The answer is determined by observation and testing.
Cat hairball vs vomit.
This can be distressing for both you and your cat.
Cats will typically vomit a long tubular mass of hair when coughing up a hairball.
Any episode of a cat s vomiting that occurs more than once a week.
Yes even as a cats only veterinarian for over 20 years my cats do have episodes of feline vomiting and the sight of a cat hair ball or fur ball still is an unpleasant one.
The top 10 best cat foods for hairballs and vomiting.
What is the difference.
Vomit hairballs diarrhea and poop.
Other frequently diagnosed causes include the ingestion of poisonous plants spoiled cat food various human medication pieces of string or yarn certain human foods or any number of objects that a cat might find lying about on the floor.
As a cat parent you have probably experienced your cat having hairballs occasionally.
The best cat food for hairball prevention will satisfy your cat s basic nutritional needs using healthy high quality ingredients but will also contain plenty of fiber and moisture to support regular digestion.
Very frequent hairballs or vomiting without hairballs could be signs of additional digestive trouble including cancer and pet owners should take their cats to the vet to be sure there are no underlying problems.
Some vomit does contain a small amount of hair but not usually in balls.
It is not actually that thing your cat hacked up on the floor.
This cat only brought up brown fluid no hair.
Vomiting up a hairball is usually accompanied by hacking noises and spasms and of course the expulsion of a ball of hair.
Almost all cats get them.
When cats licks themselves hair gets ingested.
When a cat grooms they will.
A hairball is a blockage.
Notice this looks very similar to the cat bringing up a hairball see above.
Most hairballs come out relatively easily but if you cat can t seem to get one out talk to your vet about whether or not it might eventually cause.
Vomit can contain anything that your pet recently ingested small fragments of hair water food plant material etc.
Cat vomit hairballs diarrhea and poop sooner or later everybody s cat produces some form of yucky stuff.
The question is is it for a benign reason like a hairball or a more serious problem like liver disease.
Here are a few ways to help treat and prevent cat hairballs.
Hairballs are damp undigested wads of hair.
Sometimes this hair get stuck during the digestion process and causes a blockage at the pyloris or the exit to the stomach.
Most cats vomit 1 2 hairballs each month with long haired cats or those that groom excessively having hairballs more often.
It s just a fact of life.
When this happens you cat will vomit.
Learning how to deal with these vile substances is just part of the job.
As long as these requirements are met you can feed your cat whatever you like.
