Why Do Cats Cough Hairballs?

So why do cats cough up hairballs? Anyone who has lived with a cat for long enough has probably had the misfortune of stepping on one of these wet clumps of matted fur barefoot, and it is not an experience that you’d care to repeat. The reason why cats cough up hairballs has to do with their self-grooming process. You’ve certainly seen your cat lick itself to clean its fur, and sometimes a cat will swallow too much of its own dead fur. A cat’s tongue is a rough surface, and they aren’t capable of spitting out any fur that they accidentally swallow. This leads to hairballs.

Normally, this swallowed fur makes its way smoothly through the cat’s digestive tract. If the cat is shedding an inordinate amount however, the swallowed fur collects in the cat’s stomach and forms a tangled clump. Once the wad gets too big, the cat wretches it up. Every cat brings up a hairball now and then, but if it becomes a chronic problem the owner might want to look into it.

Some breeds of cats are more susceptible than others. Longhaired cats like Persians and Abyssinians are especially prone to hairballs, due to the larger volume of hair that they accidentally ingest. Hairballs are potential health hazards, so if your cat starts coughing them up frequently then it is a cause for concern. Every now and then, a hairball gets stuck and a cat can neither pass it nor cough it up, leading to intestinal blockage. In a worst case scenario, this will make it impossible for the cat to digest other food. If you notice that your cat is not eating or drinking or that it frequently gags without vomiting, take it to a vet and mention these symptoms.

There are a couple things that owners can do to minimize the risk of your cat suffering from hairballs. Good grooming is a great start. Brush your cat frequently in order to minimize the amount of hair that it ingests. This is especially true with longhaired breeds. Also, if you live in a home with central heating, the cat will probably drop more hair during the winter. Especially if it is fond of lying on a windowsill over the radiator, you’ll see that the heat in the middle of winter causes the cat to shed more than any other time of the year. Pay special attention to grooming your cat during these high-risk periods in order to reduce the risk of hairballs.