Best cat hairball remedies to prevent blockages

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While small amounts of ingested hair usually pass through a cat's digestive tract without issue, too much hair can ball up and become trapped inside the stomach. In such cases, the cat may eventually cough up the hairball. Treating and preventing hairballs in cats is essential to avoid the risk of a dangerous intestinal obstruction. Regular brushing can help reduce the amount of fur your cat swallows during grooming, but your veterinarian may also recommend using one of the best cat hairball remedies.

Hairball remedies are available in several forms, including gels, foods, treats, and supplements. Most contain lubricating ingredients, fiber, or a combination of both to help hairballs move more easily through a cat's digestive system. For this guide, we spoke to two veterinarians and evaluated products based on their ingredients, ease of use, and whether they carry the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) quality seal. Our top pick for a hairball medicine is Tomlyn Laxatone Hairball Remedy Gel, a treatment that works quickly and is recommended by veterinarians.

Read more about how Business Insider Reviews researches and tests pet products.

Our top picks for the best cat hairball remedies

Best hairball gel overall: Tomlyn Laxatone Hairball Remedy Gel for Cats - See at Chewy

Best non-petroleum hairball gel: Nutri-Vet Hairball Paw Gel - See at Chewy

Best hairball treats: Feline Greenies Smartbites Healthy Indoor - See at Chewy

Best hairball supplement: Vet's Best Hairball Relief Digestive Aid - See at Chewy

Best dry hairball control food: Iams Proactive Health Indoor Weight and Hairball Care - See at Chewy

Best wet hairball control food: Purina Pro Plan Hairball Adult Wet Cat Food - See at Chewy

Best hairball gel overall

Lubricant-based gels are among the best cat hairball remedies because they are the most effective at treating and preventing hairballs. Hairball gels use ingredients like white petroleum, mineral oil, or other oils to gently help hair pass through your cat's digestive tract so it can be eliminated through their stool.

Our top choice for hairball control gel is Tomlyn Laxatone Hairball Remedy Gel. It carries the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) quality seal. In addition to safely and gently eliminating hairballs, it can prevent their formation in the future.

"The Laxatone hairball supplement from Tomlyn, that's been a favorite of mine for a long time," says Dr. Keith Harper, veterinarian and owner of Hayward Veterinary Hospital in California. "I've had the most success with the Laxatone over my career."

Tomlyn Laxatone gel provides quick relief with a blend of three gentle lubricants (petrolatum, light mineral oil, and soybean oil) in three different flavored gels: catnip, maple, and tuna. Omega-3, 6, and 9 fatty acids are added to help support skin and coat health. It's easy to give: Simply squeeze a small amount on your cat's nose or paw for them to lick off.

Best non-petroleum hairball gel

Many hairball gels contain white petrolatum, a semi-solid gel derived from oil and the same ingredient found in Vaseline. Although petrolatum is a safe and effective hairball remedy recommended by veterinarians, some pet owners prefer to avoid petroleum products.

Our top pick for a petroleum-free hairball gel is Nutri-Vet Hairball Paw Gel, which uses natural lubricant ingredients to prevent and eliminate hairballs. The gel consists of three natural oils (hydrogenated vegetable oil, soybean oil, and corn oil) plus fiber to provide lubrication and help eliminate and prevent hairballs in adult cats and kittens.

The veterinarian-formulated remedy also contains omega-3 fatty acids for a shiny coat and healthy skin — the other non-petroleum hairball gel we considered does not.

It's available in chicken and salmon flavors and is easy to give. Just place some of the gel on your cat's paw for them to lick off or squeeze on top of your cat's food.

Best hairball treats

Hairball control treats are a good option for cats that refuse to take hairball control gels because they don't like the taste. Developed by a veterinarian for hairball prevention, Feline Greenies Smartbites are our top choice for hairball control treats because they contain two effective ingredients: petrolatum and fiber.

Smarbites are loaded with chicken-based protein and contain a combination of plant-based fibers and a small amount of petroleum. The added oil helps lubricate the digestive tract to minimize hairball formation and help with digestion. Available in both chicken and tuna flavors, each treat has less than 2 calories. You can feed a 10-pound cat up to 18 treats per day.

Best hairball supplement

If you're looking for a supplement to promote healthy digestion for hairball prevention, our top pick is Vet's Best Hairball Relief Digestive Aid supplement. It contains three types of ingredients to support digestion and prevent or eliminate hairballs: fiber, probiotics, and multiple natural ingredients. We chose this over VetriScience Hairball Chicken Liver Flavored Soft Chews Hairball Control Supplement for Cats, which only contains fiber.

The chews, made from all-natural plant-based ingredients, including marshmallow root, slippery elm bark, and papaya extract, support your cat's digestive system and help prevent hairballs. This supplement carries the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) quality seal. This formula is free from petroleum-based ingredients and comes in a chicken flavor. Each bottle contains 60 tablets to provide your cat a full 30 days of hairball prevention.

The chicken-flavored chewable supplements are easy to administer. Simply break the tab into pieces to entice your cat and give them as a treat.

Best dry cat food for hairballs

Hairball control cat foods contain extra fiber to help prevent or eliminate hairballs. Although the best cat food for hairballs is not as effective at eliminating hairballs as gel remedies, they are a great addition to a prevention routine and useful for cats who refuse to take gel remedies.

Iams Proactive Health Indoor Weight and Hairball Care is a high-fiber, budget-friendly food. Its fiber blend includes beet pulp to aid in digestion and reduce hairballs. Added omega fatty acids help support a healthy coat and skin, too.

