If you’ve ever owned a cat you know that horrible hacking sound that typically occurs in the wee hour of the morning when the cat has the house to himself. While the digestive systems of cats were created to breakdown and pass hairballs naturally, sometimes Mother Nature needs a helping hand. Those of you with long haired cats are no doubt aware of the endless strands of hair that float off the animal practically every time  it moves. And although in most cases hairballs are nothing to be too alarmed over, occasionally they could put your pet in serious risk.

Warning Signs Of Dangerous Hairballs

• Continuous Retching- While vomiting is a natural way for a cat to get rid of a hairball, if the retching lasts for a long period without the obstruction ever being ejected, you may want to contact your local vet
• Frequent Diarrhea
• Loss Of Appetite

While all cats have hairballs, not all are able to expel them and at times may need the attention of a trained veterinarian. One example of this comes from Bernadine Cruz of the Laguna Hills Animal Hospital in Laguna Hills, Ca. “We had a long-haired kitty who stopped eating for three days and just did not look comfortable. Everything seemed normal, but when I [felt] her abdomen, there was something there under the rib cage. We took an X-ray and saw this big thing. We did surgery to remove one huge hairball -- at a cost of $2000.”

By brushing your cat on a regular basis you should be able to help your pet with this problem, however if this doesn’t seem like its working other alternatives include the feeding of specially formulated cat food and over the counter hairball remedies may turn out to be the cat’s meow.