12 Surprising Home Cures For Your Cat's Hairballs

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I doubt the brand names are important. 

12 Surprising Home Cures For Your Cat's Hairballs


By Prevention


To veterinarians, hairballs are called trichobezoars, from the suffix tricho-, meaning "pertaining to hair" and the word bezoar, meaning "a mass trapped in the gastrointestinal system." But what does that really mean? Cats get hairballs from licking their coats and swallowing hair, which accumulates in the stomach and eventually forms a wad. The accompanying discomfort prompts the cat to vomit up the hairball.



Read through this list, taken from Joey Green's Amazing Pet Cures, of everyday brand-name products in your home that help prevent and treat hairballs.




Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing

To prevent cat hairballs (and also static electricity on your cat's coat), rub in a dab of Alberto VO5 Conditioning Hairdressing and brush.


Chicken of the Sea Sardines

To thwart hairballs, feed your cat one Chicken of the Sea Sardine each month.


Chicken of the Sea Tuna

When you open a can of Chicken of the Sea Tuna packed in oil, drain out some of the oil over your cat's food.



The oil lubricates your cat's digestive tract, averting hairballs.


Hain Safflower Oil

To prevent hairballs and lubricate your cat's innards, occasionally mix one teaspoon of Hain Safflower Oil into your cat's food (unless your cat is obese.)


Huggies Baby Wipes

After grooming your cat to remove shedding hair that she might otherwise swallow, wipe down your cat's coat with a hypoallergenic, fragrance-free Huggies Baby Wipe to remove any loose hairs.


Land O Lakes Butter

To stop a cat from expelling hairballs, add one-half to one teaspoon Land O Lakes Butter to the cat's food once a day for a week.



The butter helps push the fur through the cat's digestive system, preventing hairballs from forming. The butter also makes the gallbladder contract and empty bile, a mild laxative, into the cat's digestive tract, speeding hairballs through the cat's inner workings.


Libby's Pumpkin

To help hairballs pass through your cat's system, mix one or two tablespoons Libby's Canned Pumpkin to your pet's food each day. The natural fiber in pumpkin keeps your cat regular.


Post Grape-Nuts Flakes

A high-fiber diet improves digestion, allowing hair to pass swiftly through your cat's digestive tract.



To keep those hairballs moving along, give your pet one to three tablespoons of Post Grape-Nuts Flakes several times a day. Once the hairballs pass, continue sprinkling up to three tablespoons of Post Grape-Nuts Flakes on your pet's food. The fiber keeps the digestion tract lubricated, increasing your pet's ability to absorb nutrients.


Metamucil

To accelerate the passage of hairballs through your cat's system, mix one-half teaspoon of Metamucil with water and pour it on your small pet's food twice a day. The psyllium seed husks in this laxative absorb water into the stool, helping it pass through the intestines.


Vaseline Petroleum Jelly

To stop your cat from getting hairballs, place a dab of Vaseline Vaseline Jelly on one of the cat's paws. The cat will lick off the petroleum jelly, which lubricates her digestive track, allowing hairs to travel naturally out the proper end. Apply the petroleum jelly once a day for four days.


Star Olive Oil

To prevent your cat from vomiting up hairballs, add one teaspoon Star Olive Oil to your cat's food once a week. The oil lubricates the cat's digestive system, allowing the hairballs to glide through unnoticed.


Wesson Corn Oil

Another way to prevent hairballs? Add one teaspoon Wesson Corn Oil to your cat's food occasionally. The polyunsaturated oil also fortifies your cat with vitamins, lubricates the digestive tract, and helps prevent constipation.

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