I am a strong kitty...I have no fever today.So I fink I should help a reader wif her purroblem...
So how about it readers? Tell me what you fink...
Can readers share how to prevent hairball (besides regular brushing) without using petroleum-based products?
We have no personal experience of them but there are non-petroleum hairball remedies on the market, and here are a couple of other suggestions found online:
ReplyDelete• A teaspoon of fish oil poured on your cat's food once a week is a good natural lubricant to help your cat pass the hairball through without having to vomit it up.
• A spoonful of canned pumpkin or one teaspoon of bran daily are two other time-honored remedies for hairballs.
Hope this helps!
Thanks Sen, Tama and Tom. We do not have any experience of this too. I have yet to see any hairball thingees from the amigos.
ReplyDeleteBut i do give them some bran except Akira who does not eat anything 'foreign' in her wet food. I also give Megat some pumpkin (I have yet to see canned pumpkin although I make a point of looking out for them all the time)because he has some problems with not being able to poo comfortably before. I am now trying to get Bujang used to pumpkin as he is having a little trouble in that dept. :) But I digres. None of this is for a hairball problem :)
Some cat food is supposed to help with hairball, e.g. RC. This is from my own experience with Coco.
ReplyDeleteThanks San and readers. The elderly cats are the ones who "cough" or "gag" to try to bring up the hairball unsuccessfully. Usually i give petroleum-based Laxatone sparingly & it works well. Our younger cats (under 10yrs) do not have hairball problem even though they probably lick more.
ReplyDeleteOmega oil & psyllium husks (finer than bran) have already been added to cats' food & i will try pumpkin tomorrow. Great suggestion. Strangely, vet recommended pumpkin for my aged dog's diarrhoea & to help dog to keep its food down & it works beautifully.
Yes, i have seen cat food with hairball control. Will consider but food change may cause digestive upset.
Thank you for good suggestions - hairball cats & owner.
Cat grass can also help. I cut the grass up in small pieces and mix it with the food. He also helps himself to the grass if he wants more. The grass will also help them cough up the ball.
ReplyDeleteI think it is not a hairball problem after all.
ReplyDeleteAfter one week of pumpkin and milk (hoping cat is lactose intolerant)-cat is still unable to poo without suppository baby Ducolux. Cat did not strain, so this is probably an inactive, elderly cat with mild constipation.
Tried 2 days of papaya and happy to report, cat poo-ed both days. Poo is small, hard and dry - cat's on SubQ twice a week so is quite unlikely to be dehydrated. Will try a stool soften-er like duphalac (lactulose) gradually and see if it improves. Cat hates duphalac and throws out if more than 1ml is given. Once digestive system is restored, i will give digestive enzymes & probotics & acidophilus (which works for another elderly cat) & add the occasional papaya for maintenance.
Yes, will try grass though this cat vomits out grass.
I have 2 elderly cats that needed colectomy (removal of colon) bec of megacolon. Both are ok after major surgery but stressful for all concerned.
Thank you for yr suggestions.