Furball Prevention: Tips and Tricks for Cat Owners

By Sophie Kininmonth · 28 Oct 2025 (updated 21 Jul 2026) ·5 min read

Cats are meticulous groomers, and hairballs are the by-product. As a cat licks its coat, it swallows loose hair that cannot be digested, so the hair collects in the stomach and is later brought back up with a rasping retch. Most hairballs are a normal, harmless part of living with a cat. The useful skill is telling an ordinary hairball apart from a pattern that means something is wrong, and knowing the few simple things that genuinely cut down on them. ^{1, 2}

What hairballs are and why they happen

The tongue does the work. Its backward-facing barbs catch loose and shed hair during grooming and pull it into the mouth. Because hair cannot be digested, it tends to sit in the stomach and mat together into a trichobezoar, the technical name for a hairball. Many cats vomit it back up. Others pass the hair through the bowel and you never see it. ^{2, 3}

Hairballs become frequent for a handful of reasons:

Long or dense coats, which simply give the cat more hair to swallow. ^{1, 2}
Seasonal shedding, which raises the amount of loose hair over a short period. ¹
Overgrooming, which can be tied to itchy skin, parasites, allergies, pain or stress. If the grooming has ramped up, it is worth asking why. ^{1, 4}
Digestive or motility problems, where hair lingers long enough to compact and irritate, or in rare cases obstruct. ^{1, 2}

Telling a normal hairball from a problem

A typical episode is brief. There is a spell of coughing and retching, then a small, damp, tubular plug of hair, sometimes mixed with a little food or fluid. That is the ordinary version, and it does not need a vet. ⁴

Book a vet appointment promptly if you see any of these:

Repeated gagging or retching without producing a hairball. ^{1, 4}
Vomiting repeatedly, or vomiting alongside other signs such as poor appetite, lethargy or weight loss. ^{2, 5}
Constipation, diarrhoea, a painful-looking belly or bloating. ^{1, 4}

Treat it as urgent and seek veterinary care straight away if your cat cannot keep water down, seems weak, collapses or appears in significant pain, or if there is ongoing dry heaving with worsening lethargy or a tight, tender abdomen. Hairballs can, rarely, contribute to an intestinal blockage. A vet may use a physical exam, blood tests and imaging such as X-ray or ultrasound to check, and severe cases can need hospital treatment or surgery. ^{1, 2}

Prevention that actually helps

Most hairball control comes down to four things: remove hair before it is swallowed, keep the gut moving, keep the cat hydrated, and deal with any overgrooming at its source.

Grooming

Brushing is the most direct way to reduce the amount of hair a cat swallows. During heavy shedding, daily brushing can make a noticeable difference, and long-haired cats often need it as a baseline. ^{1, 2}

Short-haired cats: a rubber curry or bristle brush is usually enough to lift loose hair.
Long-haired cats: a stainless-steel comb plus a slicker brush helps reach the undercoat and tease out knots.
Mats: do not yank them. If a mat sits close to the skin, a groomer or vet nurse is safer than scissors at home.

Diet

Some diets are formulated for hairball control, often using specific fibre blends such as psyllium and insoluble fibre to help move swallowed hair through the gut rather than letting it sit in the stomach. ⁶

For cats that cannot switch foods, or that need a prescription diet for another condition, adding a small amount of vet-approved fibre may help. Pumpkin and psyllium are commonly used, but the dose and suitability depend on your cat's health and current diet, so check with your vet first. ⁷

Hydration

Good hydration supports normal gut function. If your cat eats mostly dry food, talk with your vet about whether adding wet food, extra water stations or a fountain might help overall digestive comfort and make hair less likely to stall. ⁵

Overgrooming

If you see bald patches, broken fur or constant licking, do not treat hairballs as the main problem. Overgrooming can reflect itch, pain, parasites, allergies or stress, and the hairballs are just the downstream mess. A vet check is often the fastest way to stop the cycle. ^{1, 4}

Home treatments, and what to avoid

For cats with occasional hairballs and no red-flag symptoms, a vet may recommend a commercial hairball gel or paste, which is a lubricant laxative that helps hair pass. Do not give any laxative product without veterinary guidance, especially if your cat is unwell or already vomiting. ¹

Steer clear of these common home remedies:

Mineral oil: it can be dangerous if inhaled or aspirated, particularly in a cat that is gagging or vomiting. ⁸
Cooking oils, butter and grease: they are digested and do not reliably help hair pass, and they add unnecessary fat and stomach upset. ⁸

When to see a vet, even if you do see hairballs

Book an appointment if hairballs are becoming frequent, if vomiting is increasing, or if your cat seems flat between episodes. Repeated vomiting can look like hairballs while masking other conditions, including skin disease with overgrooming, gastrointestinal disease, or obstruction risk. ^{2, 3}

At the appointment, a vet may:

Check the coat and skin for parasites, infection, allergy signs and grooming damage.
Assess hydration, weight trend, abdominal comfort and gut sounds.
Consider bloodwork and imaging if an obstruction or another underlying cause is suspected.

If a blockage is found, treatment can range from hospital care and medications through to surgery, depending on severity and location. ^{1, 2}

The bottom line

For most cats, hairballs are a maintenance issue: less loose hair on the coat, steadier movement through the gut, and fewer unpleasant surprises underfoot. The moment the pattern shifts to unproductive retching, ongoing vomiting, appetite loss or lethargy, treat it as more than a hairball and get veterinary advice. ^{1, 2}

References

Sophie Kininmonth

Dog lover and writer at My Pets Australia, sharing practical breed guides and care advice for Australian pet owners.