The Best Cat Food for Hairballs

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As a Maine Coon cat parent, I am very familiar with hairballs my cat would produce every few weeks and intermittently. One thing was that a huge help was the addition of Solid Gold Let’s Stay In Grain Free Dry Cat Food.

Best Overall
Solid Gold Let's Stay In Grain Free Dry Cat Food
9.2
  • Contains non-fermentable fiber and probiotics for gut health
  • Reduces hairballs naturally
  • Real salmon or chicken as first ingredient
  • 40% protein by dry matter basis
  • Grain free, gluten free, allergen free
  • Super food enriched

I consider it best cat food for hairballs, because with that and some lifestyle changes, we were able to drastically reduce the hairballs occurrences.

But the best hairball control cat food for my cat may not be the best for yours. Maybe your cat doesn’t eat salmon, suffers from constipation or vomiting, or has to lose a bit of weight at the same time.

So in this post you’ll find other wonderful hairball formula cat food in other categories, along with a full buying guide at the end.

These are the products we review in this article (not all shown):

Purina Pro Plan Hairball Control Wet Food
BEST WET

Purina Pro Plan Hairball Control Wet Food

  • Salmon, Chicken, Ocean Whitefish Flavors
  • Fiber, Probiotics
  • 40.91% min Protein By Dry Matter Content
  • No Prescription Required
Stella & Chewy's Freeze-Dried Raw Dinner Morsels
PREMIUM FREEZE DRIED

Stella & Chewy's Freeze-Dried Raw Dinner Morsels

  • Duck, Rabbit, Chicken, Salmon & Cod, Turkey, Salmon & Chicken Flavors
  • Fiber, Probiotics 
  • 42.11% min Protein By Dry Matter Content
  • No Prescription Required
Royal Canin Hairball Care Dry Food
SUPER POPULAR

Royal Canin Hairball Care Dry Food

  • Chicken Flavors
  • Fiber 
  • 34.78% min Protein By Dry Matter Content
  • No Prescription Required
Purina Pro Plan Indoor Care Hairball Control Dry Food
FOR HAIRBALLS AND VOMITING

Purina Pro Plan Indoor Care Hairball Control Dry Food

  • Salmon, Turkey Flavors
  • Prebiotic fiber, Probiotics
  • 45.45% min Protein By Dry Matter Content
  • No Prescription Required
Nulo Grain Free Dry Food
FOR HAIRBALLS AND SENSITIVE STOMACHS

Nulo Grain Free Dry Food

  • Turkey & Cod Flavors
  • High fiber, Probiotics, Novel ingredients
  • 43.24% min Protein By Dry Matter Content
  • No Prescription Required
Hill's Science Diet Hairball Control Adult 7+ Dry Food
FOR SENIOR CATS

Hill's Science Diet Hairball Control Adult 7+ Dry Food

  • Chicken Flavor
  • Natural fiber, Controlled mineral levels
  • 33.9% min Protein By Dry Matter Content
  • No Prescription Required

All cat foods included on this list meet the standard AAFCO nutrient profile guidelines for cats. Always consult with your veterinarian before making changes to your cat’s diet.


Best Dry Cat Food for Hairballs

Solid Gold Let's Stay In Grain Free Dry Cat Food
8.5
  • Contains non-fermentable fiber and probiotics for gut health
  • Reduces hairballs naturally
  • Real salmon or chicken as first ingredient
  • 40% protein by dry matter basis
  • Grain free, gluten free, allergen free
  • Super food enriched
  • First 5 ingredients: Salmon, Salmon Meal, Lentils, Peas, Turkey Meal
  • Guaranteed analysis: 36% Crude Protein, 16% Crude Fat, 8% Crude Fiber, 10% Moisture
  • Caloric content: 435 kcal/cup
  • Life stage: Adult

Solid Gold Let’s Stay In Grain Free Dry Cat Food has everything to be my overall best hairball control cat food: real protein as the top ingredients, grain and gluten free, impressive fiber, and no filler.

To start, my favorite thing about this grain free cat food is the real salmon as the first ingredient. That pure salmon and ocean fish contribute omega-3 fatty acids that are so important for everything from the skin and coat, to brain and organ health.

Next, a dry cat food for hairballs is not complete without fiber. And the assortment of natural fiber sources in this food includes lentils, peas, pea fiber, pumpkin, blueberries, carrots, and cranberries.

We’re talking superfoods and probiotics here! Stuff that will not only eliminate hairballs, but also feed the good bacteria in a cat’s gut leading to positive effects on all body systems.

