What You Can Do About Hairballs

There is no "cure" for hairballs, but there are some things that you can do to minimize the rate of regurgitation:

Groom your cat. The more hair you can get off your cat by brushing him, the less he will swallow. Brush your cat regularly, then wipe your kitty down with a damp cloth to remove hairs missed by the brush.

Hairball products . If the problem still exists, you can also use petroleum-based products (such as Laxatone) that act as a laxative and lubricant to facilitate the passage of matted hair through the intestine. These products, which are pleasant tasting to cats, can be fed in paste form or applied to your cat's paws to allow your pet to lick it off.

Hairball remedy treats or food . You can also give your cat treats containing mineral oil to break up the hairballs, such as Pounce® hairball treatment. Some pet food companies now manufacture food for cats with recurrent hair or fur ball problems. Ask your veterinarian what she or he recommends.

In my experience, the FURminator is one of the best tools on the market today for removing hair and dander from your cat's undercoat. FURminator gets way down into your cat's fur, through the topcoat and into the undercoat, to remove loose hair and dander. And you will be AMAZED to see how much hair it actually removes. 

Information from the Cat Crazy Newsletter by Dr. Jon

Introducing a new cat

Introducing a new cat can take a little patience. Your existing cats may see the cute new bundle of joy as a threat to their status as king or queen of the house.

Here's some tips that can really help:

• Be sure to have any new pet examined by a vet before bringing them into your house. Especially have them checked for FIV and Feline Leukemia, which can be passed to your other cats.
• Give your new cat their own room where they can be away from all other animals. This is a good room to put the new cat's toys, bed, litter box, food and scratching post in.
  
• It is likely that the cats will hiss at each other even if there is a closed door between them
  
• Rub a towel on each cat and let the other(s) smell that cat on the towel
• Change places for the cats a few times. Let the new cat have the run of the house while the existing cat(s) are checking out the new cat's room.
• Wait a day or two, then open the door a little bit and let the cat's sniff each other.
• When you feel it's time, let the cat's play together under your supervisou. Some hissing and growling is nothing to be concerned about. However, it they start getting very physically aggressive, it's time for you to intervene.
• Reward the cats with praise and treats if they're being good.
  
• If things aren't going well, separate the cats.
  
• Make sure to separate the cats when no one is home until you're confident they've learned to tolerate or befriend each other.
• Try to give all cats equal love and attention, so they don't get jealous.
• Make sure they have their own litter boxes and food supply.

This can take a while anywhere from a few hours to months. Don't get discouraged. It took Grace and Korina quite a while to adjust to each other. Now they run after each other playing and wresting. Korina has even learned to copy Grace.