Are you a parent?
Have you ever sat straight up in bed, awakened by the wretching of your child?
Well, anyone with a cat will vouch for the same thing. There is just something peculiar about the sound of a feline coughing up a hairball; I tell you, there is no other sound like it. It resembles a knocking, clicking sound that will have you running towards it in a frantic search for the cat, because let’s face it – she is most likely on a carpet or rug. Although our house is 90% carpet free,Tigger still always manages to find the one carpeted room, the rug in the living room or even the ONE bathroom rug on the entirely tiled floor.
How many times have you made that dash across the house? For me – too many times to count.
Tigger is a medium haired feline but he seems to be blessed with my genes – thick hair. It is nearly impossible to pet him anywhere without ending up covered in his fur, including his chin. He sheds horribly and benefits from several brushings a week; although I have to say, he is NOT a fan.
The FURminator® (which can be purchased at almost any store), has been amazing in removing extra fur, but it still hasn’t been enough for him.
Shedding is a natural part of life – humans shed hair and skin cells every day, mammals with fur even reptiles like snakes shed their skin; it is merely a way for the body to replace the old with new and healthy. Whether excessively shedding or not, grooming for these animals is also part of every day habits and can increase during increased shedding.
Cats and bunnies alike will most likely suffer from hairballs at one point or another in their lifetime. I only briefly mention bunnies because we have lots of them; but this article is about Tigger.
Minimal ingestion of fur can easily be moved through the digestive tract with a healthy diet; but sometimes, especially during excessive grooming, these wads can cause mild to severe health issues.
There is a small yet important difference between bunnies and cats when it comes to furballs.
Bunnies –
Due to their lack of vomiting response, the only way for them to expel fur is through their digestive tracts. Bunny poop being stuck together by fur is not uncommon but needs to be monitored closely. Sometimes the fur is so excessive that it can actually cause a bowel blockage, ultimately leading to their death. Providing an unlimited amount of Timothy hay and water can help prevent more serious complications, but don’t be caught off guard. Keep an eye on your bunny’s poop. If at any time you have any concerns please call your vet immediately. It is better to be safe than sorry!
Cats –
Minor issues can include coughing up or vomiting hairballs and maybe the occasional balls of feces stuck together. I’m sure you have seen your pet with a dangling dingleberry. I can’t say I have seen this as much with cats as I have dogs. Yes, that is the funny part of it; however, more serious problems could occur such as incessant vomiting or even bowel blockage. So yes, poop is life! Know your pets poop!
Back to Tigger!
He has always suffered from the occasional hairball and has been given treats and medicine specifically designed to help prevent them (links for products can be found at bottom of article). These treats have worked miracles and his hairballs decreased tremendously. However; over the past several months, we have noticed an increase in the frequency and size of his hairballs. Most recently he has been receiving his treats and gel medication daily with no decrease in symptoms; if anything, it seemed to continue getting worse. Now mind you, he was getting brushed with the FURminator® several times a week, and he was hating it. The fur was endless and I could have been brushing him for hours without any reprieve.
2 Weeks is just too much!
After almost 2 weeks of daily vomiting hairballs, we trapsed to the Vet’s office to rule out anything serious.
Covering all possibilities he had blood, urine and fecal testing done and of course everything came back normal. The day his doctor called to give us the results I told her I was at wits end; he had to be miserable and nothing seemed to be working anymore. I would have to brush him every day and I can assure you he does not find it amusing at all. We already were brushing him with a furminator several times a week; I couldn’t possibly brush him every day, he hates it.
Imagine throwing up every day and being happy about it; this poor baby has to be miserable.
The following conversation ensued:
Vet: “You could always have him shaved… or shave him”
Me: “What? Shave a cat? That’s a thing?”
V: ”We do it all the time”
M: “But, uhm… I thought that when you shave animals, it messes with their ability to control their body temp; their thermostat?”
V :”Is he an inside cat? If so, then you have a thermostat. You are his thermostat”
Well that makes perfect sense
I tell you what, it’s like a light bulb went off and all I could reply was : “Well I guess that makes sense…never thought of that. How much does it cost to get this here cat shaved?”
V: ”Well, we sedate cats so it’s $125”
I laughed, she laughed, Tigger laughed …. and then she spent the next 10 minutes explaining how to shave a cat and what kind of clippers to use.
M: ”Wait… can I sedate him, give him Benadryl?” and since he has no medical issues she advised me on how much I could give him.
Choosing proper paraphanalia
After researching clippers I had so many more questions and spoke with Leslie at our Vet’s office. She was very patient and helped me pick out the right clippers, and also gave me some additional pointers on shaving a cat. Before the end of that day I had ordered ….insert link for clippers, and couldn’t wait for their arrival the next day.