I can see how this hairball formula cat food would transform a cat who is always backed up into a feline with some seriously smooth moves.

Purchasers commonly say that Solid Gold Let’s Stay In is totally high quality and stops hairballs. They totally recommend it as a cat food that improves their activity as well.

Rating Breakdown:

  • Hairball Formula: 10/10
  • Ingredient Quality: 9/10
  • Flavor Variety: 6/10
  • Price: 9/10
  • Overall Score: 8.5

What We Liked:

  • Quality protein
  • Contains living probiotics and fiber
  • High fiber, grain free, gluten free
  • For recurring hairballs and weight management and sensitive stomachs
  • Made-in-USA

What We Didn’t Like:

  • Not all cats into the flavor

Best Wet Cat Food for Hairballs

Purina Pro Plan Hairball Control Wet Food
8
  • Salmon, Chicken, Ocean Whitefish Flavors
  • Fiber, Probiotics
  • 40.91% min Protein By Dry Matter Content
  • No Prescription Required
  • First 5 ingredients: Chicken Entrée: Chicken, Water, Meat By-Products, Ocean Whitefish, Powdered Cellulose
  • Guaranteed analysis: 9% Crude Protein, 4% to 4.5% Crude Fat, 2.6% Crude Fiber, 78% Moisture
  • Caloric content: 89 kcal/can
  • Life stage: Adult

Purina Pro Plan Hairball Control is one of the best wet cat foods for hairballs and great commercially available option. Pro Plan is actually one of Purina’s top quality non-prescription products and it shows here.

It contains real salmon, whitefish, or chicken, and keep hairballs at bay using natural prebiotic fiber. Check the ingredient list – real protein is the first ingredient, and it’s clean in comparison to other commercial wet foods with more filler.

The food is also packed with essential vitamins and minerals to support everything from coat health to healthy vision. I like seeing the vitamins A, B, E, amino acids, and taurine in this recipe.

I don’t see any reliance on grains, rice, or corn to keep cats full. I also love the variety pack to keep fussy eater cats satisfied!

Cat owners are overall extremely satisfied Purina Pro Plan because it control hairballs well and the cats love the recipes.

Rating Breakdown:

  • Hairball Formula: 8/10
  • Ingredient Quality: 8/10
  • Flavor Variety: 8/10
  • Price: 8/10
  • Overall Score: 8

What We Liked:

  • One of Purina’s top non-prescription lines
  • Contains fiber and probiotics
  • Real protein as first ingredient
  • Commercial available
  • Variety

What We Didn’t Like:

  • Price

Best Hairball Control Cat Food (Premium Freeze Dried Raw Pick)

Stella & Chewy's Freeze-Dried Raw Dinner Morsels
7.75
  • Duck, Rabbit, Chicken, Salmon & Cod, Turkey, Salmon & Chicken Flavors
  • Fiber, Probiotics 
  • 42.11% min Protein By Dry Matter Content
  • No Prescription Required
  • First 5 ingredients: Rabbit With Ground Bone, Rabbit Liver, Olive Oil, Pumpkin Seed, Potassium Chloride
  • Guaranteed analysis: 44% Crude Protein, 30% Crude Fat, 5% Crude Fiber, 5% Moisture
  • Caloric content: 131 kcal/oz
  • Life stage: Adult

There are people who feel a raw diet is the ultimate way to prevent hairballs. They claim commercial wet food and kibble are of low quality, too processed, and contain too much unnatural carbs.

Every cat is different, so why not try it? Even if a cat is not suffering from chronic hairballs, raw rabbit is a fantastic treat or meal topper.

Stella & Chewy’s is the good stuff: 98% of each raw, freeze dried morsel contains milled rabbit meat, organs, and even bone. Yes, your cat is an obligate carnivore and would love to eat a whole mouse or rabbit.

Feed her what she craves and let her enjoy the protein, amino acids, minerals, and vitamins in this food!

What’s more, the brand also uses rabbit liver (as the second listed ingredient, no less) to give your cat an incredible source of nutrients, to feel better after dealing with hairball issues.

This food is extremely clean – grain free and filler free. It’s minimally processed with added probiotics to help digestion. Despite not being marketed as a hairball food for cats, it works. After all, gut motility is what gets hairballs moving.

Overall, this is a nutrient dense, biologically appropriate recipe that’s gentle and hugely beneficial on the stomach. When the gut is happy, hairballs are prevented naturally. Reviewers agree this is one of the best cat foods for hairballs.

