Usually mild
Regular brushing, a hairball-control diet, extra moisture and fiber (such as a little plain pumpkin), and an over-the-counter hairball gel used as directed all help. An occasional hairball is common, but frequent hairballs, or retching that never produces one, should be checked by a vet.
See a vet now if you notice:
- Retching or gagging repeatedly without producing a hairball
- Hairballs more than once or twice a month
- Vomiting with lethargy or not eating
- Constipation or no stool for 48 hours
- Coughing, wheezing or breathing with the mouth open
Safe hairball remedies
- Brush your cat daily, especially long-haired cats and during shedding season.
- Try a hairball-control food, which contains extra fiber.
- Add moisture: wet food and a water fountain help hair pass.
- Add a little fiber: 1/2 teaspoon of plain canned pumpkin in wet food.
- Use a cat hairball gel or paste exactly as the label directs.
- Offer cat grass as a safe chewing outlet.
When hairballs are not "normal"
International Cat Care notes that frequent hairballs can point to over-grooming from skin disease, stress or pain, or to a gut problem. Retching or "trying to cough up a hairball" with nothing coming out can actually be coughing from feline asthma.