'Temptations' anti-hairball snacks?

"KenK" wrote
"cshenk" wrote

These assume
you are well past the basics of brushing as much excess as feasible
on a regular basis.

Yes. She's a short-hair.

That actually means less than you may think. Had a set of long hair
and short once. Short hair had the issues and it wasnt just him
grooming the long hair. I had to get a sort of rubber mitt for him.
Standard brushes only work on middle to long hairs. You probably
tried this already and do it but worth mentioning if another didnt
know it.

No, I didn't know it. I've been using a brush with wire bristles first
(which gets a _lot_ of hair!), followed by a regular pet brush.

You probably are doing it right but next time you go to your local pet
supply store, you may want to check into the rubber hand mitts with rubber
'nubbles' on them. They actually work very well. We use a regular simple
brush on Daisy (medium hair) but Cash-pup gets the hand mitt (short hair).
Last time I had a short hair cat, I had a mitt too and it worked very well.

I've been using 1/8 tsp. generic unflavored Metamucil in each of all
three meals for months now. Can't see that it is helping any. She
dislikes it. I probably should quit.

I wouldnt bother with that.

But it works for me! I've taken it for decades and I don't have any
hairball problems at all!

LOL! I'm not sure the metabolisms are close enough for that to work (that's
what I meant above).

Most mentioned pumpkin (the orange stuff used at Halloween
if you aren't USA and pumpkin has a wider meaning). Folks get cans
(snippies)

I've tried a teaspoon of pumpkin before, once a day for a few days
with little success. I'm cuuently trying is again, this time for at
least a week, mixed with one of her meals. She'll eat it, but not by
itself.

I am pretty sure the amounts needed to be more.

I have a ton of pumpkin in the freezer plus a large unopened can. Not pie
filling. Hard to find. I can't recall ever seeing canned squash and I
don't eat the stuff. I'll try two teaspoons of pumpkin once a day?

That is closer to what I heard here is needed. Far as I know, needs to be
what they call 'winter squash' (often called pumpkins in some other
countries like OZ and I believe England). Butternut, Mother hubbard, Acorn
squash are suitable. Spagetti squash is probably as well. Don't worr about
canned or if it is 'pie filling' or not. Canned is convienent if you find
it but with a microwave and a fresh one, you can make enough for your needs
for probably 3 months or more off one squash.

Here's how (I don't know if you cook much, apologies if this is old hat to
you but another may benefit so worth typing the basics).

Cut squash in half. May freeze the other half in a double wrapped airtight
'ziplock' if desired. Scoop out any seeds (all of them are edible, if you
want, rinse those then salt and spread thin on a cookie sheet or something
and bake at 350 for about 15 mins for a munchie treat). Add 1-2 TB water to
the squash half then cover with a paper towel (or a clean damp kitchen towel
works). Nuke on high for about 10 mins then let sit and check to see if it
is soft enough. Depending on the size of the winter squash, this may be all
it needs or it may need up to 2 repetitons of this. Once nice and soft,
scoop out then freeze in usable portions for your needs. Defrosted in the
fridge, it will hold well for up to 5 days so a baggie of 3-5 TB may work
well for you. *If* your cat likes butter (Most of mine *luv* butter and
hated margarine), add a little real butter while still warm and mix that in
as it melts by mashing the baggie or if doing icecube trays which you freeze
then once hard load in a larger freezer bag for use one by one, a little pat
on-top each one.

I don't suggest Mother Hubbard as you don't like squash and they are very
hard to cut open. If it helps, this is really easy to do with Acorn squash
which I just set in a microwave safe bowl so the cut halves stand up nicely.
I'm fixing those for us 2 foots though and the fact that they pets like it
is just a side benefit.

Daisy-cat doesn't have any furball issues, having hurked maybe 3 since we
got her 2.5 years ago with 2 in her first week and a 3rd about a year ago
when she had the sniffles.

See if bacon fat (just save it up in a jar) works better? Unless you
don't do bacon. If so and you have no objection, you can probably
find a friend willing to save off a bit for your cat. Another one is
butter which works in small amounts as most cats are lactose
intolerant but in small bits, they all love it from my experience
(note, butter. Most will ignore margarine).

I'll think about this. Though since the 1/4 tsp. olive oil per meal
didn't help a bit...

