Pet Patients Hairballs from hell: What to do when Fluffy hurls ‘em

Yeah, they’re disgusting. Nothing beats a pile of twisted, slimy fur for its gross-out factor. But we get used to it, don’t we? Picking up the chunks with Bounty quicker-picker-uppers by the bagload. Getting treated to early morning wake-up calls by the sweet strains of “gaaaaak.”

Geez!—will it never end?

Not as long as there’s fur on Fluffy’s back will it ever cease, it seems. And that’s a good thing, too, you think. At least she hasn’t completely denuded herself in the process of ingesting the incomprehensible amounts of fur that hit your floors, carpeting and counters (yuck!) indiscriminately.

This past week was hairball heaven for me. At least four fur-emitting felines in various states of physical disarray hit my doorstep...all of them fixable.

The first: A three year-old 27.6-pound monster kitty. His owners were so mortified by his size they’d failed to seek medical assistance for his hairball condition—not to mention his obesity, which we also discussed at length and devised solutions for.

This cat was hurling hairballs on a two to three times a week schedule. He’d been eating hairball formula food to no avail. Indeed, his massive frame provided plenty of surface area from which to source a perpetual font of fur. (This was not just an obese cat, this was a big cat whose normal weight might well top fifteen pounds.)

Solution: Daily Furminator “brushing” sessions at least five minutes long. Daily Laxatone (a petroleum-based hairball product) in place of hairball formula food. A higher quality diet measured down to the last kibble for a gradual loss of weight (no more than 1-2 pounds per month). No more kitty milk (his former fave).

At the risk of sounding like a broken record and an ad copy-writer, let me reiterate my adoration for the much-touted Furminator brushing tool. Sure, it took me months to warm to its charms (I can’t stand late night TV ad-style hype), but I can’t get enough of it nowadays. It slices through undercoats like butter, releasing huge balls of something which might otherwise end up in your cat’s stomach….

…or her colon, as in another case I saw this week. This poor long-haired, allergic girl was getting the fur stuck at both ends. And she’s having an ultrasound today because I suspect that lumpy stuff I can see on the X-rays isn’t a tumor. It’s probably a trichobezoar (giant indwelling hairball). Some barium (the thick white slurry we make them drink to highlight the GI tract) will also aid in the diagnosis, I hope.

In the meantime, she’s felt better with some weekend enemas to relieve her of the “reverse hairballs” that’ve accumulated in her gut and a lion-cut to control the flyaways. In case you never thought hairballs could be a serious concern, here’s one example where they’re threatening a cats life.

So for all of you tired of picking up the nasties and justifiably concerned over what havoc future hairballs may wreak, think hard about what makes your cat ingest all that hair. Is it her coat (long-haired or tons of it), allergies (whereby licking is excessive), or simply the garden-variety grooming our cats are famous for?

In any case, just give her a break. Clip her down. Furminate her frequently. And consider bathing (yes, really, it helps). It’s these simple things that might even eliminate your need for a supermarket hairball diet and sloppy OTC remedies. But whatever you do, don't ignore it...

April 21st, 2008

Add Comment16 Comments

The Bamboo Furbuster is also a great brush. It's like the Furminator, but budget priced. Hairballs have pretty much disappeared since I started making an effort to brush my cats several times a week. And they are short haired cats.

My cats didn't used to like being brushed, so I bought the Zoom Groom. Which I think is great for getting them used to being brushed. We recently switched to the Furbuster and get even more hair off of them.

TV time is a great time to brush the cats. :-)

Raven's Mom April 21st, 2008 09:53:00 AM

After reading your post, "All hail the Furminator" abaout 2 months ago I went out and picked one up. It is the "BEST" brush I have ever owned. I have 3 labs and a cat ( no more furballs since I started using the furminator). The cat has attitude but she "LETS" me use the furminator on her!
It is shedding season here but the brush has made a huge difference.

Elizabeth April 21st, 2008 12:10:00 PM

I looooove my furminators!! I have all three sizes, to accomodate my three cats and two Labs who are shedding-machines. Oddly, my Ragdoll-mix cat who has the longest fur is the least likely to present me with those icky hairballs; mainly because he loves water and will hop into the shower at any opportunity with anyone who fails to securely close the bathroom door (much to the surprise of any visitors not aware of his aqua-cat status). A regular brushing schedule also helps, but the biggest hairball-offender is my short-haired tripod-kitty who loves to help groom all his fur-siblings, including the dogs. So I still get treated to bi-weekly yacking and hairball patrol and pickup, lest my bare feet should find an offering during a late-night trip to the bathroom in the dark.

Shellie April 21st, 2008 04:13:00 PM

will the magic of the furminator work on a short haired rabbit? in the eight years i've had her, i haven't found a comb or brush more effective than a gentle pulling of the tufts, and it really annoys her. and my asthma.

Sarah April 21st, 2008 07:14:00 PM

No clue. Anyone else?

Tried bathing her?

