Hairball Laxative?

My cat, Freckles, gets hairballs. She usually upchucks every couple of weeks, but she hasn't upchucked for about a month, so I need to get it out the other end.

I know the laxatives work, but she doesn't take them willingly. I brush her two or three times daily, and she loves it. I feed her Science Diet Hairball formula. (Not sure if that helps, but want to explain what I've tried). For several months she would daily lick Vaseline off my fingers, but she's stopped that. She's eating well.

What product do you use? Does she/he take it easily, lick it off your finger? I had a cat in the past that would stand tall on his hind legs to do that, but not Freckles. Help, please.

Spencer, I think there is something to be said about the amount a cat sheds in relation to hairball "production". I have a grey tabby girl who doesn't shed much at all, even in spring. She's also never coughed up a hairball. I didn't really even notice until last spring rolled around and I would look for the furry messes and never found any, anywhere. I consider myself among the lucky few. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

Yes, this is something I would like to know about too. I've had long haired cats that cough up hairballs, but I've also had short haired cats that do it as well. With those cats we used a beef flavored lax (prescription from the vet, but I know you can get similar stuff at pet stores like PetsMart). It comes in a tube kind of like toothpaste. They all considered it a treat and would gladly lick it off our fingers. I noticed that with my short haired cat that got hairballs, the density(or thickness) of the coat was different than my other short haired cat that didn't get hairballs. Does it have to do with having plush coats, be it long or short hair?? http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/confused.gif

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"In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats." - English proverb

I think it's a combination of how much they shed as well as how much they groom - after all, they pick up the hairs when they lick. I've been very, very lucky in that respect. I've only had one cat that had hairballs. He was one of my only two longhaired cats, but I also had a compulsive groomer who did not have hairballs. Even Cosmo, my one guy who did have them, didn't seem to have much of a problem, maybe because he coughed them up frequently - at least once a day. Actually, I never witnessed him coughing them up; I would just come across his little "Cosmettes" that he left behind on the carpet.

I've never used a hairball product. My two cats groom themselves equally but my orange cat (Trevor) tends to bring up a hairball about once a month while my white cat (Andy) has never brought up a hairball at all. Trevor's coat has a much more dense undercoat than Andy's so I am assuming he is taking more in. I brush them both about every other day (they love it!) so maybe that helps. When I do brush, I always get much more hair from Trevor.

I currently use the Pounce hairball treatment. I am confused what it does though. Is it supposed to "break down" the hair particles, make them able to cough it up easier, or completely illiminate the hairballs.

I know it may sound gross, but what exactly are the hairballs supposed to look like? At one time Gina was coughing up these hairballs that were just long "wet" wads of hair, but now she is coughing up hair and other "stuff." It is quite gross now. I think that the canned cat food is changing the color of it, because it's orange. (BLLLAAAAHHH!)

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Mimi's hair seems to just come off in the spot she sleeps in. You don't get a handful when you pet her. We brush her periodically, probably not regularly enough. Her belly has never been brushed. We're not allowed to touch it. She's a pretty long haired cat (Spencer says Maine Coon).
Anyway, never do we ever see a hairball, unless we leave her inside for a couple of days when we are out of town. Always find one then. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/eek.gif I might have seen a dozen in the 11 1/2 years I have had her. If someone comes and lets her in and out, no problem. This is one cat that doesn't like to be left indoors for an extended period of time.

When Freckles "coughs up" a hairball, she starts with a very loud yowl. Gets me out of the chair quickly. Sometimes I have time time to carry her into the kitchen (linoleum floor), otherwise I grab a newspaper. It's usually a thumb size wad of hair, plus some food and liquid. I got very concerned when she gave the yowl and could only cough up a little food. That's why I got the Pounce. According to Drs. Foster/Smith, that type of product "coats the swallowed hair and stool and allows it to pass through the digestive sytem."
Anyway, Freckles still thinks it's a treat, not a treatment. Yea.

My cats think that it is a treat too. All I have to do is shake the can and they will all come running. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/smile.gif

I have just begun to give my 4 furballs Purina Right Bites hairball remedy for cats and wow! does it work well. All of the kids have stopped hacking up anything. I'd suggest that you give it a try.

Thanks, CindyCat. I have a package of the Purina Right Bites. They look like regular treats; don't have the gooey stuff in the middle. Freckles seems to be doing pretty well with the Pounce, but I will try the Right Bites. Thanks

My vet had me try a product called Laxatone. It works really well, if you can get it down the cat. I have had to put it on my Jazz's paws, and then hope he doesn't flick it off. They hate stuff on their paws and will usually lick it off right away. The pounce treats work well too. The Science diet with the hair ball stuff was too much for Jazz, he got very loose stools from it (a nice mess) To use it up I mixed it sparingly with his regular Science diet till it was gone.. http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/biggrin.gif