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Unless you have a hairless cat, you know the dread of finding a hairy pile of vomit on the carpet. My cats, fortunately, do not spit them up very often, but when they do it is quite a mess.

Cats spit up hair because when they groom themselves, their barbed tongues pick up loose fur and they swallow it. Most of the fur travels nicely through their digestive system and comes out the other end. But, too much hair gets stopped in the stomach and interferes with digestion. Then, the stomach tells the cat to get rid of it, and up comes the hair and anything else that was in there.

To avoid hairballs, cats should be brushed every day. Especially if you have a cat with a lot of fur, this is important to do. Brushing or combing gets rid of that loose hair before the cat gets a chance to swallow it.

Another option is to feed your cat a lubricant. You can find a product specially designed for this purpose at the pet store. Or, you can try petroleum jelly, but your cat may not enjoy the flavor. Don’t use vegetable oils, as cats cannot digest them very well. All you need to do to feed your cat a lubricant is place some on her fur. She will think it a disgusting mess and clean it off. This will help hair pass smoothly through her system.