Furball Prevention: Tips and Tricks for Cat Owners

Hairballs are the price many cats pay for being meticulous groomers: loose hair is swallowed, clumps together in the stomach, and later comes back up with a sudden, rasping retch. Most are harmless. A few are not.

If you’re here because your cat is gagging often, vomiting more than seems normal, or leaving ropey hairballs on the floor, the goal is simple: reduce the amount of hair going in, help what’s swallowed move through safely, and know when the pattern has shifted from “messy but ordinary” to “needs a vet today”. ^{1, 2}

What hairballs are (and why they happen)

As a cat grooms, the tongue’s backward-facing barbs catch loose and shed hair and pull it into the mouth. Hair can’t be digested, so it tends to sit in the stomach and mat together into a trichobezoar (hairball). Many cats vomit the hairball; some pass hair through the bowel and you never see it. ^{2, 3}

Common reasons hairballs become frequent

• Long or dense coats (more hair available to swallow). ^{1, 2}
• Seasonal shedding (a sudden increase in loose hair). ¹
• Overgrooming, which can be linked to itchy skin, parasites, allergies, pain, or stress. If the grooming has ramped up, it’s worth asking why. ^{1, 4}
• Digestive or motility problems, where hair lingers long enough to compact and irritate, or in rare cases obstruct. ^{1, 2}

How to tell a normal hairball from a problem

A typical hairball episode is brief: a spell of coughing/retching followed by a small, damp, tubular plug of hair (sometimes with a bit of food or fluid). ⁴

Red flags: book a vet appointment promptly

• Repeated gagging/retching without producing a hairball. ^{1, 4}
• Vomiting repeatedly, or vomiting with other signs (poor appetite, lethargy, weight loss). ^{2, 5}
• Constipation, diarrhoea, a painful-looking belly, or bloating. ^{1, 4}

Urgent: seek veterinary care now

• Your cat can’t keep water down, seems weak, collapses, or appears in significant pain.
• There’s ongoing unproductive retching (dry heaving) with worsening lethargy or a tight, tender abdomen.

Hairballs can, rarely, contribute to an intestinal blockage. Vets may use an exam, blood tests, and imaging (X-ray/ultrasound) to check, and severe cases can require hospital treatment or surgery. ^{1, 2}

Prevention that actually helps

1) Grooming: remove hair before it’s swallowed

Brushing is the most direct way to reduce hairball load. During heavy shedding, daily brushing can make a noticeable difference; long-haired cats often need it as a baseline. ^{1, 2}

• Short-haired cats: a rubber curry or bristle brush is usually enough for loose hair.
• Long-haired cats: a stainless-steel comb plus a slicker brush helps reach the undercoat and tease out knots.
• Mats: don’t yank. If mats are close to the skin, a groomer or vet nurse is safer than scissors at home.

2) Diet: support gut movement, not just the coat

Some diets are formulated for hairball control, often using specific fibre blends (for example, psyllium and insoluble fibre) to help move swallowed hair through the gut rather than letting it sit in the stomach. ⁶

For cats that can’t switch foods (or need prescription diets for other conditions), adding a small amount of vet-approved fibre may help. Pumpkin and psyllium are commonly used options, but the dose and suitability depend on your cat’s health and current diet. ⁷

3) Hydration: keep things moving

Hydration supports normal gut function. If your cat eats mostly dry food, talk with your vet about whether adding wet food, extra water stations, or a fountain might help overall digestive comfort (and make hair less likely to stall). ⁵

4) Address overgrooming at the source

If you’re seeing bald patches, broken fur, or constant licking, don’t treat hairballs as the main problem. Overgrooming can reflect itch, pain, parasites, allergies, or stress, and hairballs become the downstream mess. A vet check is often the fastest way to stop the cycle. ^{1, 4}

Home treatments: what to use (and what to avoid)

For cats with occasional hairballs and no red-flag symptoms, vets may recommend a commercial hairball gel or paste (a lubricant laxative) to help hair pass. Do not give any laxative product without veterinary guidance, especially if your cat is unwell or already vomiting. ¹

Avoid these common “remedies”

• Mineral oil: can be dangerous if inhaled/aspirated, particularly in cats that are gagging or vomiting. ⁸
• Cooking oils, butter, grease: they’re digested and don’t reliably help hair pass; they can also add unnecessary fat and stomach upset. ⁸

When to see a vet (even if you do see hairballs)

Book an appointment if hairballs are becoming frequent, if vomiting is increasing, or if your cat seems “flat” between episodes. Repeated vomiting can look like hairballs while masking conditions such as skin disease with overgrooming, gastrointestinal disease, or obstruction risk. ^{2, 3}

What the vet may do

• Check coat and skin for parasites, infection, allergy signs, and grooming damage.
• Assess hydration, weight trend, abdominal comfort, and gut sounds.
• Consider bloodwork and imaging if obstruction or another underlying cause is suspected.

If a blockage is found, treatment can range from hospital care and medications through to surgery, depending on severity and location. ^{1, 2}

Final thoughts

Most hairballs are a maintenance issue: less loose hair on the coat, steadier movement through the gut, and fewer unpleasant surprises underfoot. The moment the pattern changes—unproductive retching, ongoing vomiting, appetite loss, lethargy—treat it as more than a hairball story and get veterinary advice. ^{1, 2}

References

1. Cornell Feline Health Center (Cornell University) — The Danger of Hairballs
2. MSD Veterinary Manual (AU) — Vomiting in Cats (Managing Hairballs)
3. Merck Veterinary Manual — Managing Hairballs in Cats (table)
4. Woofpurnay Veterinary Hospital (Australia) — Hairballs in cats
5. Hill’s Pet Nutrition (Australia) — How to Help Your Cat Manage Its Hairball Problem
6. RSPCA World for Pets — Royal Canin Feline Intense Hairball (product information on fibre blend)
7. Pet Circle (Australia) — Hairballs in Cats (fibre options, brushing, cautions on laxatives)
8. PetMD — Cat Hairballs 101: How to Help (vet-authored; cautions re oils/mineral oil)