How Does Hairball Control Cat Food Work?

Is your cat hacking up hairballs on a regular basis? This stomach-turning problem not only leaves messes around your home, but puts your cat at risk for a serious gastric obstruction.

Fortunately, hairball control cat food can reduce or even eliminate hairball production so your cat can feel happier and healthier. Learn how hairball control cat food works and how to choose the best formula for your cat.
 

Why Does My Cat Cough Up Hairballs?

Occasional hairballs are, to some extent, a normal part of being a cat. As your cat grooms themselves, the backwards-facing spines on the surface of their tongue pull loose fur into their mouth and throat.

Cats that are prone to hairballs tend to have a long coat. Or, they may shed more than usual, or overgroom in response to itching, skin irritation, or anxiety.

Normally, small amounts of shed fur combine with food particles, passing uneventfully through your cat’s digestive tract. In some cases, though, strands of fur get trapped along the walls of the intestines, snowballing into a hairball over time.
 

What’s In Hairball Control Cat Food?

The key component in hairball control cat food is fiber. Most specialty hairball recipes are rich in two types of fiber: insoluble and soluble fiber.

Insoluble fiberis not water soluble, so it remains intact as it passes through your cat’s digestive tract. Along the way, it binds to loose fur trapped in the intestines. It also adds bulk to the stool, stimulating muscular contractions that help speed up digestion. That way, loose fur is carried all the way through the digestive system, ending up in the litterbox.

Soluble fiber draws water into your cat’s digestive tract and also acts as a prebiotic that feeds beneficial bacteria in the gut, making it easier for your cat’s digestive system to break down food. Soluble fiber also forms a gel-like substance that absorbs fat, mucus, and stomach acid, which make up the non-hair portion of hairball.

Hairball control cat food can also contain other ingredients to help fight hairballs in cats.

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish and fish oils, support skin and coat health, helping to reduce shedding that contributes to hairball formation.

Live active probiotics help balance your cat’s gut microbiome with beneficial bacteria that helps break down food, improving your cat’s overall digestive health.

High moisture content found in canned hairball control food can aid digestion and reduce hairballs. If possible, feed the canned version or supplement hairball control kibble with canned food or high-moisture topper. Keeping your cat well hydrated is key to ensuring the added fiber can do its job to clear the digestive tract.
 

Should I Give My Cat A Hairball Control Supplement?

Hairball control supplement chews work similarly to hairball control cat foods, with fiber that helps bind to hairballs and move hair through the digestive tract.

Giving a hairball control supplement and food at the same time can result in giving your cat too much dietary fiber. Too much fiber can actually slow down digestion, prevent nutrient absorption, and may cause bloating, gas, and constipation.
 

Is Your Cat Still Struggling With Hairballs?

While hairball control cat foods are formulated to significantly reduce hairballs, it can take a few weeks to see results.

Along with changing your cat’s food, try other ways to reduce hairballs:

• Water. is absorbed by fiber and drawn into the digestive tract, add moisture to your cat’s diet with canned food and high-moisture treats and toppers.
• Daily grooming with a brush reduces shedding that contributes to hairballs.
• Exercise improves gut motility, helping to move food and hair through the digestive tract.

If your cat’s hairball woes worsen or do not improve after a few weeks, see your veterinarian or schedule a televet appointment today. If you notice signs of a gastric obstruction, which can include vomiting, lack of appetite, abdominal pain, and constipation, seek emergency veterinary care.