! I know how worrisome it is to feel so helpless when they are sick, and you don't know why.

 

[solomonar]

Wet food seems to be problematic to him. After returning to wet meal - two spoons per day! - he vomited again.
To me (but I maybe wrong), looks like a combination of chronic gastritis with excess hair and with allergenics in the wet food.

The wet food is gastro formula: Vet-Expert and Hills.

[ My attempt to feed high-protein, high quality normal food was a total disaster: vomit -3 times a day.
He does not tolerate raw meat - in his kittenhood I gave him like half teaspoon of chicken breast a week, he loves it but got sick from more. ]

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No pills yet. I want to be sure what is the cause, before any chemical treatment.
That is the tactics I apply to myself as well - no treatment before knowing the cause and the biochemistry (metabolism) behind.

I comb him more often (2 times a day), but I have no idea how to do it in a pleasurable way - although he is the most still and quit cat I ever know, when I comb him, he simulates aggressive bites on me (no puncture, only the biting gesture - which is terrifying)

 

[artiemom]

Geoffrey has the same issues. I feed him a novel protein, and almost daily laxatone.

He is a terror about being brushed; but after a ton of trial and error, all the brushes on the market, I finally found a couple he likes.

I was so frustrated, I just grabbed an old hairbrush of mine, a round one, and started brushing him. He loves it!!!! It grabs a lot of fur! After I brush, I quickly use a slicker brush to pick up the loose furs.

Who would have believed it would take an old hair brush to do the trick??? Unbelievable, crazy cat...

 

[di and bob]

My cars can't eat most high-quality grainless foods either. I was up all night with vomiting cats the last time I tried it. I thought I had mixed only a little bit in with their regular food, but it must have been too much. I am trying a cheaper brand right now with not as many 'healthy' ingredients, it seems to be working better. I think you'll just have to try different brands with different ingredients to help him. Maybe something cheaper.

 

[solomonar]

artiemom I will give it a try, thank you for the idea!

di and bob Maybe cats know better than we do what is good for them - I will keep checking various brands.

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I found he likes to pull his fur!! He even purrs!
That is really bizarre.

If I insist, I collect fur of the size of a table tennis ball per day.
Apparently, it grows back in a couple of days.