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You love your cat. But the sight of watching your cat gag and cough up a hairball is anything but pleasant. Moreover, cat hairball can also cause intestinal blockages, which can lead to serious health issues for your cat.
Cat furball is common, but its seriousness varies from cat to cat. Long-haired breeds, such as Maine Coons and Persians, are more susceptible to developing hairballs. Besides, hairballs are more common in cats who shed excessively or groom themselves obsessively because they swallow a lot of fur.
In fact, you may have noticed that your cat didn't have hairballs when it was younger but developed the habit as it grew older. Cats become better groomers and even better at getting rid of fur from their coats with their tongues, resulting in more hairballs for you to clean up. It is this grooming behavior that is linked with the intake of fur.
Diet can be important in hairball relief for several reasons. The fiber combination of powdered cellulose and beet pulp in IAMS™ hairball formulas help move hair through the digestive tract. IAMS research has shown that cats fed IAMS ProActive Health™ Adult Hairball Care pass 80% more hair in their feces than cats fed a leading premium dry cat food. By helping ingested hair to be passed from the digestive tract, IAMS hairball formulas help reduce the opportunities for hairballs to form. This fiber blend also includes a moderately fermentable component to promote intestinal health. High-quality, animal-based protein and fat, found in IAMS hairball formulas, provide important nutrients for skin and coat health. Maintaining skin and coat health may reduce the risk of excessive shedding, ingestion of hair from grooming, and, consequently, hairball formation.
It's important to treat your cat's lack of appetite, as even a short period of time without food can have a significant influence on your cat's health. A decrease in appetite could suggest that your cat's hairballs have caused an intestinal blockage. It can also be an indication of a range of other issues. But a loss of appetite, regardless of the underlying cause, it is a problem that must be addressed as soon as possible.
Fatigue and lethargy are also common signs of a range of health problems in cats. They can, however, arise in conjunction with intestinal clogs. If your cat appears lethargic or weak, it may have a hairball blockage and require medical attention.
Keep a watch on your cat's litter box if they are vomiting hairballs frequently. Hairballs and constipation are both signs of a hazardous blockage that should be treated by an emergency veterinarian. Constipation in cats can be fatal on its own., thereforeTherefore, this is an issue that needs to be addressed correctlyonce to ensure your cat is healthy.
This could indicate that something is extremely wrong with your cat's digestive system, especially if it happens frequently. Cats with frequent diarrhea can quickly get dehydrated, so make sure they're getting enough water. Try boosting their liquid intake with wet food until you can get them to the vet.
If your cat is getting hairballs, then you should take your cat for regular grooming. The best way to overcome cat hairball issues is by brushing or combing their fur regularly. This way, less fur will wind up in their stomach as hairballs. It will also be a fun way for you to bond with your cat.
Hairball formula or cat food is another remedy to prevent cat hairball. Hairball-reduction cat diets are now available from any pet food company. These high-fiber compositions are meant to promote the health of your cat's coat, reduce shedding, and help hairballs move through the digestive tract in cats.
There are several cat hairball treatment products available on the market today. The best thing about them is that most of those laxatives are mild that aid in the easy passage of hairballs through the digestive tract.
It is natural for a cat to throw up occasional hairballs. But you should only start to be concerned if your cat is coughing out a hairball every few weeks or for more than 48 hours at a stretch. This is a symptom of too much hair ending up in the gut.
No matter how long their coat is, cats should only produce one hairball every week. Schedule an appointment with the veterinarian if your cat is vomiting hairballs more regularly or not eating.
You should feed your cat lots of prebiotics and natural fibers in its food to help it pass hairballs and maintain a healthy digestive tract. As a result, ensure that your cat is on a hairball-control diet and is getting enough fiber.
Generally, the fur travels through the gastrointestinal tract undisturbed and emerges in a stool. The digestion process takes 7 to 12 hours. Sometimes the fur can also accumulate in the stomach and create a hairball. This takes a little longer, but healthy hairballs should be gone in 24 to 48 hours.
Cat hairballs can be dangerous as they can cause severe blockages in their intestines and pose health issues later. In extreme cases, the choking can also lead to death.
Overweight cats have special nutritional needs in order to promote weight loss or weight management. Likewise, senior cats have special nutritional needs that are better met through a diet designed specifically for them. If an overweight or senior cat has problems with hairballs, feeding an IAMS hairball formula for indoor or senior (age 7+) cats is a great choice.
Yes. Mixing other foods with IAMS hairball formulas may compromise the effectiveness of this diet by diluting the nutrients that help reduce the risk of hairball formation. Switching between IAMS hairball formulas and another cat food may also decrease the benefit of feeding this diet.
Potty training your cat at an early age can help inculcate essential hygiene habits. Starting kitten litter training as soon as your newborn pet hits the four-week mark ensures that it is well aware of its surroundings. Moreover, it ascertains that your kitty does not dirty the home. For all new cat parents wondering how to potty train a kitten, here are a few tips to get you started. Read on to learn more about the right age to start training your kitten, how to pick the right size of a litter box and more.
Adult cats naturally seek out sandy places to defecate but kittens need some guidance. Fortunately, you do not have to worry much about how to teach your kitten to use a litter box because it comes naturally to kittens. If you are a first-time cat parent, here’s a fact that will put you at ease: unlike puppies, potty-training kittens can be fairly easy. Moreover, it is one of the first exercises you will do as a caregiver.
Things learnt at an early age, generally, stick with you for time immemorial. And that holds true in cats as well. Hence, you can start potty training kittens once they turn 4 weeks old. If you are adopting a kitten that’s older than 4 weeks or an adult cat, start potty training it immediately.
Potty training is an important part of adopting a cat, especially if you do not want to clean the house zillion times a day. However, it is not like you buy a litter box and your kitty will get the hint. You need to teach your pet to do its business in the box. And as a first-time cat parent, you might be clueless about how to potty train a kitten. Fret not, we have got you covered. Here are a few tips to help you get started with kitten litter training:
The first step to kitten litter training is choosing a litter box. Since you are picking out a litter box for your kitten, it can be small and compact in size. Make sure there is enough room for your kitty to go in that box. It should be easy to enter and not too compact for your kitten’s size.
Moreover, your cat might feel uncomfortable defecating in certain types of boxes. Some cats might like keeping their business private, while some could prefer being aware of their surroundings. Hence, finding the right litter for your kitten may involve some testing.
Choosing the right spot for the litter box is imperative. Place it somewhere that is not too loud, but also ensure that the box is within human interaction. For example, if you place the litter box in your basement, your kitten may not feel comfortable and eliminate somewhere in the house. You can also place the litter box in the bathroom. If you have multiple floors in your house, place at least one easily accessible litter box on every floor. Moreover, make sure you do not place the litter box next to your cat’s food and water bowls.
Once you have placed all your litter boxes at desired locations, it is time to start potty training your kitten. Assuming that you have placed multiple litters in your house, take your kitty to each box and let it sniff them. Next, place your kitten in the litter box. It may start pawing the litter or even use it right away. If it doesn’t, run your fingers through the litter to demonstrate pawing actions.
Here’s a tip on how to train a kitten to use a litter box: reward it. Shower your purrfect pal with its favourite treat whenever it uses the litter box successfully. For this to work, you need to give your cat a treat right after it uses the litter box so that it starts associating the usage of the litter box with good behaviour.
Keeping the litter box clean is crucial to ensure that your kitten does not develop an aversion to the box. You can scoop out your cat’s waste after each use. Keep adding some litter every time you are scooping out waste to make sure that the litter depth is maintained and your kitten can easily dig. Once your cat is a little older and used to the box, you can start cleaning it once a day.
