Every cat owner, at least once (usually in the middle of the night), has stepped into a pile of something that looks and feels like anything but hair and wondered, "Does my cat do this on purpose?!" No, your cat doesn't. In fact, hairballs are the number one health condition reported by 35% of cat-owning households. Is your household one of them? If so, Hill's honors and educates you TODAY (April 29th), National Hairball Awareness Day.
Hairballs, or the formation of hairballs is a common feline condition that is brought on by self-grooming and the associated ingestion of hair. The ingested hair can accumulate in your cat's throat or stomach, causing irritation. Cats with hairballs are often seen gagging, regurgitating or vomiting hair and mucus. Controlling this issue is as easy as feeding their cats Science Diet® Hairball Control cat food. Hill's® Science Diet® Hairball Control formulas use natural vegetable fibers to help move hair safely and naturally through a cat's digestive system. They're also formulated to nourish your cat's skin and coat with essential nutrients, reducing unnecessary shedding. Here is more on the food Hill's offers http://www.hillspet.com/cat-care/hairballs-trouble-with-fur-adt.html.
GIVE-AWAY!!!!
The fabulous folks at Hill's have offered a fantastic give-away to the readers of Cat Chat!
They are generously giving 15 (that's right...FIFTEEN!!) lucky readers one bag each of their hairball control formula cat food!! (Contest is for the U.S. ONLY, I am sorry!!)
All you have to do to qualify is leave a comment discussing hairballs on this blog post by midnight EST on MONDAY, MAY 9TH. That's it! Super easy!!
Winners will be chosen by www.random.org and will be announced on Wednesday, May 11th!!
Thanks much for entering and GOOD LUCK!!
I was not compensated in any way for this post.
Ah, the hairball. Our old cat (r.i.p. Baby) had a terrible time with them, despite our efforts to alleviate the problem. We're lucky so far with Bazinga, but she is still a kitten yet :-)
ReplyDeleteAaarrgh! I hate it when contests aren't accessible to me! Anyway, of the six of us, Nicole seems to be the only one afflicted with this hairball thingy and always on some medication like laxatone. Oh, the catgrass helps too. purrrr....meow!
ReplyDeleteChloe needs this hairball food because she just left Mom a big hairball present on Easter night!
ReplyDeleteMy my my...where do we start with hairballs?! My sweet little long-haired calico girl, Hana, used to have hairballs that compared to the size of a hotdog (I kid you not). She had a true gift!
ReplyDeleteOh those wonderful hairballs. I have the most problems with my long furred cats and my senior cats. I have never actually tried a hairball formula cat food, but have thought about it several times.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea this awareness day. We don't ahve a fur ball problem in the house as A) Au and Target and shorthaired, and B)they leave their fur on the sofa before tongue bathes :-) But we keep an eye on them anyway as fur ball are so sneakily dangerous. Kudos for this post!
ReplyDeletePoor Cat-from-Sydney, I always feel bad that companies think this is the only country with cats. Anyways, I forgot about today or I would have come up with something (YUCK!)!
ReplyDeleteYoda used to get 'em a lot (long hair), but we don't notice them so much anymore. Not sure why that is, because he's only on a seniors diet. His problem is that he won't let us brush him (he hates it!) In summer we used to have to get him shaved at the vet because his hair was so matted! He's much better nowadays, mellowing in his old age, haha.
ReplyDeleteHairballs... Alex's fav.... But, he can vouch for how tasty that food is :)
ReplyDeleteHairballs - Hannah does have them but she is long haired I do brush her every day and sometimes more than once a day but still there is a little gift for me to step in. Lucy is shorthaired and I brush her most days - it always amazes me how much hair comes off her but the hairballs happen just now and again.
ReplyDeleteLuv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
I always feel sorry for my kitties when they barf out a hairball - it looks so painful! So yay for this fab giveaway - good luck to everyone! Take care
ReplyDeletex
Yes indeedy... with the Murphy's Law in our house of, if they hacked up a hairball somewhere, I will find it and step in it, no matter how remote the spot is, with 7 cats, it is impossible not to step in something icky at least once a day!!! Deb
ReplyDeleteWHY do hairball attacks always happen in the weeeeeee hours of the morning! It is a challenge to wake up quick enough to lift a 20+ pound cat out to the kitchen floor to spare the carpet LOL!! Rosie could use this stuff :P!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for getting out this important information. M just lesarned this year that kitties can die if a hairball gets caught. Now she's very aware and give me "goop" when I has a problem. (She says you are never too old to learn something new -4 cats later. he he)
ReplyDeleteMy long haired baby has always had Science Diet HairBall formula. She loves it. xoxoxox
ReplyDeleteThat's a funny awareness day.
ReplyDeleteBenny & Lily
My cat has never had a hairball. Hopefully it will stay that way.
