Help with hairball remedy

**Craftlady** · 01-03-2007, 10:27 PM

Originally Posted by Freedom

Hey, Craftlady - um, do cats have to worry about their cholesterol? I don't know the answer to this. So I'm not sure about the butter thing. I wonder if "Take Control" or one of the other (supposedly) cholesterol lowering butter substitutes would also work.

Well your not suppose to give the animal a whole pound of butter at one time.

You give them just a small amount about size of a piece of corn kernal or smaller.

Plain old petroleum jelly works too. This is base for all these flavored malts.

I have found the petmalts etc give my gang worse hairballs.

**frawri** · 01-04-2007, 02:27 PM

Thanks for your help I will look into some of the things you all have mentioned.
As for the food they eat, I feed them California Naturals, chicken flavor. I did a lot of reading up on what is a good brand and what isn't. I found this to meet most of the criteria’s I was looking for. So I am pretty certain it isn't the food that is causing the problems. They are just real big, and very furry.

I have heard before to use green beans but on a dog of mine. Does this really work to help pass obstructions like fur balls? Thanks for all your help.

**columbine** · 01-04-2007, 10:45 PM

Originally Posted by frawri

I have heard before to use green beans but on a dog of mine. Does this really work to help pass obstructions like fur balls?

Sure - it's fiber (cellulose) and fiber is what keeps things moving! Some people mix a bit of cooked pumpkin in their cats' food too, or just give it to them straight if they like it. I just had to go for the straight-up psyllium because my big, furry cat is on a special diet that diverts all his water to his urinary system to keep him from getting crystals, so his intestines need a bit of extra TLC. And he hates pumpkin!

Love, Colulmbine

**frawri** · 01-05-2007, 11:30 AM

About what amount should I give my cats of the Green Beans? I also am going to try this on my dogs, they are Chihuahuas, so they more then likely will have the same amount or maybe a little less.

**columbine** · 01-05-2007, 09:17 PM

Originally Posted by frawri

About what amount should I give my cats of the Green Beans? I also am going to try this on my dogs, they are Chihuahuas, so they more then likely will have the same amount or maybe a little less.

Just 2 or 3 raw ones should get a significant amount of fiber into a cat. Just get enough so that there'll be some left for the cats after you figure out that raw green beans taste really good to humans when they're dunked in hummus or ranch dressing!

Love, Columbine

**Freedom** · 01-05-2007, 09:37 PM

Hey Frawri, my kitties love to nibble on my house plants as well. Sparkle learned her lesson the hard way, when she was about 7 months old. She bit into a catcus!

OUCH, to say the least. Yes, she had to pick one iwth lots of little spikes all over it. She is the only one who won't touch the house plants.

I use Barley Cat on their food. Not often. Usually, I forget about it. Then I notice they are eating the plants again, so I add it to their food for a few feedings. Then I stop, fully intending to get a routine, once per day or something . . . . . It is a green powder, and it seems to give them whatever it is they are craving when they head to the plants. So it keeps them away from the plants. Mine don't like the cat grass either. Now, the grass out in the back yard, THAT they will eat. Run in and throw it up on the first rug, sofa pillow, bed, they can get on.