It may not work. It's just one of those 'harmless to try' things. I
started this route when dealing with a long ago cat who had coat issues and
noted the side benefit of reduced furballs. I suspect the broth feeding is
probably doing more benefit.

I only feed her Wellness canned chicken. For months now. Any other
brand or dry food, even Wellness, gives her diarrhea, some more often
than others, usually one meal will do it. The Fancy Feast trout feast
doesn't bother her most of the time, but can be difficult to find.
Feeding canned Wellness, purchased by the case, is simpler. Odd, a
year or so ago she could eat anything. She's 14 - 15 now.

This sounds like an allergy. That can develop over time. If your
furball issues developed at the same time as the picky eating, then
the next step might be to start checking foods without the common
allergens. These are corn, wheat, and soy.

The furballs started when I switched her to Wellness canned. No problems
with the Fancy Feast trout feast. I'll see what I can discover. Maybe I
can find a food she can eat that is also anti-hairball.

Might! Sometimes it takes a bit. One of the things I always try to avoid
is letting a cat get too particular to a brand and type of food. I've had
bad issues with rescues who were fed only 'one thing' for a long time and
then either can't find that one, or something else crop up requiring a
change. I know, this can be hard to put into practice with a stubborn
eater!

When Daisy first came to us, she wouldn't eat anything but the specific
kibble (Purina Pro) her foster mom's all had her on for 18 months. I had to
convince her that 'wet was food' and it took a bit. Now she gets a variety
of brands (not all the top of the market but at least it's wet and most is
upscale based on label reading to the best of my knowledge).

"KenK" wrote
"cshenk" wrote

This sounds like an allergy. That can develop over time. If your
furball issues developed at the same time as the picky eating, then
the next step might be to start checking foods without the common
allergens. These are corn, wheat, and soy.

That doesn't seem to be it. She gets diarrhea from one Wellness Indoor
Health dry food meal and I just checked and it doesn't list any of these
in
the ingredients. Maybe something else?

Probably somethingelse then. Wellness (no local places I go to sell it so
havent tried that one) is reputed to be a top of the line product with no
allergins of the common sort added.

Could she be having issues with whatever you use for treats? That shouldn't
cause the wellness to make her go off but folks sometimes don't think of the
treat as part of it all.

Example: I make most of the pet treats here now. Had to swap as Cash-pup
seems to have a potential corn or soy issue. He doesnt seem to have a wheat
one. He may *very well* have one to some common preservative as well.
Narrowing down was harder when it came to biscuits than just making my own.
I've been using a breadmachine practically since they first came out and
have 2 high end ones so this is an easy trick. Finding bonemeal was the
only somewhat hard one but we mail ordered a big bag that resides in the
spare chest freezer.

I also made (yesterday) a large batch of dehydrator 'treats' which are now
cut to small bits. Some are in the fridge as they were mostly fatty meat so
never will dry fully for true cabinet storage but the rest was very lean
beef cuts now chopped and in the treat jar as crunchy bits.

Although it would be easier to just get doggie biscuits, this is actually
not that hard to do if you don't care that the shape of his 'biscuit' or
dehydrator treat, is 'perfect'. I assure you, they don't care at all
(grin).

"Stan Brown" wrote
cshenk wrote:

My own methods seem to be related to feeding broth (home made, salt free,
bone broth mostly left over chicken carcasses tossed in a crockpot) and
feeding a bit of extra fat (Olive oil, bacon or chicken rendered fat
etc).

As you mentioned later, salt is an issue with broth (depending on
your recipe) and most definitely with bacon fat.

Yes, bacon fat has to be either low-sodium bacon or the simple country
version that is often called 'raw bacon' and isn't treated. It's common in
Australia but you have to hunt here at times for it. The taste is *not* the
same but it works in much of our cookery so we get it and the fat, is mostly
with no salt added.

Often as not, the fat is from the drippings that develop from a skin-on pork
shoulder slowly rendered in a crockpot (nothing added at that stage at all)
then decanted.

I'm a little nervous about the idea of feeding any cat extra dietary
fat on a regular basis. Wouldn't that tend to either depress the
appetite, thus leading to protein deficiency, or else have them
eating too many calories?

