Best Age for Cats to Start Using a Hairball Gelly & Sel

Firsttime cat owners might be unaware of the necessity of feeding cats with a hairball remedy. To start, it's important to understand what feline hairball syndrome is all about.

1. Causes and Symptoms of Hairball Syndrome

Cats naturally groom themselves by licking their fur, which helps maintain their coat. However, if a cat licks excessively, it can inadvertently swallow a significant amount of loose fur. Over time, this fur can accumulate in the stomach, where it becomes indigestible and doesn't easily pass with feces. Eventually, the fur can clump together with other swallowed objects to form a hairball. Once the hairball reaches a certain size, it can irritate the cat's gastrointestinal tract, leading to vomiting.

Severe hairball cases can cause a decrease in appetite, rough and lackluster fur, constipation, and infrequent bowel movements, as well as bloating. These symptoms, caused by hairballs, are collectively known as hairball syndrome.

2. When Do Cats Start to Vomit Hairballs?

Both longhaired and shorthaired cats can suffer from hairball syndrome. However, cats typically do not exhibit hairball vomiting until they are around 78 months old. This is because cats start grooming their fur at around 34 months, and at this stage, the amount of fur they ingest is minimal, so hairball syndrome is not yet a concern.

3. When Can Cats Start Taking Hairball Remedies?

Cats can begin to be预防 hairballs as early as three months old. However, it's not necessary to introduce hairball remedies at this stage, as kittens around this age are already on a regimen of deworming and vaccinations, and it's best to keep their diet simple. Instead, you can offer your kitten a small amount of cat grass or a safe, simple hairball remedy like Weil's Cat Grass tablets. These are suitable for kittens and can be introduced during their regular deworming and vaccination appointments. Subsequently, you can provide these remedies a few times a year, particularly during the spring and summer when cats are shedding and entering their seasonal coat change.

4. How to Choose the Right Hairball Remedy?

For hairball syndrome, it's advisable to use a hairball remedy made from natural plant extracts, free from mineral oils, oxidized plant oils, and artificial additives. Such remedies are gentle on the cat's gastrointestinal tract and can help facilitate the safe passage of hairballs.

While hairball remedies are essential for cats that frequently vomit hairballs, which can harm the stomach, it's important to note that vomiting is not always a sign of hairball syndrome. If the vomit does not contain fur, it could indicate gastrointestinal or infectious diseases. In such cases, it's recommended to consult a veterinarian or an online pet healthcare professional.