Ridiculous Spring Time Hairballs

[Rachel P]

Hi guys -

I miss you guys a lot, even though Gizmo is doing so well. I hope everyone is good.

Do you guys experience a huge increase in hairballs in the spring? Gizmo has had some giant hairballs over the past few weeks, almost every other day. I know she’s grooming more now that the diabetes has resolved, but every other day seems ridiculous to me.

As my most trusted advisors, do you guys have any good hairball remedies that aren’t majorly fibrous/carb heavy? I mean, it’s good she’s throwing them up and they’re not impacted or anything, just feel bad she’s yakking them up so constantly?

thanks!

 

[Hendrick Cuddleclaw]

Yes spring is hairball season esp for longer-haired kitties, as the winter coat molts and their grooming gets a lot....harrier.

I am not aware of a specific remedy or product, our cats are all short haired so we don't have a huge issue to deal with and haven't ever bothered with any product or remedy.

 

[Larry and Kitties]

Petrolatum jelly (e.g,, Vasoline) is good. Many cats will lick it up themselves. I have to be carful about the vial of petrolatum jelly I use for the ear pricks, otherwise it empties quickly.

 

[FrostD]

Ugh my carpet is dotted every morning

So I actually just brush him using one of those fine wire brushes. I really need to do it daily now. It at least helps cut way down on the amount he ingests. I seem to get the most off his neck/shoulders, and base of tail/tail itself

 

[Johann_marcel]

I've used petroleum jelly and sometimes a small amount of extra virgin olive oil.My sugar kitty is short haired, but what we discovered last week is that he seems to be eating the tufts of long black hair that my long-haired cat is currently shedding onto the rug. We thought the long haired cat was having the hairballs, until we saw for ourselves our short-haired orange pumpkin producing a long-haired black hairball. yuck.

 

[Rachel P]

Petrolatum jelly (e.g,, Vasoline) is good. Many cats will lick it up themselves. I have to be carful about the vial of petrolatum jelly I use for the ear pricks, otherwise it empties quickly.

Hm, I didn’t know that. I’ll give it a try!

 

[Rachel P]

Ugh my carpet is dotted every morning

So I actually just brush him using one of those fine wire brushes. I really need to do it daily now. It at least helps cut way down on the amount he ingests. I seem to get the most off his neck/shoulders, and base of tail/tail itself

Dude, tell me about it. It’s literally every day or other day. I’ve had the carpet steamer out a few times this week.

I’ve been brushing her the past two days and she hasn’t had one yet, so we will see. I have a slicker type but I wonder if one of those mitts would be better.

 

[Rachel P]

I've used petroleum jelly and sometimes a small amount of extra virgin olive oil.My sugar kitty is short haired, but what we discovered last week is that he seems to be eating the tufts of long black hair that my long-haired cat is currently shedding onto the rug. We thought the long haired cat was having the hairballs, until we saw for ourselves our short-haired orange pumpkin producing a long-haired black hairball. yuck.

for some reason, my shorthair cats have always been worse with the hairballs, go figure.