I don't use that much per feeding. It's not been a problem on any cat once
converted fully to wet. Then again, I've never had a really overweight cat
although Daisy is 7% over optimal per last vet check. She was overweight
when we got her but slowly trimmed down to a decent shaqpe.

"cshenk" wrote in
:

Could she be having issues with whatever you use for treats? That
shouldn't cause the wellness to make her go off but folks sometimes
don't think of the treat as part of it all.


No, that's not it. Since she started having dietary problems a year or so
ago I took her off everything but the regular cat food I was currently
feeding her to try to pin down her problems. From habit, I've done so ever
since.

Ken


--
"When you choose the lesser of two evils, always
remember that it is still an evil." - Max Lerner

"cshenk" wrote in
:

That is closer to what I heard here is needed. Far as I know, needs
to be what they call 'winter squash' (often called pumpkins in some
other countries like OZ and I believe England). Butternut, Mother
hubbard, Acorn squash are suitable. Spagetti squash is probably as
well. Don't worr about canned or if it is 'pie filling' or not.
Canned is convienent if you find it but with a microwave and a fresh
one, you can make enough for your needs for probably 3 months or more
off one squash.



Now I'm confused. Are you sure the pumpkin recommended for cat hairballs
is not what we call pumpkin in the US? I've read that squash 'also'
works, but not 'instead of'. I'd think they were much the same thing. I
suspect pumpkin is just one kind of squash. As to dosage, a quick Google
search shows one teaspoon/day to be the usual. I'm giving Emily one
teaspoon a day mixed with her afternoon meal. About three or four days so
far. So far, so good (knock on wood!). If they come back I'll increase to
two. I wonder what the limit is? I really hate to keep messing with her
food! I assume the stuff won't harm her. I've not read anywhere that it's
dangerous. I've read though that the pumpkin 'pie filling' canned has
spice additions not good for cats.

Ken


--
"When you choose the lesser of two evils, always
remember that it is still an evil." - Max Lerner

Now I'm confused. Are you sure the pumpkin recommended for cat hairballs
is not what we call pumpkin in the US? I've read that squash 'also'
works, but not 'instead of'. I'd think they were much the same thing. I
suspect pumpkin is just one kind of squash. As to dosage, a quick Google
search shows one teaspoon/day to be the usual. I'm giving Emily one
teaspoon a day mixed with her afternoon meal. About three or four days so
far. So far, so good (knock on wood!). If they come back I'll increase to
two. I wonder what the limit is? I really hate to keep messing with her
food! I assume the stuff won't harm her. I've not read anywhere that it's
dangerous. I've read though that the pumpkin 'pie filling' canned has
spice additions not good for cats.

Ken,
A pumpkin is a type of squash. I would imagine the fiber content in
most squashes is similar. Stick with what you're doing. The pumpkin
pie filling is not a good idea. It has spices and sugar, neither of
which is good for cats.

Rene

"KenK" wrote
"cshenk" wrote in

to be what they call 'winter squash' (often called pumpkins in some
other countries like OZ and I believe England). Butternut, Mother
hubbard, Acorn squash are suitable. Spagetti squash is probably as
well. Don't worr about canned or if it is 'pie filling' or not.
Canned is convienent if you find it but with a microwave and a fresh
one, you can make enough for your needs for probably 3 months or more
off one squash.

Now I'm confused. Are you sure the pumpkin recommended for cat hairballs
is not what we call pumpkin in the US? I've read that squash 'also'

No. I am not sure. I just know I get the same gereral effect that would be
needed when I use Acorn squash. The problem is semantics and I wasn't sure
if you were USA (Canada tends to same terms for this).

works, but not 'instead of'. I'd think they were much the same thing. I
suspect pumpkin is just one kind of squash. As to dosage, a quick Google

From what I gather, it has to be a winter squash. Basically a hard shelled
sort. They crop in late autum to early winter and tend to hold well for
several months in the right environment.

search shows one teaspoon/day to be the usual. I'm giving Emily one
teaspoon a day mixed with her afternoon meal. About three or four days so
far. So far, so good (knock on wood!). If they come back I'll increase to
two. I wonder what the limit is? I really hate to keep messing with her
food! I assume the stuff won't harm her. I've not read anywhere that it's
dangerous. I've read though that the pumpkin 'pie filling' canned has
spice additions not good for cats.