Rating Breakdown:

  • Hairball Formula: 10/10
  • Ingredient Quality: 9/10
  • Flavor Variety: 6/10
  • Price: 6/10
  • Overall Score: 7.75

What We Liked:

  • Freeze-dried raw
  • Contain meat, organs, bones
  • High protein, high fat
  • Grain and gluten free
  • USA made

What We Didn’t Like:

  • Price

Royal Canin Hairball Care Dry Food
6.25
  • Chicken Flavors
  • Fiber 
  • 34.78% min Protein By Dry Matter Content
  • No Prescription Required
  • First 5 ingredients: Chicken Meal, Corn, Brewers Rice, Rice Hulls, Corn Gluten Meal
  • Guaranteed analysis: 32% Crude Protein, 13% Crude Fat, 8.4% Crude Fiber, 8% Moisture
  • Caloric content: 444 kcal/cup
  • Life stage: Adult

Royal Canin Hairball Care Dry Cat Food is a way popular mainstream cat food to prevent hairballs with over 1500 reviews and it’s easy to understand why.

It combines that pleasing Royal Canin flavor, texture, and crunch that cats all over the world enjoy but with a proprietary blend of dietary fiber designed to fix hairball problems before they happen.

We cat owners know the feeling. It has been a few weeks, and your cat is slowly showing signs of a pending hairball. Maybe she even eats less or sleeps more. Then one day you hear the horrible retching sounds.

Why not prevent that in the first place? Royal Canin’s formula helps to keep hairballs moving with a fiber delivery system so they pass easily. And there are so many fantastic natural sources of fiber here.

The ones that catch my eye include pea fiber, beet pulp, rice hulls, and psyllium husk.

Better digestive health equals better digestion, which leads to less time cleaning your carpet from a midnight hairball. Purchasers say their cat love this food and that is is very good at hairball prevention.

Rating Breakdown:

  • Hairball Formula: 8/10
  • Ingredient Quality: 5/10
  • Flavor Variety: 3/10
  • Price: 9/10
  • Overall Score: 6.25

What We Liked:

  • Very popular
  • Blend of fibers
  • Most cats love the taste
  • Commercially available

What We Didn’t Like:

  • Contains wheat and grains

Also Great Cat Food for Hairball Control

Hill’s Science Diet Hairball Control Dry Cat Food
6.5
  • Contains natural fibers
  • Chicken as first ingredient
  • Vitamin E and omega fatty acids
  • Made in USA
  • First 5 ingredients: Chicken, Whole Grain Wheat, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Fat, Powdered Cellulose
  • Guaranteed analysis: 33.9% Crude Protein, 19.3% Crude Fat, 9.2% Crude Fiber, 8% Moisture
  • Caloric content: 323 kcal/cup
  • Life stage: Adult

Hill’s Science Diet Hairball Control Dry Cat Food is a wonderful palate pleasing kibble with omega 3 and 6 fatty acids and natural fibers to tackle hairballs.

I’m happy that real chicken is the first ingredient, and I like the vitamin E and omega fatty acids for skin, fur, heart, and eye health.

While this food does use grains and meals, I feel that they are in proportion to a robust list of ingredients. And with dry kibble, this is unavoidable.

Overall, I can see how this food can help your cat to stay regular while also providing high quality protein, the building blocks for creating lean muscle mass.

A lot of cat owners share that this food is effective not only for hairball control, but sensitive stomachs too. It’s a real “tummy tamer,” calming chronic vomiting, and making litter box time way more pleasant. Another one of the best cat foods for hairball control.

On the downside, the kibble pieces are pretty large and some paw-rents report Kitty has a hard time eating it.

What We Liked:

  • Contains natural fibers
  • Chicken as first ingredient
  • Vitamin E and omega fatty acids
  • Made in USA

What We Didn’t Like:

  • Contains wheat and grains

Best Cat Food for Hairballs and Vomiting

Purina Pro Plan Indoor Care Hairball Control Dry Food
7.5
  • Salmon, Turkey Flavors
  • Prebiotic fiber, Probiotics
  • 45.45% min Protein By Dry Matter Content
  • No Prescription Required
  • First 5 ingredients: Salmon, Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Meal, Wheat Flour
  • Guaranteed analysis: 36% Crude Protein, 10% Crude Fat, 5.25% Crude Fiber, 12% Moisture
  • Caloric content: 480 kcal/cup
  • Life stage: Adult

This Purina Pro Plan Hairball Control product is the wet variety of my top dry pick, so it’s no surprise this cat food is awesome for vomiting plus hairballs.

