How to Use Olive Oil to Prevent Hairballs

If your cat suffers from hairballs, you know how unpleasant it is to watch your cat cough up a hairball and then have to clean it up. Before you spend money on expensive hairball treatments, try using olive oil to get rid of hairballs. Olive oil is a safe alternative to products with digestion-threatening ingredients like petroleum.

Instructions

    • 1

      Purchase wet cat food in flavors that your cat enjoys. Check labels for high-fiber content, as fiber can encourage your cat to naturally pass the hairball.

    • 2

      Measure out 1 tsp. of olive oil and add it to your cat's food. Mix it so that the food and the olive oil are thoroughly incorporated into the cat food's juices.

    • 3

      Feed your cat the mixture of cat food and olive oil.

    • 4

      Continue dosing your cat's food with olive oil for 3 days.

    • 5

      Check your cat's stool for signs of the passed hairball. Ingested olive oil acts as a lubricant and laxative and your cat should expel the hairball after 2 or 3 days of eating the cat food and olive oil mixture.

    • 6

      Incorporate small amounts of olive oil into your cat's daily diet. Adding between 1/8 and 1/4 tsp. of olive oil to your cat's meals prevents hairball accumulation in your cat's digestive system.