Hairballs - pumpkin - taste

Since I switched Emily to Wellness canned cat food she has had hairballs
- evidently too little fiber. Every other cat food I've tried gives her
diarrhea. I finaslly discovered that ~ 3 tsp pumpkin daily kept the
hairballs at bay. Unfortunately, she hates the taste of pumpkin mixed in
her cat food in the second of her three daily meals and eats it _ very_
reluctantly, only out of hunger at the far end of the day. Anyone found a
more palatable way to feed pumpkin? (I thought of mixing it with a half
can of tuna but Google tells me feeding people-tuna to cats is evidently
a bad idea.) Or another hairball cure? Laxatone and other products with
the same active ingredient don't work well at all with her. I've tried
other forms of people-type fiber like natural flasvored Metamucil, and a
type of fiber that is tasteless. She eats them more readily, especially
the tasteless, but they don't work on her hairballs. Maybe some other
fiber, like wheat or oat bran? I woder why the pumpkin works? According
to the label doesn't seem to be particularly high in fiber.

Suggestions?

TIA

Ken


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

Ken,

IMO I would avoid feeding that much tuna. A tidbit every now and then
is ok, but that amount could cause long-term health problems.

Can she tolerate those "hairball treats?" Lots of cats like them. You
feed 3-5 pieces or so per day.

I am surprised that Metamucil (psylium fiber) does not work, since
it's designed to bulk up the stool similar to the pumpkin. How long
did you try this?

Will she eat any other kind of squash, such as (plain) acorn or
butternut? Pumpkin is in the squash family so these should work also.

I don't know of any other treatment, except for regular brushing and
Petrolmalt.

Rene

You might try planting some oat grass for her to nibble on.


---MIKE---
In the White Mountains of New Hampshire
(44° 15' N - Elevation 1580')

Try Benefiber, about 1/4 teaspoon, in a small amount of food. It mixes in
well, has no taste, and works well. It's just a bulk fiber that helps
things move through the digestive tract. Tasteless, odorless, and no
texture once it's mixed. Start out with a small amount daily for a couple
of days.
Once it's working, it can really push things through and give the cat too
much roughage, so don't give it every day. Recommended by my Vet.

"Rene S." wrote in
news:465f3a26-e410-4e55-9685-132338d1c813
@e16g2000pri.googlegroups.com:

Ken,

IMO I would avoid feeding that much tuna. A tidbit every now
and
then is ok, but that amount could cause long-term health
problems.

That's what Google says too.

Can she tolerate those "hairball treats?" Lots of cats like
them. You
feed 3-5 pieces or so per day.

Same active ingredient as Laxatone, at least those I've
checked. That doesn't agree with her.


I am surprised that Metamucil (psylium fiber) does not work,
since
it's designed to bulk up the stool similar to the pumpkin.
How long
did you try this?

A month. Daily. Most of the time I included a tsp of pumpkin
with it. No
help.


Will she eat any other kind of squash, such as (plain) acorn
or
butternut? Pumpkin is in the squash family so these should
work also.

I don't like squash and I've never seen it canned - so no.
Might try baking one once just for her just to see if it works.
I suspect not.

I don't know of any other treatment, except for regular
brushing and
Petrolmalt.

Petromalt has the Laxatone ingredient? - petrolatum or
something like that? She gets groomed daily. Short hair cat.

Rene


Ken


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

(---MIKE---) wrote in news:11747-4CFD6AE0-1072
@storefull-3173.bay.webtv.net:

You might try planting some oat grass for her to nibble on.


---MIKE---
In the White Mountains of New Hampshire
(44° 15' N - Elevation 1580')



Tried it several times. She won't touch it.

Ken

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

"SJ" wrote in
:

Try Benefiber, about 1/4 teaspoon, in a small amount of food. It mixes
in well, has no taste, and works well. It's just a bulk fiber that
helps things move through the digestive tract. Tasteless, odorless,
and no texture once it's mixed. Start out with a small amount daily
for a couple of days.
Once it's working, it can really push things through and give the cat
too much roughage, so don't give it every day. Recommended by my Vet.



Did the vet mention hairball reduction?

Well, it's wheat dextrin and soluble and Metamucil is psyllium husks and
insoluble. So who knows? Worth a try. I'll pick some up. The tasteless
soluble fiber I tried unsuccessfully previously was inulin. Emily would say
"Anything but pumpkin!"

Ken


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

Ken,

How about giving her a small amount of oil per day (like olive oil,
vegetable oil)? Like 1 t. per day. She "might" like the flavor.

This is not science, but for a few years I added 1/2 capsule of fish
oil to my cat's food once per day. They really enjoyed the taste and
it helped with hairballs. I don't know if you would have the same
experience, but might be worth a try.

Rene

"Rene S." wrote in news:218c7d5e-86e3-4599-
:

Ken,

How about giving her a small amount of oil per day (like olive oil,
vegetable oil)? Like 1 t. per day. She "might" like the flavor.

Thanks!

BTDT. Tried a quarter teaspoon (IIRC) for a week or so, no help. Doubled
it, she wouldn't eat the food. Used olive oil.


This is not science, but for a few years I added 1/2 capsule of fish
oil to my cat's food once per day. They really enjoyed the taste and
it helped with hairballs. I don't know if you would have the same
experience, but might be worth a try.

I think I may try, starting today, skipping the pumpkin every other day.
I'm probably making a huge mistake - since I upped the pumpkin from two
to three teaspoons a day she's had few hairballs, only had one hairball
since November 22. She used to have them every day or two. And the
episodes are very much less messy. Maybe on the days she doesn't get
pumpkin I could try fish oil - I have capsules as I take it a few times a
week. I'll try without first.

Ken

Rene




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

Want to control hair balls?
Brush your owner.
If you believe in food for hair balls,
then your owner is young.