Cat Health Care
Posted by Dog Trainer on July 11th, 2010
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Hairballs can be a nightmare, not least for the pet owner, but also for the pet. They are caused by a build up of fur and lack of brushing. Since cat fur is thick, a hairball can be problematic if the cat ends up swallowing it. These tend to get stuck in the cat’s throat and they start choking. This is an unpleasant thing to have to stand by and watch.
Basic cat health care knowledge can help to prevent problems. That means watching out for hairballs and matted fur accumulating. Great advice is to make sure grooming your cat forms a part of your daily routine. Owners and pets get pleasure from grooming, so persevere with it. Make sure you do it gently so the animal becomes more relaxed and it will sit in your lap all day as you groom it!
Some cats with longer fur (and more of it) are prone to hairballs, and this is something that the vet should remind you of when you take it for check-ups. Take Persian cats as an example – they have beautiful long fur but if it ends up forming hairballs, this could be very risky for them. No-one can stop a cat from licking, which is why hairballs are a problem. Luckily, dogs don’t suffer with this hairball problem, as they don’t clean themselves by licking the fur. Cats have to lick their fur to keep clean which is why they end up with copious amounts of hair in their throats!
The process is simple – as soon as the hairball gets into the stomach, the cat tries to cough it up. Choking sounds are made and owners sometimes panic because they don’t know what to do about it. The best cat health care advice is to just let the cat cough it up, but keep a watchful eye. Check the cat is okay after getting rid of the offending hairball. Luckily, there are some things available to help treat hairballs, so speak to the vet for more information.
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