My cat never throws up hairballs. Is this normal for a healthy cat?

It is pretty normal to regurgitate hair balls once in two weeks. Keep feeding the Hairball prevention formula. It actually helps with eliminating most of the hair via the feces, but a long haired cat, especially if she is a meticulate groomer, just may ingest too many hairs for this to solely happen and therefore she has hair balls to get rid off also.You can also get some hairball remedy (a malt and oil paste) from your vet or a petshop, which also helps with the elimination of hairballs. If you brush your kitty often , she will ingest less hair as well.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is normal for cats to vomit a hairball with some saliva or stomach content. There is nothing to worry about. You can get an oral paste that helps the hairballs pass. These products can be purchased over-the-counter online, from pet shops or at the vets. We often use Cat Lax and Laxatone but I don't know if that is available in Sweden. If not, I am sure there is something similar available on your market.

Cats often will try to vomit up hairballs. I would try brushing them more frequently, say every other day or at least twice a week to remove most of the hair that they could potentially ingest. You can continue to give them hairball medicine (i.e. Laxatone) or start this if not done so already. As long as they are eating well and not vomiting, then you can continue to monitor them for now. Best wishes with your fur babies. Take care.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lilly. A longhaired cat should only produce 3-4 hairballs per year. Any more than that is considered abnormal. If her initial blood panel came back normal, I typically recommend a secondary panel that checks for pancreatitis, a disease known as pancreatic exocrine insufficiency as well as cobalamin and folate levels. This can reveal the cause of the vomiting or give some treatment options for her. Inflammatory bowel disease is common cause of chronic vomiting. This will typically result in a low cobalamin levels. It can not be diagnosed without intestinal biopsies, but those are very invasive. An abdominal ultrasound can give a lot of information and rule out other causes of vomiting. If I suspect this to be the case, I will treat the patient with a prescription hydrolyzed diet to help decrease inflammation and sometimes medication as well. I hope this information helps!

If hairballs are not a problem, you do not have to give them a specific hairball product. A high quality cat food and plenty of fresh water, as well as a healthy environment with some toys and scratching posts or other appropriate places to exercise his claws are all he needs. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

While vomiting hair occasionally is normal for some cats the increased frequency you have described is concerning. It is possible at Midnight is grooming more due to a seasonal coat shedding or she may have some underlying intestinal irritation contributing to the vomiting. Cats that hunt are at higher risk for parasites and this can also contribute to vomiting. If the increased frequency of vomiting continues or if you notice any other signs such as decreased appetite, lethargy or weight loss, I would recommend that you have her seen by your veterinarian. They may recommend checking a stool sample for parasites and possibly blood work to rule out other potential causes for vomiting such as kidney disease or thyroid problems.

Comb him regularly as you are doing. This will remove a lot of the dead hair which otherwise your kitty would have to remove and then regurgitate as a hairball.Feed good quality food. Get some hairball remedy from a petshop and feed that according to the instructions. This should reduce the hair balls significantly. It is normal for cats to regurgitate hairballs when they are good groomers..