hairballs!

[mimi420]

I feed Nutros Complete care and Hairball control and still get hair balls. My cat won't eat the petra malt, at least the one I think is doing it, the long hair one, Boogieman. What can I do, anyone knowof better food? AGGGGGGG

[slick]

Welcome to Pet Talk Mimi. I have a long-haired kitty named Max and he gets hairballs every now and then. I don't control them with food. The solution for me is brush, brush, brush. I try to brush/comb him every night but sometimes if I get home late I skip a night.

When I first got Max 6 yrs ago I tried all the hairball foods but they just upset his stomach so I tried the malt stuff and he liked that but then it started to give him the runs. So now I just settle for the brush and comb.

[shais_mom]

Welcome to PetTalk!!!
I have a long haired kitty alos and she gets hairballs occasionally.
She does ok on the hairball control food so that works for us. What she does like are the Purina Right bite Hairball control treats. SHE LOVES THEM!!! And I notice a BIG difference in when she gets them as to when she doesn't.
Also brushing her more often helped her.
Good Luck and we LOVE PICTURES!!!!

[shais_mom]

http://www.purina.com/PurinaEssentials/cats.asp

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

My advice is that unless you actually see the long haired one throwing up the hairball, don't assume it's his. Tubby is short hair, Peanut is medium/long hair. Tubby has gotten hair balls his entire life, Peanut gets them maybe once a year. My mom has a ragdoll with long hair, and in the 10 years she has had him, she has never seen a hairball from him - oh, and she rarely brushes him because he doesn't like it, and he's not the most pleasant cat to begin with, I call him Cranker. ;)

I think it's more a matter of how tolerant the kitty's stomach is, not the length of hair. So I just wanted to point that out.

Another idea is to get one of those small, hand held carpet cleaner thingies - Bissell Green Machine or something? I don't know how I survived before I had mine. Now puke spots are no problem, and we have white carpeting throughout the house.

Good luck! :)

[mimi420]

Thanks Guys. I do try to brush him but not as often as I should. Also thank you for the welcomes, it's nice to be here.:D

[Felicia's Mom]

Welcome to Pet Talk! I have nothing new to add concerning hairballs.

[Soledad]

Boo has been experiencing this problem recently. He's a medium haired cat, so I was surprised by how serious it got. I've been brushing him regularly (especially important if it's cold where you live because of the extra fur they put on) and just started giving him DermCare Hairball Relief gel to help lubricate the ingested fur. Should be the end of the problem, hopefully.

[cutie_chica]

Brush your kitty, Princess is a long haired cat, I brush my kittys everyday, Its relaxing to me! Makes all my kittys purr like moter boats!:p