As we started, I will try to help but do not use this method in any
deliberate manner. I was given the impression that a little more was needed
but if the average on a search shows 1 TS, use that then and ignore me.

I don't know what pie filling might be dangerous in spicing to a cat unless
they added a lot of salt? When I do let the cat have some winter squash,
it's from a cooked one we make here and either plain or with butter added.

"cshenk" wrote in
:

As we started, I will try to help but do not use this method in any
deliberate manner. I was given the impression that a little more was
needed but if the average on a search shows 1 TS, use that then and
ignore me.


I'll stay with 1 tsp if it works; I can always increase if it doesn't.

Well, for four or five days of pumpkin, no hairballs. I was getting them
almost daily. Then last night something new - instead of a small patch of
hair in a puddle of thin vomit I got a big moist hairball all by itself.
Didn't see it come out since it must have done so quietly as I was
reading or sleeping in another room. Evidently the pumpkin had something
to do with this but I don't know what. It's a big improvement for me, but
I don't know about Emily.



--
"When you choose the lesser of two evils, always
remember that it is still an evil." - Max Lerner

"KenK" wrote in message
...
"cshenk" wrote in
:

As we started, I will try to help but do not use this method in any
deliberate manner. I was given the impression that a little more was
needed but if the average on a search shows 1 TS, use that then and
ignore me.


I'll stay with 1 tsp if it works; I can always increase if it doesn't.

Well, for four or five days of pumpkin, no hairballs. I was getting them
almost daily. Then last night something new - instead of a small patch of
hair in a puddle of thin vomit I got a big moist hairball all by itself.
Didn't see it come out since it must have done so quietly as I was
reading or sleeping in another room. Evidently the pumpkin had something
to do with this but I don't know what. It's a big improvement for me, but
I don't know about Emily.

Well that beats what happened to my Meggie....Her's was so big the vet
thought it was a tumor.....She operated on Meggie with the understanding
that if it had metastasized, she would put her down......After opening up
her abdomen, she found Meggie's stomach was huge and filling her whole
abdomen. So, they opened up her stomach to find a huge hairball. "The
biggest one I have ever found" said the vet. So they took it out, and Meggie
has been fine ever since...(Two years now) But the whole thing cost me over
$800.......:^)

"Bill Graham" wrote in
:


"KenK" wrote in message
...
"cshenk" wrote in
:

As we started, I will try to help but do not use this method in any
deliberate manner. I was given the impression that a little more
was needed but if the average on a search shows 1 TS, use that then
and ignore me.


I'll stay with 1 tsp if it works; I can always increase if it
doesn't.

Well, for four or five days of pumpkin, no hairballs. I was getting
them almost daily. Then last night something new - instead of a small
patch of hair in a puddle of thin vomit I got a big moist hairball
all by itself. Didn't see it come out since it must have done so
quietly as I was reading or sleeping in another room. Evidently the
pumpkin had something to do with this but I don't know what. It's a
big improvement for me, but I don't know about Emily.

Well that beats what happened to my Meggie....Her's was so big the vet
thought it was a tumor.....She operated on Meggie with the
understanding that if it had metastasized, she would put her
down......After opening up her abdomen, she found Meggie's stomach was
huge and filling her whole abdomen. So, they opened up her stomach to
find a huge hairball. "The biggest one I have ever found" said the
vet. So they took it out, and Meggie has been fine ever since...(Two
years now) But the whole thing cost me over $800.......:^)



I hope at least they gave you that expensive hairball as a remembrance. g

Emily got plugged up with hair and couldn't hold down her food many years
ago but it came out ok at the vet with an enema (IIRC) and laxative. My
introduction to Laxatone.

Emily went four days with pumpkin and without a hairball but now two in a
row. The one previously described yesterday and the usual vomit and small
amount of hair today. sigh I'm going to increase her to two teaspoons of
pumpkin, if she'll eat it. If that doesn't do it I give up. Evidently
nothing works with her. I believe I've tried everything she'll tolerate.
sigh Maybe a diet change would do it but I had so much trouble with
diarrhea and soft BMs before I switched her to canned Wellness I hesitate
to experiment again. Poor Emily!


--
"When you choose the lesser of two evils, always
remember that it is still an evil." - Max Lerner