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Hairballs Are NOT Normal

Cat on couch

In general, cats are excellent at grooming themselves. The normal result is that hair passes through into the feces. However, when hair builds up and doesn’t pass through the hair builds up in the digestive tract.

Potential Causes of Hairballs are:

  • Excessive grooming (due to anxiety, skin disease or discomfort, parasites)

  • An abdominal blockage contributing to the hair build up in the digestive tract.

  • Poor diet or insufficient exercise

If your cat frequently vomits hairballs (more than once in a month), please know there is an underlying problem which your cat needs medical attention for. In general, brushing and feeding a premium diet is our top recommendation and may also help to reduce the risk of hairballs in otherwise healthy cats.