ReplyDeleteOh dear, I'm so ignorant that I didn't know anything about 'hairballs' until I read this post. Thanks for telling me about it and I really appreciate it. That's why I always say your posts are interesting, informative and full of fun!!!
ReplyDeleteHey, we've done some of our finest barf-work with hairballs! Of course, our Mom doesn't exactly feel that way. :)
ReplyDeleteDear Caren, Cody and Dakota
ReplyDeleteThis such a cool day! Me gets hairballs all the time! Mommy buys special food for me, but me still likes to yack them up!
BTW, we's has a US postbox now.
Kisses
Nellie
Hmm this problem is really terrible!
ReplyDeleteIn fact I have this problem sometimes.Thanks for all information, your post is very important!
purrs and love
Luna
Oooooh Hairballs... not good. It's good to put hairballs on one day.... Hack... Hack... There. I'm done for the year.
ReplyDeleteNice blog post.
pawhugs, Max
Hairball awareness is a good thing! A lot of people think it's "normal" for cats, but they don't realize they can lead to serious health problems.
ReplyDeleteHaha, my calendar said Hairball Awareness Day was Wednesday, so I guess I jumped the gun with my post on it. MOL. But I AM quite aware (too aware, actually) of the almighty hairball.
ReplyDeleteI do not feed my cats this food, but please enter me anyway because my sister has nine cats and could use some free food, so if I win I will give it to her.
P.S. We're doing a big giveaway on the RPO blog -- please come by and enter, and maybe you could help us spread the word with a shout out on your blog or Facebook?
Thank You very much for this information!
ReplyDeleteThat is a plane tree...not a clover...in my last post....
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week-end!
Just shared your "hairball" formula giveaway with my Careers for Your Cat FB followers!
ReplyDeleteIf our 3 furry ones ate Hill's I would be signing up to win this contest but I hope you will get a lot of contestants because I bet Hill's does the trick of ridding hairball issues!
ReplyDeleteDon't currently have a cat but I do feel a little fur ball coming on
ReplyDeleteMy kids have not have hairballs so far. I heard ating salmon is supposed to help kitties have less hair in their system.
ReplyDeleteKip has the worse time with hairballs of all the kitties. Don't think i've ever seen Petie hack one up. Maybe because he is too rotund to lick most of his furs!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful Sunday!
ReplyDeleteOur cat has hairballs all the time. We could use this.
ReplyDeletedlhaley{AT}hotmail{DOT}com
You know, sometimes I enjoy a good yak, especially one that lands on the white rug in the bedroom, MOL!
ReplyDeleteThat is great! I rescued a long hair cat from the shelter, and he has a ton of hairballs! I know because I usually step on them in the wee hours of the morning ewww! Ha Ha I love my cat though :)
ReplyDeletecrichmanfreebies@gmail.com
What cat owner doesn't know about hairballs. Yes all 6 of my cats have this feline afflicted problem. I'm surprised my dog doesn't have hairballs. She loves to lick the cats out of affection. In the process she cleans their ears. It's a mutual cleaning club!
ReplyDeleteChristine Michaels for Blog Sisters at
www.riverfrontcats.com
it's great that you're bringing awareness of the dangers of hairballs to cat owners. It's not just an annoyance - it can be a threat to their health. Have a wonderful Sunday
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone who has entered so far! Didn't want you to think I am ignoring you. I usually respond to each and every comment (when I can) but for this give-away I'm not because I don't want to weed through all of the comments when I submit to random.org for the winners! Your odds are looking really good!! BEST OF LUCK TO ALL!
ReplyDeleteWe see your candle is lit in your sidebar for Weekend of Remembering.
ReplyDeleteIt is SO scary-looking when Joey the red tabby yucks up a hairball—it would be great to win some Science Diet Hairball Control Formula for him!
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of hairballs. I definitely think Mom should try this stuff.
ReplyDeleteyep Jan it is. When I read Ann's email it said we could blog if we wanted to and/or post the photo. I chose to post the candle :)
ReplyDeleteOh,those hairballs! Caren & Cody, we LOVE your caption for the Remembrance candle, it is the most beautiful phrase we have seen. Purrs to your Sweet Angel Bobo. And Happy May to you!
ReplyDelete@Cloon, do you have ANY idea how very deeply your comment touched me? THANK YOU. I am beyond touched that without my having posted about it, you KNEW it was about my beloved Bobo. Your comment meant so much to me. Happy May to YOU!!! xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteChloe has a grody hairball problem, we would love to try this. As a dog I find the hairball things distasteful, BOL
ReplyDeleteNubbin wiggles,
Oskar
I want to know why Yoshi always wants to cough one up on our bed or the great room carpet, its never on the wood or ceramic tile floors.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chance to win.
Count us in!
ReplyDelete