Expert: Jessica - 7/9/2010

Question
Hi Jessica

you helped me with my kitten Norwegian Forest's drinking problem, which you solved thanks very much:)  I have another concern with my long haired 2yr old cat.

A few months ago I noticed she wasn't eating, drinking or urinating as much.  After 6 days at the vet on a drip to solve a urinary infection (test done direct from bladder found bacteria but they couldn't culture it) and a few weeks on marbocyl she seemed a bit better.  As she hadn't been passing feces the vet did a scan and said they saw something in her bowel and wondered if she'd eaten thread. She hadn't, but nothing more was said as she went to the toilet the next day.

She's had problems with feces in the past, they were loose with blood, although on examination the vet couldn't find anything wrong.  I'm now wondering if she's had a fur ball problem.  A month after coming out of the vets she threw up a large fur ball, then another month later the same thing.  A few days ago she passed feces with a lot of fur in and today the same thing (about 4 inches mixed with toilet).  I've been giving her Bezo pet which is similar to Katalax regularly since she sicked up the last fur ball, so maybe that is helping her pass the rest in her toilet.  I'm also brushing her twice a day (prob once every other day before). I have a feeling all these problems of the urinary tract/furball issue may have started when I took away her biscuits to get her to eat just wet food..only did this so the kitten wouldn't eat adult biscuits!  Last year she had a massive coat and weighed 4.6kg, now it's summer she's 4.2kg, I probably shouldn't have suddenly taken away her biscuits in December as they probably helped more with fur.  She's been eating biscuits again and wet food since she came out of the vets and is urinating ok.  I give her Cystease every other day just incase to protect her bladder and I have two water fountains and numerous water bowls.  There are also five litter trays for the four cats.

Do you think I'm doing enough now she's passing the fur in her toilet and is this normal?  Or should I be concerned fur is coming out this end?!  Thanks very much for your help.

Andrea

Answer
Hi Andrea,

The aim of the hairball treatments is to get fur moving through the digestive tract and to keep it coming out in the stool in small amounts, rather than sitting in the belly and building into a large hairball where it will cause vomiting problems.  So if you're seeing some long hairs in the stool, that's great (as far as stool goes!).  This means your plan is working!  Cats are going to swallow fur, and it has to come out somewhere - best in the litter.  

One other thing that may help if you have any reason not to feed her biscuits in the future is to add some pea or squash baby food to her wet food.  A teaspoon per meal is fine.  The cats seem not to mind the taste.  In fact, a couple of my cats will even eat the pea baby food as a treat all alone.  The fiber in these can help draw stray hairs from the belly into the bowel and keep it moving, before it becomes a big problem.

It sounds like you are doing a great job.  I don't think any hairball management routine will eliminate the possibility 100%, but it sounds like you have things under control.  Keep up the good work!

Jessica