Like the wet Purina Pro Plan, this product line is premium for the brand, and the ingredient list backs that up with real salmon as the first ingredient.

A high 36% overall protein by volume with enough fat provides your obligate carnivore what he craves.

Live probiotics in this food are a healing, restorative option for a gastrointestinal system struggling with hairballs and other irritation leading to vomiting.

I really like the benefits that come from vitamins A, B, E, amino acids, and taurine that range from gut health to a supported immune system.

And if your cat struggles with digesting meat and poultry, the salmon that’s used as the first ingredient will be much appreciated. Note that this kibble isn’t ideal for grain free eating because of the wheat flour and corn gluten meal.

A common sentiment among purchasers was that this cat food for hairballs dramatically reduced vomiting in their cats! And with excellent hairball management too.

Rating Breakdown:

  • Hairball Formula: 8/10
  • Ingredient Quality: 8/10
  • Flavor Variety: 6/10
  • Price: 8/10
  • Overall Score: 7.5

What We Liked:

  • One of Purina’s top non-prescription lines
  • Very high protein
  • Contains natural fibers
  • Real protein as first ingredient, contains vitamin E and omega fatty acids
  • Commercially available

What We Didn’t Like:

  • Contains wheat and gluten

Ideal for Hairballs and Constipation

Instinct Freeze Dried Raw Boost Mixers
7.25
  • Freeze-dried raw
  • 100% real whole food ingredients
  • Super high protein, high fat, high fiber
  • Grain and gluten free
  • USA made
  • First 5 ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Pumpkin Seeds, Chicken Heart, Dried Pumpkin
  • Guaranteed analysis: 36% Crude Protein, 30% Crude Fat, 15% Crude Fiber, 6% Moisture
  • Caloric content: 18 kcal/tablespoon
  • Life stage: Adult

Instinct Raw Boost Toppers is basically like a secret weapon against hairballs. Why?

To start, these nutrient dense toppers are 15% natural fiber from sources like pumpkin, chicory, and sweet potato. Next, they contain probiotics to keep the friendly gut bacteria happy. Finally, these superfood bombs are raw.

Raw food can be efficacious way to a hairball-free life because it rids the GI system from processed commercial foods.

And once free from it, some cats experience an elevated (or back to normal) level of digestion and gut motility, making short work of hairballs and a much better time in the litter box.

At 36% protein and 30% fat, have tons of healthy fat and protein to supercharged a lackluster diet. How does cage-free real chicken, organs and bones as the primary ingredients sound?

I also love that I can count the number of real ingredients in this food on my hands. Absolutely no filler here.

These popular toppers are also so flavorful and enticing to cats, owners call it “kitty crack.” I’m not into getting cats hooked on anything except good health!

Rating Breakdown:

  • Hairball Formula: 10/10
  • Ingredient Quality: 10/10
  • Flavor Variety: 3/10
  • Price: 6/10
  • Overall Score: 7.25

What We Liked:

  • Freeze-dried raw
  • 100% real whole food ingredients
  • Super high protein, high fat, high fiber
  • Grain and gluten free
  • USA made

What We Didn’t Like:

  • Price

Best Hairball Control Cat Food for Sensitive Stomachs

Nulo Grain Free Dry Food
7.25
  • Turkey & Cod Flavors
  • High fiber, Probiotics, Novel ingredients
  • 43.24% min Protein By Dry Matter Content
  • No Prescription Required
  • First 5 Ingredients: Deboned Turkey, Chicken Meal, Deboned Cod, Turkey Meal, Chickpeas
  • Guaranteed analysis: 40% Crude Protein, 16% Crude Fat, 7.5% Crude Fiber, 10% Moisture
  • Caloric Content: 444 kcal/cup
  • Life stage: Adult

Is Fluffy dealing with a sensitive stomach and hairballs? Meaning not only the occasional hairball, but also shows potential signs of a whole host of stomach issues: lethargy, diarrhea, constipation, or itchy skin?

Then look into the clean and grain free Nulo Freestyle Hairball Management Dry Food. The ingredients are simple with no ingredients to flare up common sensitivities, and tops it off with a probiotic to keep the gut happy.

It leads with uncommon real animal proteins like turkey, chicken meal, and cod, making up 40% protein by volume, a high number for sure. There’s also fish oil for important omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.

