Hairballs in Cats

What exactly is a hairball?

Yes, it's a hairball, but more than that, and you are about to enter the "disgust" section. A hairball, trichobezoar technically called, is a mass of undigested hair mixed with digestive juices and sometimes undigested food. The hair term "ball" is somewhat misleading. Hairballs are expelled are actually more into a cylinder due to travel through the esophagus of cats, so often confused with feces - cue the "yuck" - especially if the cat's skin is dark . The masses ranging in size from approximately one inch to several inches in length, based on the amount ingested hair cat.

How a hairball Development?

A cat will spend a lot of time preparing, ingesting hair with every lick. Most ingested hair passes through the digestive system without incident. However, some hair accumulates in the stomach and small intestine. Like any other foreign body, lying undigested in the pit of his stomach, the body will eventually try to dislodge the intruder, which leads to piracy cat retching and vomiting a hairball.Read More