You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Hairball is a common problem for some cats  diet can provide relief by adding fibre to the ration and so assist accumulations of hair to be passed through the digestive tract without getting stuck.

It has been estimated that 50-80% of cats produce hairballs - some as often as every month. Hairballs are unpleasant because the cat often has to vomit them up - and they get caught around the back of the throat, and in some cases hairballs can even cause obstruction to the digestive tract.

A cat with hairball will appear to cough up a sausage-shaped mass of hair - often covered in mucus an saliva. The "sausage-shape" is caused by the oesophagus (gullet) as the hairball is vomited up from the stomach.#

Hairballs that pass through the stomach into the intestine usually pass through the digestive tract uneventfully, but just occasionally they get stuck and cause an obstruction - which can be very serious.

Cats with a dry coat that sheds easily and cats that groom themselves a lot are more likely  develop hairball than others.

If your cat is showing signs of hairball ask your veterinarian for his/her advice about how to prevent them.

Updated October 2013