Next, Nulo replaces common flare triggers with thoughtful ingredient choices like lentils and chickpeas. There are no by-products, dairy, white potatoes, or artificial preservatives or flavors in this cat food for hairballs and sensitive stomachs.

Very few cat foods on the market also combine fiber sources like miscanthus grass, dried cranberries, dried kelp, dried sweet potatoes, and flaxseed in one place.

All in all, this is a wonderful cat food for sensitive stomachs and hairballs, with many reviewers recommending it for exactly this. They rave that Nulo has helped with hairballs, vomiting, diarrhea, and allergies related to food.

Rating Breakdown:

  • Hairball Formula: 10/10
  • Ingredient Quality: 9/10
  • Flavor Variety: 3/10
  • Price: 7/10
  • Overall Score: 7.25

What We Liked:

  • Real food ingredients
  • Novel ingredients to bypass common allergens
  • Contains natural fiber and probiotics
  • No grains, by-products, dairy, anything artificial
  • Good for sensitive stomachs, hairballs, food allergies

What We Didn’t Like:

  • Not for some picky cats

Best Cat Food for Hairballs and Weight Control

Blue Buffalo Indoor Hairball & Weight Control Dry Cat Food
6.5
  • Very popular
  • Chicken as first ingredient
  • High in healthy fibers
  • Good for hairballs + weight control
  • Blend of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins
  • First 5 ingredients: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Barley, Brown Rice, Menhaden Fish Meal
  • Guaranteed analysis: 30% Crude Protein, 10% Crude Fat, 8% Crude Fiber, 9% Moisture
  • Caloric content: 363 Kcals/cup
  • Life stage: Adult

Blue Buffalo makes an awesome multi-tasking cat food for hairball management and weight control. This is so important because weight, satiety, digestion, and hairballs are often linked.

Seeing real chicken as the first ingredient is always exciting. It’s combined with Menhaden fish meal as a good source of omega-3 fatty acids to keep fur and coat shiny and smooth.

The 30% protein blend is then paired with a bit of fat – 10% – as this is a weight management food. I really like the combo of high protein and low carb.

In addition to keeping fat content low, this high fiber formula supports a healthy weight and hairball passage with psyllium seed husks, cellulose, carrot, and sweet potato as healthy fiber sources.

I’m a huge fan of Blue Buffalo’s LifeSource Bits that blend antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins in a formula created by veterinarians and animal nutritionists.

Overall, purchasers love this food, and say it performs like a charm, slimming down chunky cats and stopping vomiting of hairballs super efficiently.

Many Maine Coon and long haired cat owners really like the 2-in-1 benefits since Fluffy will need hairball management food at some point, and it’s also not uncommon for them to get a bit heavy as indoor cats.

One reviewer even said the major downside was that this kibble does not come in a larger size!

Rating Breakdown:

  • Hairball Formula: 10/10
  • Ingredient Quality: 6/10
  • Flavor Variety: 3/10
  • Price: 7/10
  • Overall Score: 6.5

What We Liked:

  • Very popular
  • Chicken as first ingredient
  • High in healthy fibers
  • Good for hairballs + weight control
  • Blend of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins

What We Didn’t Like:

  • Some cats just didn’t eat it

Best Hairball Cat Food for Senior Cats

Hill’s Science Diet Hairball Control Dry Cat Food
6.25
  • Contains natural fibers
  • Chicken as first ingredient
  • Vitamin E and omega fatty acids
  • Made in USA
  • First 5 ingredients: Chicken, Whole Grain Wheat, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Fat, Powdered Cellulose
  • Guaranteed analysis: 28.5% Crude Protein, 15.5% Crude Fat, 6.5% Crude Fiber, 8% Moisture
  • Caloric content: 333 kcal/cup
  • Life stage: Adult

Hill’s really brings it with this dry food formulated especially for older cats with hairballs!

To start, Hill’s Science Diet Hairball Control Dry Adult 7+ Dry Food is fortified with taurine for kidney and heart support. It contains low levels of sodium and phosphorous – so important for aging kidneys.

In addition, mineral levels are carefully balanced to help prevent bladder stones, like you’ll find in specialty low ash cat foods.

Beet pulp and cellulose round out the fiber content to get hairballs moving. Real chicken is the main protein offering and it’s what all cats crave and need. Yes, even older ones.

Packed with vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, and omega-6 fatty acids, this food promotes a healthy coat and fur, a strong heart, and a robust immune system.

