Cat coughing and hairball often go hand in hand. Indeed, cats when they wash, will use their paws and put it in their mouth, and the accumulation can cause them to swallow hairballs. So to get rid of them and above all to prevent them from accumulating them, I give you all my advice in this article.
Cat Coughing and Hairball: The Potential Dangers
If your cat accumulates the hairballs, he will end up ingesting them and can follow certain health problems, because once in the stomach, the hairballs can make your cat vomit and sometimes hang his organs.
They can also create intestinal obstructions that can only be treated at veterinary emergencies and that will prevent him from defecating. So make sure to act well so that he is completely rid of it in order to ensure his health and avoid such a problem.
The causes and their solutions
Hairballs can come from several factors that push their buildup in the stomach and cause your cat to cough up hairballs. Here are the different causes of hairballs stuck in the cat’s mouth and how to react to them. You will also know how to recognize the cause of the problem.
Excessive licking
A cat that licks excessively can do so for three reasons:
- He is always dirty : In this case, teach him not to go there anymore. If he gets dirty inside, associate the fact that he goes there with a punishment (not physical) and put him off going if it is not vital for him by diffusing smells of citrus on the spot because cats hate this smell. You can also give him a cat repellent that will keep him at bay by acting on his sense of smell.
- He is stressed : Excessive licking can also be due to stress in cats. Find the source of the stress and eliminate it. It may be an environment that is too noisy or too hectic. If the stress lies in a change, it will take time to get used to it and you can help it by reassuring it. For immediate temporary relief, Bach flowers and soothing sprays are very effective.
- It has parasites: Parasites can penetrate the cat’s coat and cause itching, forcing it to clean itself excessively. Generally, he will scratch and be tired. You must go to the veterinarian if he is parasitized and have him well dewormed to avoid any recurrence. Parasites are also present in indoor cats because they can be transmitted by simple mosquito bites.
A bad maintenance
If you have cats and you never brush them, they will eventually accumulate hairballs, especially Maine Coons . Ensure regular brushing and keep an eye on your cat’s coat. If your cat has hairballs, remove them with scissors so they won’t cause any problems later.
A poor diet
An insufficient fiber diet will not create hairballs in your cat’s stomach but will contribute to their blockage and accumulation. Make sure your cat eats a balanced diet to prevent him from coughing up hairballs.
Generic solutions
If your cat is coughing up hairballs, there are several solutions to make it stop, here is all you can put in place:
- Give him cat malt: The ideal solution is cat malt which helps lubricate the throat and pass the hairball. It is recommended to always have some on hand to prevent your cat from choking. This is the first thing to test and it is usually enough to get the hairball through to stop the problem.
- Removing the hairball: You can remove the hairball if it is easily removable and not attached to anything, do not take the risk otherwise. You really have to be able to get there naturally, if there is a blockage, it is better to stop.
- Take it to the vet: If the hairball is stuck deep, you will need to take it to the vet so they can remove it safely. If your vet is unable to do this, then only veterinary emergencies will get them better by performing an operation to dislodge the hairball.
- Give it some olive oil: A little similar to the effect of malt if you don’t have it on hand, the results are less good but may be enough to dislodge the hairball that is stuck in the throat Of the cat.
- Give him catnip: Catnip allows him to purge himself and avoid recurrences. Make sure it has some, especially if your cat doesn’t have access to the outdoors. If your cat is often outside, he may already be purging it, but giving it to him is always a plus.
- Brush it regularly: Ensuring regular brushing will prevent it from swallowing hairballs. You should brush it especially during transition periods because it will lose a lot of hair there and you will also have to ensure that your cat can be brushed with a brush dedicated to cats.
- Adapt his diet: Until his throat is fully recovered from the irritation of the hairball, give him lukewarm soft food and lukewarm water, so that everything is gentle on his throat when he eats . Her throat needs to be as unirritated as possible for her to recover and your cat to eat.
Cat coughing up a hairball: The final word
A cat coughing up a hairball should put you on alert because it is the tree that hides the forest and the hairballs will end up being dangerous for your cat. So act to solve the problem but also so that it does not reappear.