The 8 Finest Hairball Cures for Cats of 2024

Hairballs are clumps of partially digested hair that happen when a cat grooms itself with their sandpaper-like tongue, making a clump of useless hair that’s expelled from their abdomen by coughing and vomiting. Some cats can dispose of those hairballs with ease, whereas others want a little bit of help. Sure mineral oils, petroleum jellies, and different merchandise can be utilized safely to expel hairballs.

“Once they can’t expel it, it might develop into actually harmful,” Cat Wellness and Conduct Skilled Jackson Galaxy informed The Spruce Pets. “Lubing up your cat’s digestive system to assist go a hairball is the one predictable manner to assist.”

Our prime hairball treatment not solely assists your cat’s digestive system in easily passing hairballs, it additionally helps a wholesome coat and pores and skin with its vet-approved formulation of elements together with soybean oil, mild mineral oil, antioxidant and B-vitamin wealthy malt syrup, omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids. 

It really works for each lengthy and short-haired breeds, and could be given to kittens as younger as 4 weeks outdated. The gel is extremely palatable and comes with a selection of three flavors (maple, tuna, or catnip). It’s additionally a cinch to manage by making use of 1 / 4 to a half teaspoon of gel to the highest of your cat’s paw to easily be licked off as they’re grooming themselves. You should utilize it safely daily for the elimination of hairballs, after which go right down to administering as soon as weekly for upkeep and prevention. 

Protected for each day use

Royal Canin’s Hairball Care formulation has prime elements of hydrating water, rooster and pork by-products—which is what’s left after the meat that people eat is eliminated— like livers, kidneys and different organ meats, that are wealthy in protein, wholesome fat, nutritional vitamins and minerals. 

It’s additionally acquired a particular fiber and extremely digestible protein mix that helps transfer hairballs alongside easily out of the digestive tract. This formulation works for cats one yr of age and older. It may also be paired with Royal Canin Hairball Care dry cat meals.

Gravy supplies extra hydration

Purine One +Plus Hairball System cat meals is excessive in fiber to assist your cat extra simply digest the fabric that will in any other case be coughed up in hairballs. The dry kibble formulation is affordably priced, available at most supermarkets, large field shops, and main on-line retailers, and the meals has an interesting texture and taste that the majority cats appear to get pleasure from.

The meals is manufactured in the USA, the primary ingredient is all the time actual rooster, and along with digestive well being, the fiber-rich meals promotes a wholesome immune system and a shiny coat. In case your cat prefers moist meals, Purina One additionally presents a hydrating canned cat meals, Purina One Indoor + Hairball, made with ocean fish as the primary ingredient.

Manufactured in the USA

At solely two energy per deal with, Temptations Indoor Care treats are good for any cat with hairball issues, even these watching their weight. They’re yummy and efficient, along with being very inexpensive and available. You’ll want to offer 16 treats per 10 kilos of physique weight every day, or you’ll be able to serve these together with a essential meal by following the dosage instructions on the packaging.

We suggest giving these treats together with a hairball preventative dry or moist meals that your cat enjoys (like one among our prime picks!) for finest outcomes.  

Lower than two energy per deal with

Pet Honesty Cat Hairball Help Chews could be given each day and even the pickiest cats we all know discover the flavour and mixture texture—crunchy on the skin, chewy on the within—onerous to withstand. The formulation is designed to reset your cat’s digestive system to focus on present hairballs and cut back future episodes.

The really useful dosage is one pellet per pound to assist enhance a cat’s hairball situation. Plus, the bite-sized chews are made in the USA. Elements embody apple pomace, citrus fiber, psyllium husk, and omega-3s, and exclude corn, soy, and wheat. The chews are conveniently packaged in resealable baggage with a 30-day provide for one cat inside.

Promotes wholesome pores and skin and coat

Cat Lax is extremely efficient at each the prevention and elimination of hairballs, and is quickly accepted by most cats. Its major elements of cod liver oil and vitamin E work collectively to nourish your cat’s coat and enhance their digestion total. To manage, simply squeeze an inch of gel out of the tube onto the again of your cat’s paw, and they need to lick it off straight away. 

