A cat’s tongue carries backward-facing papillae that pull loose hair into the mouth during grooming. Most hair passes in the stool; a small amount clumps in the stomach and is vomited as a hairball. Occasional events usually need no treatment.

A sudden increase in grooming is often more important than the hairball itself. Pain, itchy skin, parasites, anxiety or environmental change can drive over-grooming, showing as local bald patches, redness or broken skin.

The most effective way to reduce hairballs is proactive brushing, especially in longhaired cats and during shedding season. Regular brushing removes loose coat before it is swallowed, which is more useful than reaching for a hairball paste afterwards. Such products are not daily essentials; check ingredients and directions first.

Distinguish vomiting from coughing. A cat bringing up a hairball usually shows abdominal contractions and retching, then produces a tubular mass. Coughing involves a lowered head, extended neck and short bursts, often with respiratory disease. Treating a cough as a hairball can delay care.

Seek veterinary advice if vomiting occurs more than once a week, retching persists without producing anything, or appetite, weight or stool changes. In senior and longhaired cats especially, frequent vomiting should not be blamed on hairballs alone.

Image: orange cat licking its paw, by TeamK (Karin Laurila), CC0, Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cat_grooming.jpg