www.vetnpetdirect.com.au
|
7
A cat can't climb headfirst down
a tree because every claw on a
cat's paw points the same way.
To get down from a tree, a cat
must back down.
FAST FACT
Cats in general are meticulous self-groomers using
their tongue to clean themselves. The tongue has
tiny hook like structures that help in the grooming
process by removing the loose hair. While
grooming, some of the hair may be ingested but
usually it will pass through the stomach with the
faeces. However, occasionally the hair can build
up in the stomach and the cat will need to vomit
it up, this is a hairball. A hairball generally looks
more like a long thin tube of wet hair rather than
a ball, as it has had to pass through the narrow
oesophagus on the way up. When a cat is bringing
up a hairball they will often make a terrible
hacking or gagging sound as they try to move
the hair up through the oesophagus.
There are a number of products on the market that
help hairballs pass through the system with greater
ease. A popular product is Cat-lax which is a paste
that you put on the cats feet or legs and they lick
it off and ingest it. Cat-lax acts as a laxative and
contains a lubricant to help the ingested hair pass
through with the faeces instead of building up in
the stomach. There are also specially formulated
cat foods like Hills Science Diet Feline Hairball
Control. This feed contains natural vegetable
fibres that help control the formation of hairballs
by assisting the hair to pass through the system.
The other thing you can do to help your cat avoid
hairballs is to help them ingest less hair by giving
them a brush. Most cats love a brush and there
are plenty of brushes available that have been
designed especially for cats.
In general, hairballs are not a health problem,
although sometimes the excessive build-up of
hair in the stomach can cause a blockage if it
is not passed easily. If your cat is continually
vomiting up hairballs it would be best to seek
some veterinarian advice just to make sure there
isn't a blockage in the stomach. If you notice
any symptoms like continual gagging or hacking
without producing a hairball, loss of appetite,
lethargy, constipation or diarrhoea, contact your
veterinarian immediately as these are symptoms
of a life threatening blockage.
Hair
balls