Well, thanks to Amazon Prime they arrived as promised the next day and I was more excited than a kid at Christmas.
I decided on , and let me tell you, they are worth every penny – and not a bad deal, if you ask me.
“Here kitty, kitty, kitty!”
Armed with the proper amount of Benadryl, I shoved that pill right down his throat – no problem; or so I thought.
“That was easier than any other cat I have ever had to medicate, huh…..”
Only moments after running off after having the medicine shoved down his throat, he came slinking back through the living room – Foaming at the mouth!!
“OMG what’s wrong with him? Did we just overdose him? What is going on?”
I tried to follow him but all I had to go on was little spots of frothy drool; down the hallway to the bathroom, into the spare bedroom and its bathroom, back out into Levi’s room when Cat yelled “Here he is”. Following her voice I noticed the trail continued through the living room, into our bedroom, the floor on both sides of the bed and then I saw it – on my side of the blanket and pillow. Ugh, he “threw up” on the bed.
Gremlin Kitty
Cathy caught him and he was foaming at the mouth like a rabid animal. Freaking out I dialed the emergency vet’s number (S.A.V.E.S.) and frantically managed to tell them he had a Benadryl and is now foaming at the mouth !!! In the most calming and nonchalant manner, the voice on the other end of the phone said: ”Oh, cats will do that if they don’t like the taste of something…..”
** Silence **
Me: ”Wait what? They foam at the mouth, like they are rabid?”
Voice: ”Oh yeah!” she chuckled.
Cathy’s staring at me in sheer horror as she heard my voice relax and say “Oh, ok, well I guess all is well then. Thank you so much for talking me off the ledge. I am sorry!”
Voice: ”No problem at all you have a great day”
Well?
Our friend Kevin was present as well and they both just looked at me like deer caught in headlights. The fact I hung up the phone without more discussion threw them for a loop.
“Well, what did they say? What do we need to do? Do we need to go there?”
I literally just laughed out loud and said : ”Nope! Apparently cats do this when they don’t like the taste of something”
They both looked at me like WTF?
So the next task was to keep Tigger close to prevent anymore foam or throw up being spread throughout the house.
Once the foaming stopped and he calmed down a bit, we took him to the garage for the next step – The “Shaving”.
Our cat is broken I pretty!! Look how chunky he looks
Let the shaving commence!
After watching several cat shaving videos and following veterinarians directions, I felt pretty much – not prepared at all 🙂
Starting at the nape of his neck I made my way down to his tail. Tigger didn’t seem to hate it but he was definitely iffy about what was going on. I shaved the parts he allowed me to, as he did move around a lot. He didn’t struggle too much but he sure as hell was not sitting still without protesting. Fidgeting through the entire process he finally had enough, and since I got most of it I let him go. The amount of fur I managed to shave off of him was astounding; no wonder he had been throwing up every day.
Gotta love the new haircut
Those track marks, though! He has a little lion mane
Best decision, ever!
Let me tell you why this was the best thing that has ever happened to Tigger since we rescued him years ago. Almost immediately he was a completely different cat, starting with being more bouncy and pouncy than he has for a very long time. Darting down the hallway and back, playing with his stuffed animals as well as his other toys.
He was given the hairball treats for an additional couple of days, but not since then. Can you believe it has been almost two months since we first shaved him and he has not had a hairball since? Instead of sleeping all day every day, he now is up and about more often throughout the day. Not staying hidden in the closet all day and only coming out for dinner time; he roams the house all day long. Much more playful and honestly, he doesn’t eat as much as he used to. Before, he would dart in front of us any time we approached the kitchen and cry, meow and even yell at us for food; even if he had food just moments prior. He is no longer demanding when it comes to kibbles or treats.
And on a side note – he absolutely loves to wear his shirts now. He seems to appreciate the fact that it will actually keep him warm.
Always check with your vet
In conclusion, shaving Tigger was the best option and definitely medically necessary.
If your feline suffers from excessive hairballs give the treats I listed at the bottom a try; they really did work for a very long time. Make sure to address any dietary or behavioral changes with your veterinarian first.
Below are links to both Amazon and Chewy, depending on where you prefer to shop. I have ordered pet supplies from both and have been pleased with each of their service – you can’t go wrong, no matter your choice.
Get Naked Furball Relief on Amazon
Get Naked Hairball Treats - Chewy
These are affiliate links and will help us keep the lights on and fur babies fed, at no extra cost to you. Any support is greatly appreciated!
Until then,
Toodles!
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