Hairballs are inevitable when you live with cats or rabbits. All cats will eventually vomit up hairballs, also known as tricobezoars. Cats groom themselves with their tongues and swallow the loosened fur. Cats can't digest fur very well. Eventually, this fur compacts into a elongated tube or a ball-like mass which is regurgitated by the cat or kitten.
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Features
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Hairballs generally consist of compacted fur, but they often include the cat's food (hard or soft) and a coating of mucus. They can come in a variety of colors, depending on the color of the cat's hair and the cat's food. Often they will be a bright tan or orange and then darken over time to brick red, brown, black or grey. They are often lozenge shaped, cigar-shaped or shaped like an extended oval. Sometimes they can be round.
Size
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The size of hairballs varies, but usually they will be the same size as the cat's feces. Sometimes, if dried, dark hairballs may be mistaken for feces. Both the cat's feces and the hairballs tend to resemble each other. The presence of undigested food or tufts of fur at the ends will signify that this is a hairball and not cat feces.
Effects
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All cats will regurgitate a hairball a couple of times a month, but if they do it once a day or if they are exhibiting any other symptoms of being ill, they could have a chronic hairball problem. This needs the attention of a vet and will not go away by itself. Signs of a chronic hairball problem, besides hacking up hairballs, include loss of appetite, not being able to keep food down, patchy fur, constipation and straining to pass stools and a more matted coat than usual (even for a long haired cat). The worst case scenario is that the hairball cannot be thrown up and is lodged in the gastrointestinal tract. This means the cat will not be able to digest food and will die. Only prompt surgery can save the life of a cat with a hairball blocking the gut.
Misconceptions
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Long haired cats and short haired cats produce nearly the same amount of hairballs. Even the so-called hairless breeds like the Sphynx do occasionally produce hairballs throughout the course of their lives. Each cat's body has a different degree of ability to digest fur--whether the fur is its own or its prey's. Some cats also obsessively groom themselves and are more likely to swallow fur.
Prevention/Solution
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Brushing or combing the cat regularly to get rid of loose hair will help keep the cat from swallowing any loose fur. Even long petting sessions can dislodge some loose fur. Be sure to throw out any small piles of fur dislodged from a petting or grooming session. Some dry cat food and over the counter remedies are said to help cats prone to hairballs, but the success with such foods varies from cat to cat. Ideally, going to the vet will help you best tackle a chronic hairball problem.
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