Cat advice: hairball tips and advice from Fiona Firth, Burns nutritionist

Hello everyone!

Today we will have a look at some hairball tips and advice from Fiona Firth, Burns nutritionist:

Prevention

Quality diets, like Burns are designed to promote a healthy skin and coat. This in turn can reduce hairballs, as a healthy diet should mean less moulting. A cat that grooms and moults less, isn’t as likely to suffer from hairballs.  If your cat is excessively moulting, this is a sign the current diet needs adjusting.

As for the Burns cat food we are currently trialling this on Oli, Nubes and Mao and will give you a full review of their cat food in due time! Initial feeding of Oli & Nubes certainly is working out well as both of them love it 🙂

Not often will you see them eat side by side which in this case they did. (Dinner time is probably the one and only time when Nubes gets extremely territorial!)

Groom long haired cats

Long-haired cats are most prone to developing hairballs because they groom more and their long locks easily form hairballs. This risk is heightened in the spring and summer, when warming temperatures equate to more shedding. Regularly brushing your long haired cat’s coat, can ease the issue. This should reduce their need to groom so much, reducing their fur consumption.”

Don’t forget to also look at our review of hair grooming gadgets which can be found here.

Over-grooming

If your cat is constantly grooming itself, all the time, this will make them more susceptible to hairballs. It can also indicate bigger problems, such as stress, much like when people bite their fingernails. This can also be a sign of parasites and food intolerance. In this situation, it’s worth having a vet check your cat over. Changing your cat’s diet could also help, a hypo-allergenic, natural food would be best here.

High Fibre

Foods that are especially designed to help fur balls for indoor cats are available. If your cat is really suffering, try a diet high in fibre. Most anti-hairball diets are high in fibre as it aids digestion. The fibre pushes the hair through the body. This stops hairballs from forming and causing irritation in your cat’s stomach.

Also for anyone needing assistance, there are friendly pet nutrition advisors from Burns who can help you select the best diet for your cat. They are contactable via the free-phone number 0800 083 6696.

Please visit the Burns Facebook page for further information and while you are there why not like our own Facebook page! 🙂

For more information on Burns products please visit www.burnspet.co.uk and stay tuned for our upcoming review of their cat food range!