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Another hairball thread...

dtbmnec
November 8th, 2006, 02:37 PM
I know I'm bad...

But this is different...

Leo will start hacking and coughing like he's going to toss up a hairball but he never does! He's been like this since we got him and its probably because he cleans himself and Pawz and Dart. He hasn't actually tossed one up since May and he's been hacking on and off since then...first time was probably about two weeks or three after we first got him...

I'm a horrible owner and I have never brushed any of my cats...so I could try that. I used to feed him those hairball control treats but they seemed to do nothing anyway (they were more treats than hairball remedy)...I think I still have some of them left anyway...either that or they ate them all with the last "food run" into the cupboards....:frustrated:

I'm more worried that the hacking/coughing is getting worse but he won't just toss the *^@^#()@%@%!( hairball. Stubborn beast that he is.

He doesn't do his coughing/hacking every day...its probably closer to like 2 or 3 weeks at least between times...its just been getting progressively more and more frequent (back when we first got him it was like once every six weeks kinda deal)...I thought for sure he was gonna toss it this time (he had some crazy hacking thing going on) but he didn't and swallowed it back at the last minute.

Stubborn beast...

Anyone else have cats who are this stubborn? And should I be horribly worried? Is there any danger to him? I mean as long as he's "trying" to get it puked up is it horribly bad for him?

Megan

jessi76
November 8th, 2006, 03:15 PM
no one thinks you're a horrible owner! however, it would probably help if you got into the habit of brushing your cats to minimize the hairball coughing/gagging. I use a very fine tooth comb. they're really cheap for a pack of them. I have 2 cats, both medium-short hair, and usually brush them once a week. they LOVE it now that they're used to it. they do still, on occassion, get the "gaggs". but after chomping on a bit of grass, it comes back up, and all is well. you can keep a pot or 2 of grass in the house for them to munch on (it's EASY to grow).

dtbmnec
November 8th, 2006, 10:01 PM
no one thinks you're a horrible owner! however, it would probably help if you got into the habit of brushing your cats to minimize the hairball coughing/gagging. I use a very fine tooth comb. they're really cheap for a pack of them. I have 2 cats, both medium-short hair, and usually brush them once a week. they LOVE it now that they're used to it. they do still, on occassion, get the "gaggs". but after chomping on a bit of grass, it comes back up, and all is well. you can keep a pot or 2 of grass in the house for them to munch on (it's EASY to grow).

LOL I think I can manage to grow grass....its a good thing my mother's not the one taking care of the cats (she's the one who kills plants but grows dandelions)...

I should have edited to add a smiley face behind that horrible owner thing....

Alright grass and combage on friday....:)

Megan

jiorji
November 8th, 2006, 11:40 PM
umm my kitties are ladies and they don't get furballs:o seriously, they don't
but isn't there oil of something that some ppl give their cats to ease up with the furball control?? i remember my friend saying something about that a while ago but I forgot, since the information isn't useful for me. dang it!! maybe someone on here knows

dogcatharmony
November 9th, 2006, 01:34 PM
i have a stubborn cat too............but if you want to talk hairballs he is the daddy of them all. My big cat has a nervous/anxiety condition and he actually grooms himself till the hair is gone and he has many bare spots.( he is on meds and gets a shot for his nerves ever six months.......just to let people know he has been taken care of by a vet) Anyway back to hairballs. The vet gave me a tube of Tonic-Lax for him and it is awesome. When he does the hack hack nothing he gets a spoonful( it is a paste and he is picky but he loves it) and then instead of coughing up the hair it is passed out the other end. SRy to be a bit graphic but it comes out poop shaped but all it is hair. I find it easier on him, he tends to freak when he coughs up hairballs, so i would suggest a trip to the vet and ask about meds for him.

dtbmnec
November 9th, 2006, 04:01 PM
i have a stubborn cat too............but if you want to talk hairballs he is the daddy of them all. My big cat has a nervous/anxiety condition and he actually grooms himself till the hair is gone and he has many bare spots.( he is on meds and gets a shot for his nerves ever six months.......just to let people know he has been taken care of by a vet) Anyway back to hairballs. The vet gave me a tube of Tonic-Lax for him and it is awesome. When he does the hack hack nothing he gets a spoonful( it is a paste and he is picky but he loves it) and then instead of coughing up the hair it is passed out the other end. SRy to be a bit graphic but it comes out poop shaped but all it is hair. I find it easier on him, he tends to freak when he coughs up hairballs, so i would suggest a trip to the vet and ask about meds for him.

Let me try grass and combing first...I'd prefer not to give him meds if at all possible...

You know when I was taking him outside it woudl make sense why he was chewing/poking around on the grass.....hmmmmmm

Megan

dogcatharmony
November 9th, 2006, 04:33 PM
i really should not have said meds for the tonic-lax but it is only available through a vet. The ingrediants are Vitamins A, vitamin D, vitaminE, vitamin B12, Iron Peptonized, Thiamine HCI (b1), Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Mineral Oil and Petrolatum. But good luck with the grass, I tried kitty grass also and all he did was throw up the grass with no hair and then started the hacking again after he threw up. I also tried the over the counter hairball remedeys and he either would not eat them or barf them up also ( again with no hair ). It is just a safe way for him to pass the hair instead of it sitting in his stomach or hacking hard. Good luck:fingerscr

dtbmnec
November 9th, 2006, 05:04 PM
Well my concern at the moment is that I don't get paid yet...lol when I get paid I'll be able to take him into the vet because I know they won't give me anything without taking a look at him...*sigh*

Megan