Posts Tagged ‘hairballs’
How To Cope With Cats And Their Hairballs
Every cat owner knows that hairballs are awful things to deal with. They are caused by a build up of fur and lack of brushing. Since cat fur is thick, a hairball can be problematic if the cat ends up swallowing it. Hairballs can easily get stuck in the cat’s throat and this can cause choking. This is an unpleasant thing to have to stand by and watch.
Basic cat health care knowledge can help to prevent problems. That means watching out for hairballs and matted fur accumulating. Great advice is to make sure grooming your cat forms a part of your daily routine. Owners and pets get pleasure from grooming, so persevere with it. Make sure you do it gently so the animal becomes more relaxed and it will sit in your lap all day as you groom it!
Since some cats out there have very long and thick fur, it is important that you check with the vet if anything specific needs to be done to look after it. Take Persian cats as an example – they have beautiful long fur but if it ends up forming hairballs, this could be very risky for them. No-one can stop a cat from licking, which is why hairballs are a problem. People often ask how come dogs don’t have the same problem, but you may notice that dogs don’t lick their fur, thus hairballs aren’t an issue. Cats clean themselves by licking their fur and hairballs can occur at any time.
Once the hairball gets into the digestive system, the cat will start trying to cough it up. This is when you will hear choking sounds and it can make pet owners quite nervous when they hear this, as they don’t know how to deal with it. The best cat health care advice is to just let the cat cough it up, but keep a watchful eye. Look out for any worrying signs and just make sure the cat is okay after coughing the fur up. If you like to stay prepared, there are some hairball treatments out there which a vet can advise on.
Grooming Your Cat
No cat wants to be dirty, and it’s up to you to ensure that your cat stays clean. Grooming is very important, as it helps your cat remain clean and healthy. Grooming starts with brushing, as brushing helps to keep the cats hair from becoming hairballs. Brushing will remove loose hair, and help prevent the risk of hairballs. A lot of cats have trouble dislodging hairballs. If the cat isn’t able to get a hairball out, it could result in a blockage of the intestines. Blockages are very serious, and can quickly become life threatening for your pet.
Cats that have long hair need to be brushed and combed on a daily basis, while cats with short hair need to be groomed on a weekly basis.Whenever brushing is done to your cat, you should be watchful for lumps in the coat or any marks of irritation on the cat’s skin.Going from head towards the tail, is the best way to start brushing your cat’s back. Do this a few times on one side, and then switch to the other. Each area should be brushed a few times in the direction of the way your cat’s hair is growing.
When you brush your cat, you should always avoid brushing his face and paws. If a cat doesn’t like to be brushed, you can still groom him using another tool.The grooming glove is an excellent alternative to the brush, as most cats don’t mind it at all. Starting out young is the key to grooming, as it will get your cat used to brushing and grooming. Some cats that have started grooming when they were kittens grow to love it, many of which often look forward to their grooming time.
When brushing your cat, make sure that you check his ears, eyes, teeth, and claws. His eyes should be bright and clear with nothing residing in the corners.The ears of the cat should be clean, with no sign of ear mites and the color of the ears should be pink.Dirty ear of your cat can result in manifestation of ear mites, and can result in the ears shriveling up and your feline might increase it’s risk of developing ear mites. Ear mites are very annoying for the cat, and hard for you as an owner to get rid of. The best way to get rid of them – is to ensure that your cat’s ears stay clean and healthy.
Each time you groom your cat, you should always aim to go a bit further with your examinations. When your cat remains still, you should always praise him and give him a treat. If your cat doesn’t cooperate and starts to struggle, you shouldn’t fight with him, but instead let him go and try the next day. Once your cat gets used to grooming he will look forward to it each and every day.