So I have been through the gamut of dry foods with my Persian Cobalt... I have fed Purina Pro Plan, which he liked but didn't help with hairballs.
I fed Royal Canin the longest, specifically the hairball formula. I couldn't really tell any difference in more or less hairballs though....Plus I noticed he was losing a patch of hair by his tail, so I'm pretty sure he was allergic to something in it.
I just recently switched to Wellness Brand Indoor Formula, which is an all natural brand. He really likes this...but yet again still having hairball issues. I think his hair is starting to grow back on his butt, but it could be too early to tell.
He LOVES the wet food by Wellness.
I've tried hairball meds in paste form and stuff, but he HATES it, so I've been trying to control it through foods.
Anyone have a food they like that they don't have too many hairballs with?
I really like Felidae
CLICKY and haven't noticed hairball trouble. I've never had a long hair cat though. Ellie was pretty fluffy and was the most likely to have hairball issues, but she was only medium length fur. Side story: She was my ex's cat. and when I first moved in with him, she had this problem where she threw up all the time (at least a couple times a week). He said he had taken her to the vet and that he was told some cats are just like that. Well, he was feeding her the off brand, cheap crap from the grocery store. I switched her over to the Felidae that I fed my cats and the throwing up stopped except for the occasional hairball.
Vanessa
My cats have all been shorter-haired, so hair-balls aren't an issue for me. I've fed them natural pet foods of various brands, but they all cost less than Iams.
I have the same story as Vanessa... a friend was having problems with a cat that puked several times a week, and the problems almost completely resolved themselves after they started feeding a slightly better food. I suppose it shouldn't be any great surprise, but it can make a big difference. It doesn't have to be really expensive ($30 per month instead of $15) as I always buy from the mid-range priced foods.
Ali is on prescription Science Diet CD. Udu gets whatever is on sale, but not the el-cheapo brands.
I feed Boots "Purina Healthy Weight And HAIRBALL Control Formula" food. Its in the Purina section. Its hard to find sometimes, cause Not all stores carry it.
Normally you will just see regular Purina or Purina Pro
But this one is the best imho
Boots has never coughed up a hairball yet.
Oh he makes the coughing sound. But nothing ever comes up cause he has been on this food since we had him.
I highly Reccommend. "Purina Healthy Weight & Hairball Control Formula" dry food for every cat.
Thanks everyone
Vanessa I think I may have to try that Felidae food.... like I said I have him on Wellness brand, which is actually a pretty pricey, all natural, NICE food, but I'm still having the hairball issues, and like your (ex's) kitty, he does have issues with just straight up vomitting too.
I have also noticed Cobalt won't CHEW his food. Doesn't matter the size of the kibble...the Wellness food is about the size of a pencil eraser (very small), and he swallows the pieces whole... I know this because all his little throw up piles contain whole pieces!!! He has done this since kitten-hood and my vet never had any suggestions for that issue....He doesn't eat quickly/inhale his food, he's actually very dainty about it, he just seems to not chew the food at all.
Here's a question: do you think the occasional Fancy Feast can makes him throw up? I have some left over that I feed him because I bought it MONTHS ago before I found the natural stuff....maybe the cheap products in the wet food is making him sick, therefore he's throwing up the dry food? Dunno, that just kind of popped up in my head.
I'm not sure about the Fancy Feast, but it's possible. If you think it might be the cause then it's not worth feeding it to him. Put it outside... I'm sure a local cat (or dog or squirrel) will happily finish it off for you!
As to chewing vs swallowing whole, have a quick check of his teeth. They likely aren't a problem because he's always done it, but maybe he's sensitive? Just a thought (although obviously not likely).
I really liked the dry pet food that I fed my cat, and it helped with a friend's cat's issues (that's the one that puked all the time, but doesn't now) but unfortunately I don't have it nearby and I can't remember the name!
When I switched my cats to Felidae, it was because I had discovered this great little pet store in Portland when I was living there. The owner was awesome and sent me home with a grocery bag full of at least half a dozen different brands of samples to try with my cats. They all really liked Wellness, but the reason I didn't go with it was because they all wolfed it down. They liked it a little TOO much and would over-eat. But I still bought it occasionally if they were out of Felidae or something. Well, once I had an incident where I got the Wellness and it made one of my cats sick. She threw up and had diarrhea from it. I never bought it again. I don't know if they changed something in it or what, but that turned me off from Wellness for good.
Just my little anecdote about Wellness cat food...
Vanessa
Well when we first got Sir Boots we were in no position to be able to splurge and buy him fancy smanzcy "wellness" foods.
Good Old PURINA has been around for decades and thats good enough for me.
Boots loves it, & that is the only food he eats. He never is picky about refusing to eat the same food day in & day out. I seemed to have lucked out on that score.
Cause I know Cats can be very finicky. But my angel is NOT. And as I said before the brand of Purina he is on, he has not coughed up a single hairball yet!
vanessa that is something to think about with the Wellness... I think I will definitely put the Fancy Feast out for the neighborhood feral kitties
They will appreciate it!
T.W. my old Pookie would eat ANYTHING and never had a problem with any foods... but leave it to the purebred to have "issues". lol
This is very timely as we have switched from Hill's Oral Care which our cats had stopped eating to Felidae which we used to feed them. They are vomiting and they have the most disgusting smelling, runny diarrhoea you could imagine.
Upon investigation I found this
link which describes these symptoms with cats and dogs and some dogs are even having seizures while on Felidae.
We are trying to find a moderately priced cat food that our cats will eat, enjoy and that is not crap.
We're still looking and I hate switching their food all the time. It's bad for their wee tummies.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/canidae.html
Our cats are getting Wellness Core and they don't have any hairball problem. However, I should add that they never really had hairball problems in the first place.
Quote:T.W. my old Pookie would eat ANYTHING and never had a problem with any foods... but leave it to the purebred to have "issues". lol
Well PK, at least someone ( outside the family) will get to enjoy the Fancy Feast.
Just for shits & giggles have you tried the Purina yet?
You never know Colbalt might like it. But if not, I feel sorry for you having to feed a finicky cat. I count my blessings with Boots! He will eat anything you give him, within reason of course, lol.
Yeah T.W., Cobalt ate a couple different versions of Purina (I tried ProPlan and another one).... that was a couple years ago though, so I can try them again! Don't remember why I switched from those.
My cats don't have problems with hairballs, at all. Never.
Kai eats Orijien (sp?) 6 fish formula
Seamus has Hills R/D, he was diagnosed with crystals in December
My 3 cats which live with my mother, haven't had a problem with hairballs much this summer. They used to. Hibou is Persian, Austin is long hair, and Oliver's shorthair (but he's the one with hairballs usually)...
They eat a combination Hills R/D and I think C/D (it's the one call multicare anyway).
They will only eat Friskies canned food and one flavor of Friskies dry food. I've tried all sorts of food, but the they love Friskies.
I have completely avoided any treats. I use to give them some every evening, but it seemed to actually cause more issues with their bowels and vomiting.
I brush my cats every week and that also helps cut down on the hairballs.
Oh, and I have found that if I have certain plants around (non-poisonous) and they chew on them, that will trigger vomiting...unnecessary vomiting.
Laxatone, available at the vet, is good to help hairballs. I haven't had to use any this year but have used it in the past.
I thought I would Give Boots a break from his Purinia and start him on some Iam's
It does cost a bit more, but he is worth it.
And since Iams does make a healthy weight loss and hairball control formula. I thought I would try it. Well Boots just loves it.
And even though I am mixing it with his old food so that he does not get the shits, that little stinker managed to eat around the old food to get to the new food.
LOL
He is one happy kitty