Dr. Patty Khuly April 21st, 2008 07:27:00 PM

to Sarah---I don't know about the bunnies, but the furminators work pretty well on my cats' short, soft fur, and they don't seem to mind it too much, as long as I keep the strokes light and don't overdo the brushing in any one area. Maybe you could borrow one from a friend to try it out before you but one, as they're pretty pricey as brushes go. I've lent mine out numerous times, and in all cases but one, those borrowers were amazed at how easily and how well they worked, and they went out and bought their own. (Our shelter sells them in our pet-supply dept., and we keep one on hand that we let people try on their newly-adopted friends before buying--they almost always buy one after they try it for a few minutes).

Shellie April 21st, 2008 11:12:00 PM

Dumb question, but is shaving down cats liable to create temperature or sun exposure problems?

Barbara A. Albright/New Hampshire April 22nd, 2008 12:18:00 AM

Another great idea is to put the cats on a species-appropriate all wet (canned or raw) meat-based diet. I have 6 cats and don't get hairballs anymore with this diet. They actually shed soooooo much less than they ever did on dry food (and there are fewer "hidden treasures" in the litter box, too). I only brush one of the long-haired girls (the old one likes to try to kill me if I try with her) and the others are short-haired.

My 19-year-old CRF kitty gets a lion cut because she doesn't groom herself and she's a little....ummm...fractious (unfortunately this time her fur is not growing back so instead of having long black fur she's just fuzzy), but I never really noticed that she has trouble feeling cold---and her last shave was in January.

You should probably put some pet-safe sunblock on to prevent sunburn since the skin is exposed now.

Carolynn & Fletcher April 22nd, 2008 08:49:00 AM

This post reminded me that my cats haven't been brushed out for several weeks even after I gave Mojo a bath the other night, so they both got "de-fuzzed"

I thought since I had the brush out that I'd use it on Ella as well just to get any dirt she may have had trapped in her coat. My best intentions went sour as I found out that she hates the brush I have. She expressed her thoughts by means of growling and barking at the brush. The growling I expected as that's always her immediate reaction to anything she is not familiar with, but the barking lasted way too long especially over a brush. LOL

The next time we go to Pet Smart I think we'll take her with us and see if she tolerates a softer brush better. I use a slicker brush on the cats and I wonder if the metal bristles scratch her skin even though I don't press down hard. If she's that persistant on being anti-brush, I'll use a towel on her to loosen up any hidden dirt between baths while allowing her to accept that a brush is not some type of torture device.

Life with a Jack is so much fun. I keep jokingly telling my husband that we should get a few more. He rolls his eyes at me and says "Right!" In other words, no way.

Stacy April 22nd, 2008 09:04:00 AM

Barbara,

In my experience with lion cut kitties, it makes them more comfy, especially in the summer. Imagine if you were a Persian or other long coated kitty in all that heat and humidity. My sister had a cat who would put on the funniest airs whenever she got her lion cut - she seemed to think she really was a lion.

MeriGray April 22nd, 2008 10:14:00 AM

Barbara: White cats (or those with white noses and eartips) who spend time out of doors or in direct sunlight (no window) sunny spots should be treated with a sunblock. problem is, I'm not so sure any of them are 100% safe in cats. I've never heard or read of lion-cut kitties having a higher incidence of skin cancer. The vast majority of UV light-related skin cancers occur on the tip of the nose or ears where the hair is already usually minimally long and not affected by the cut.

Dr. Patty Khuly April 22nd, 2008 10:47:00 AM

Stacy, try Chris Christensen brushes (http://www.chrissystems.com/brushes.htm). They are expensive, but the tips of the pins are rounded and don't scratch. My aussie tolerates them much more than she will a slicker. You can probably find them cheaper than at this site, but it's the manufacturer's.

kabbage April 22nd, 2008 07:28:00 PM

Sarah - you could also try a Kong Zoom Groom - this works almost as well as the Furminator, is soft and costs less than $10. My short haired cats prefer the Zoom to the Furminator.

2CatMom April 24th, 2008 11:27:00 AM

I use the smallest shedding blade in the world on my (DSH) cat, year round. If you have horses - yup, just like those only miniature. It has small teeth on one side, and even smaller teeth on the other side. I like to imagine it feels like being groomed by another (a mother?) cat, perhaps like that first sensory memory of mama's raspy tongue on almost furless skin. Anyway, this cat adores it, always runs to the same spot on the living room rug for her grooming session and throws herself into a dive-curl in anticipation. And man , that blade really removes loose hair - sometimes I get almost enough to make another cat!

There was a very brief training period, where I was taught (by Kitty) to start at the top of her head and sides of her face, then shoulders, base of tail, and sides. Definitely doing her back and tummy mean paying attention to body language - sometimes she loves it and sometimes it's too stimulating. If she starts slashing her tail while I'm "scratching" her back, I immediately go back to doing her shoulders, and she calms down. Even if she's belly up, and "enjoying" work on her tummy, she sometimes grabs the blade AND my hand - if I stop and push my hand into her, I get velvet paws and licks, if I pull away -claws come out. I'm so well trained, I don't stop grooming until SHE gets up and walks away ; )

Long story short - no hairballs since kitty salon became a shared activity.

Ajay April 25th, 2008 04:52:00 PM

thanks

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