Best wet cat food for hairballs

Hairball control cat foods contain extra fiber to help prevent or eliminate hairballs. Dry hairball foods may be more effective since they contain more fiber than wet formulations. However, for cats that eat wet food only, Purina Pro Plan Hairball Adult Wet Cat Food is our top recommendation.

This wet food has the most fiber of any of the canned hairball cat food formulas we considered. It also contains about 50% more than Purina's popular adult wet food (Complete Essentials Chunky Chicken Entrée) and comes in three flavors: chicken, turkey, salmon, and ocean whitefish and tuna.

How the top hairball remedies compare

What to look for in hairball remedies for cats

If your cat is throwing up hairballs, make an appointment with your veterinarian. They can recommend which hairball medicine or remedy might be appropriate for your cat.

"We simply recommend choosing the remedy that the cat is most likely to accept and eat," Whittenburg says. "Some cats refuse the treats. Some cats don't like the gel. Some cats won't eat the food, or have medical conditions requiring a different diet. All the remedies are similar, but the delivery method is different."

Finding which hairball remedy works best for your cat might take some trial and error. Harper says it's possible to overdo it with hairball remedies and recommends trying one remedy at a time. "It could turn into a situation where the cat is not vomiting up hairballs, but it's vomiting up everything else," he says. "One thing at a time would be sufficient to see what works best. Otherwise, you won't know."

If the best cat hairball remedies don't seem to be helping, it's time to go back to the vet for a follow-up. "More diagnostics need to be performed to rule out more serious gastrointestinal issues," Whittenburg says.

Here are the different types of hairball remedies to consider:

Hairball gels: Hairball gels are given daily to eliminate current hairballs or a few times a week to prevent hairballs from forming. Most over-the-counter hairball remedies contain petroleum or mineral oil, which provide lubrication to help move the hair through your cat's digestive system.

"These products are not absorbed into the cat's gastrointestinal system and will pass right through, so there is no danger posed to the cat's health," Whittenburg says, emphasizing that all hairball products should be given according to the directions on the label. However, regular grooming is always the first line of defense for avoiding hairballs.

Hairball food: Specially formulated hairball diets contain extra fiber to support digestive health and help push hair through the digestive tract. Both dry and wet hairball diets are available. Hairball foods are complete and balanced and intended to be used as your cat's regular diet.

Hairball treats: Like hairball food, hairball treats usually contain fiber. Some also contain lubricating ingredients like petroleum or other oils. Treats are typically given daily — follow the recommendations on the package.

Hairball supplements: Hairball supplements are not intended to eliminate hairballs that your cat currently has, but they contain natural ingredients to support digestive health and help prevent future hairballs from forming.

How we selected the best cat hairball remedies

We researched various gels, pills, treats, and foods to bring you our top picks for the best cat hairball remedies. Products that carry the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) quality seal are rated higher than those that do not. NASC-certified products pass a comprehensive third-party audit and maintain ongoing compliance with rigorous NASC quality requirements.

For additional expertise, we interviewed two veterinarians for advice about preventing and treating hairballs in cats. Although the information they shared contributed to our product selection, our veterinary experts did not specifically endorse any of the products included in this guide, unless explicitly stated.

Cat hairball FAQs

Why do cats get hairballs?

Cats inadvertently develop hairballs when they groom themselves. "When a cat grooms, they swallow some of the loose hair from their coat," says Dr. Jamie Whittenburg, veterinarian and owner of Kingsgate Animal Hospital in Lubbock, Texas. "Cats are especially prone to ingesting loose hair because they have spikes on their tongues called lingual papillae. The hair becomes caught in the spikes, and the cat then swallows it." Since cats cannot digest hair, it must pass through the digestive system and come out in the cat's stool. However, sometimes hair becomes trapped in the stomach, creating a hairball.

Is it normal for cats to throw up hairballs?

All cats can develop the occasional hairball. Long-haired cats are especially prone to them. If your cat gets a hairball occasionally, it's usually not cause for alarm. But if your cat is throwing up hairballs frequently, it needs to be addressed. "Once a month normally is not as big of a deal, once a week is a little bit too much," Harper says. "When people tell me that their cat vomits every day or every week, it's a problem."

Can hairballs be dangerous?

Cats often vomit up hairballs — what some people call "coughing up" hairballs — but if hair becomes lodged in the small intestine, it can cause a life-threatening obstruction, which could require surgery.

"A cat that is vomiting or retching, lethargic, or does not want to eat may have an obstruction from a hairball," Whittenburg says. "Defecating does not rule out a hairball, as feces are stored in the colon and intestinal obstructions occur in the small intestine."

What should you do if your cat is throwing up hairballs?

It's important to make an appointment to see your veterinarian if you suspect your cat is having an issue with hairballs. Harper says that cats that get frequent hairballs may have some kind of underlying skin condition causing them to over-groom themselves and, as a result, develop hairballs. Red rashes or areas with very short hair or no hair at all are all cause for concern and should be shared with your veterinarian, explains Harper.

After checking your cat for other health concerns, your vet can discuss the best ways to address your cat's hairballs. These include increasing brushing with one of the best cat brushes to reduce how much hair your cat swallows while self-grooming and using one or more hairball remedies, such as a hairball gel, food, treat, or supplement.

How can you prevent hairballs?

According to Whittenburg, the best way to reduce hairballs is through daily brushing. "Removing the hair before the cat has a chance to swallow it works wonders," she says. Cats with recurrent severe issues can also benefit from shaving, but other measures, like hairball food and treatments, may still be necessary.