While I love seeing chicken as the first ingredient, I will add that it’s not as clean as some other recipes due to the wheat and gluten present.

Cat owners really recommend this as one of the best hairball cat foods for older cats, and generally express that it stops all types of stomach issues and hairball problems. And older cats have no issues gobbling this down happily.

Rating Breakdown:

  • Hairball Formula: 7/10
  • Ingredient Quality: 7/10
  • Flavor Variety: 3/10
  • Price: 8/10
  • Overall Score: 6.25

What We Liked:

  • Contains natural fibers
  • Low sodium, low phosphorous
  • Good for both urinary tract issues and hairball issues
  • Made in USA
  • Price

What We Didn’t Like:

  • More grains and wheat than I’d prefer

How to Choose a Hairball Cat Food

Some slight recipe tweaks can drastically improve your cat’s hairball situation. That’s why knowing how to shop for a good anti-hairball cat food is important. Here’s my checklist of what to look for when choosing a new food.

High Protein

Look for high protein levels from a pure animal-based protein source. Generally, chicken, fish, duck, and rabbit can be better than red meats because these protein sources are simply easier to digest.

Fiber, Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Natural Fats

These all help with hairballs because it keep things moving in the digestive tract! Ready for a quick science lesson?

Probiotics are healthy bacteria sources that help to restore good bacteria levels in the gut for better digestion. Prebiotics are the natural fibers that feed the bacteria.

What Ingredients in Cat Food Helps With Hairballs?

Let’s talk about what you don’t want first. Look for minimal by-products, meals, and artificial preservatives/flavors.

While these can have places in some recipes, they should only be in the background of healthy animal proteins.

Complete Nutrition

Next, it’s important to have those “building block” nutrients like taurine, omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids, minerals, amino acids, and vitamins.

These are going to keep the immune system plugging along for healthy, complete digestion.

Wet or Dry?

Whatever your cat will eat! Honestly, the goal is to make the transition to a new food as uneventful as possible.

That means choosing a food that your cat is likely to eat without fuss. If your cat can go either way, I personally like wet food for hairballs because the higher moisture content can improve digestion.


What Are Hairballs?

A hairball is a pill-shaped wad of fur that cats vomit up. The reason why they are shaped like tubes instead of balls is that they are molded as they gather in your cat’s esophagus.

Some hairballs are passed naturally. However, hairballs that enter the stomach without leaving the stomach will be vomited up by the cat.

“A large clump of ingested hair can block a cat’s intestinal tract and pose a deadly threat,” according to the Cornell University College of Veterinarian Medicine.

That means that cat owners have a responsibility to take action to help their cats overcome hairballs.

While there are many lifestyle changes you can make to help prevent hairballs, it’s important to make sure your cat receives emergency medical care if you suspect that there’s an obstruction in the digestive tract.

You’ll often know that your cat has a hairball because she will make horrible hacking, gagging, and retching sounds before ultimately throwing up the hairball.

What Causes Hairballs?

Your cat’s propensity for hairballs may simply be biological. For instance, cats with longer fur are more likely to have hairballs simply because they ingest more fur. The common causes of hairballs include:

How Often Should a Cat Have Hairballs?

Hairballs should be rare. If you’re noticing hairball activity more than once per month, it’s time to consider an intervention that may include a change of diet with some hairball control cat food.


How Do I Know If My Cat Has Hairballs?

Here are the symptoms of hairballs:

  • Retching
  • Hacking
  • Coughing
  • Frequent vomiting
  • Dry heaving
  • Lost appetite
  • Lethargy
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea

As you take care of kitty on a daily basis, you’ll start to get a hunch that it’s almost time for a hairball based on her behavior. The most common for my Maine Coon is the lethargy and lack of interest in foods.

Sometimes there will be an unsuccessful vomiting session that does not result in expulsion of the solid mass.


What Are Some Ways to Prevent Hairballs?

Hairballs are sometimes unavoidable. However, cat owners can do little things to reduce the intensity and frequency of hairballs. Here’s my rundown of what I found works for my cat:

Regular Grooming

Baths and brushing should be part of the routine.

Water Intake

Don’t let your cat get dehydrated. Always have a source of fresh water available. Add water or other enticing liquids, like bone broth, to dry food if that’s the only way to get your cat to consume water.

Quality of Cat Food

Don’t bog your cat down with filler. My reviews of top anti hairball cat foods above can be a big help.

Hairball Control Treats and Supplements

Just adding a hairball control treat to the cat food your cat is currently eating can make a huge difference.

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