It’s okay to offer cats of common weight Cat Lax as soon as each day, as much as two or 3 times per week. The formulation is secure to offer to kittens too, though it is best to regulate the quantity in line with their measurement, or contact your veterinarian for steerage earlier than administering. 

Straightforward to manage

These useful pouches of pumpkin puree are the best measurement for a deal with or for topping or mixing right into a meal on your cat. You may select the plain pumpkin taste or go for a mix of coconut oil and flaxseed, or a 3rd selection with ginger and turmeric— which surprisingly has the identical calming impact on cats’ bellies that it has on human digestion. It may be given to canines, too.

The enjoyable half is that you would be able to freeze these flavorful purees into popsicles, bite-size frozen treats, or spoon some into favourite toys and freeze it on your kitty to get pleasure from licking on a heat day. Advisable by holistic vets, these formulation are bursting with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, consisting of soluble and insoluble fibers for optimum intestine well being. 

Freed from GMOs

We examined 23 totally different cat hair brushes with actual cats, and the Mars Coat King brush was our favourite. Whereas slicker brushes and different dematting instruments could also be simpler at eradicating hair, the boar bristles on the Mars Coat King brush are delicate sufficient that your cat gained’t keep away from the comb, making a brushing behavior simpler to keep up. Its birchwood deal with is snug and straightforward to wield, which makes upkeep brushing simpler on you too.

By brushing your cat a number of occasions every week, you’ll be able to take away hair that may in any other case find yourself of their abdomen, stopping hairballs earlier than they kind.

Straightforward to scrub

What to Search for in Hairball Cures

Widespread Lively Elements

Most hairball cures are robust laxatives that assist a cat clear out their bowels. Based on Galaxy, “they’re all a mixture of petroleum jelly and a variety of time, mineral oil and flavoring” and subsequently all work in line with the same technique—encouraging clumped hair to go via your cat’s feces so your cat doesn’t need to cough it up. Some meals and treats assist mitigate hairball creation by additional easing digestion with omega fatty acids and different oils.

Serving Cures to Your Cat

Getting your cat to take a laxative would possibly show tough, however there are a number of totally different strategies. Since most are created with a taste they get pleasure from, you’ll be able to put some in your finger and have them lick it off. One other widespread technique is to use the paste on to your cat’s paw or nostril, which can encourage them to scrub off the substance with their tongue. You may also strive mixing it into their meals to attempt to trick them to ingest. You might also have to strive an possibility aside from a paste, corresponding to a treat-flavored capsule pocket to tantalize their style buds.

Why Belief The Spruce Pets?

This text was up to date by KJ Callihan, a author for The Spruce Pets who has additionally labored in animal shelters, helped socialize animals for adoption, and fostered animals of assorted sorts. KJ is a bonafide cat woman who additionally loves canines, her family at present features a cat named Arlo who enjoys napping within the solar, stashing his toys beneath KJ’s favourite chair, and looking bugs on the patio in his spare time. KJ interviewed veterinarian Dr. Gail Wolfe for some extra experience on hairball cures.

For hairball discount at residence, KJ depends on Temptations Indoor Care Hen Taste Delicate and Crunchy treats daily. She additionally brushes her cat, vacuums his favourite spots recurrently, and ensure he’s ingesting sufficient water. Cats can develop into dehydrated simply, which can contribute to hairballs, so KJ’s veterinarian really useful each day moist meals be added to Arlo’s eating regimen along with his dry meals—in addition to loads of water—to handle hairballs.

This roundup was initially written by Steven Asarch, a contract author and product skilled for The Spruce Pet. As a religious cat dad of two, Steven has skilled expertise determining which merchandise are excellent for them. To get the most effective understanding of efficient hairball cures, Steven spoke to Jackson Galaxy, a cat skilled who hosted the Animal Planet present My Cat From Hell for 11 seasons.