April 26th is National Hairball Awareness Day. How will you celebrate with your cat?
Okay cat, cattle and rabbit owners, today is a day to sit up and celebrate.
As the last Friday in April, today is officially National Hairball Awareness Day.
While few of us own cattle and rabbits, 95 million domesticated cats dwell in America right now, according to Catster Magazine (the leading authority on all things feline).
National Hairball Awareness has been around since 2006. pet nutritionist Dr. Blake Hawley founded the day to educate cat owners and help prevent some of the more serious issues that can occur. While rabbits and cattle also suffer from Trichobezoar (which is the medical or scientific term that is used to describe a hairball), it’s really cats who should get the most attention on this day.
What is a hairball?
Basically, it’s just a hair obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract of any animal, although cats suffer the most from them.
Because the hair can’t be ingested, it usually passes through the intestines, but sometimes it can get stuck. It may become tangled on itself or another object within the stomach or intestines. This can result in the tangled mass of hair becoming too large to pass in the feces.
If you have ever lived with a cat, you know exactly what this looks like and if you are of the unlucky among us, you know exactly how it feels under your feet and how it sounds when they are trying to get one up.
Your cat’s tongue anatomy is designed for self grooming, but if the hairball is too large or it won’t come up, then it can become dangerous. Hairballs only become a concern if the frequency in which your cat is getting them or passing them is particularly distressing.
What can I do to help my cat?
Groom them regularly - remove as much hair as possible through regular brushing, if you dare.
Change their diet - feed them food or treats that are designed to help address excessive hairballs. Pumpkins, apples and carrots are high in fiber and can help with digestion. Oily treats like tuna or sardines can lubricate the digestive tract and have also been proven to make your cat love you more.
Increase hydration - since we know cats are the fanciest of all the pets, a drinking fountain dedicated to them exclusively can be a good addition to their routine. Make sure the water you choose is tolerable by your cat or it could make the situation worse. They are proven water snobs.
Most importantly, how do I celebrate National Hairball Awareness Day?
All the experts agree: we should celebrate our kitties any chance we get and today is a good day to pamper our four-legged friends - like they don’t live the life of leisure as it is.
Create a social media post with an image depicting them in their finest. (see the main image of this article for my contribution). Make sure to tag it with the hashtag #NationalHairballAwarenessDay.
Create a piece of art using the extra hair you’ve groomed away like Japanese artist Wakuneco.
Plan a party and make a cake (of hairball-safe ingredients, of course).
Plant some catnip in your garden (they’ll love it and it will keep the mosquitoes away).
Since today is also National Jason’s Day, if your cat happens to be named Jason, then you should celebrate twice as hard. Also, please send me all your cat snaps and pictures, especially if they’re named Jason.
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