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Dear Star,
Why do cats get hairballs?

From,
Jessie, age 11

Thanks for the question Jessie.  

Keeping my fur clean is important and most of us cats do spend a lot of time grooming.  My sister, for example, baths all the time – it is really quite annoying!  Because we do bath so much, we swallow a lot of hair, and it gets caught in our stomach. It leaves me feeling yucky and if the hairball doesn't pass, I try to cough it up.  It sounds terrible, but it is really a very healthy thing for me to do.

Almost all cats have a hairball at some point in their life, but some long-haired cats and cats who groom excessively (like my sister) get a lot of hairballs. If you want to help us reduce hairballs then brush your cat more often.  The less hair we swallow, the less likely a hairball will form.  Many cats really like being brushed – it feels like a good back scratch!  If your cat has a severe problem, sometimes you have to feed them a special diet designed to decrease hairballs.  Talk to your vet if you think your cat might have a serious problem.

Pawsitively yours,

 

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