Last updated Oct 24, 2023
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Hairballs—also known as trichobezoars (pronounced trike-oh-bee-zohrs)—are considered a normal quirk of being a cat, but hairballs say more about your cat’s digestive health than you might expect.
Chronic hairballs that occur more than once or twice a month can be associated with poor diet, digestive problems, and allergies or skin condition that cause your cat to ingest more hair than is normal during grooming. In this article, we’ll learn about how hairballs relate to diet and which foods can help to lessen your cat’s hairball issues.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Best Cat Food for Hairball Control To Buy
Smalls Ground Bird Fresh Cat Food
- Rich in animal protein and hydrating moisture
- Cod liver oil provides animal-sourced omega-3s
- Very low carbohydrate content
Tiki Cat Koolina Luau Chicken with Egg in Chicken Consomme Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
- Simple, highly digestible recipe
- Limited ingredient list
- Contains egg
Nulo Freestyle Turkey & Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Canned Cat & Kitten Food
- Hydrating canned food
- Popular among cats with digestive issues
- Contains pumpkin, which might help reduce hairballs
Hound & Gatos Turkey & Turkey Liver Canned Cat Food
- Made from turkey, which is a good alternative to chicken
- Free from commonly irritating ingredients
- Limited ingredient list
Stella & Chewy's Freeze-Dried Raw Absolutely Rabbit Dinner Morsels Cat Food
- Rabbit is a novel protein—ideal for cats with food allergies
- Added probiotics
- Pumpkin seed might help minimize hairballs
Primal Turkey Formula Nuggets Grain-Free Raw Freeze-Dried Cat Food
- Limited ingredient food
- Highly digestible
Does Your Cat Have Hairballs? Watch This Video!
Are Hairballs Normal, and What Do They Have To Do With Diet?
Ingrid King, a veterinary journalist and creator of ConsciousCat.net, thought that regular hairballs were a normal occurrence until she saw the differences between her cats that were fed raw food and those that ate vet-recommended kibble.
Her first cat, Feebee, ate a vet-recommended dry cat food and hacked up hairballs a few times a week, despite regular doses of a petroleum-based hairball treatment. After learning more about feline nutrition, King switched her two cats Amber and Buckley to a grain-free canned diet. After the transition, yakking up a hairball became a rare event.
And Ingrid’s current cats, Allegra and Ruby? The two torties were raised on raw food and, when Ingrid wrote on the topic in 2012, had never vomited a hairball.
This story might be a string of coincidences, but it might also tell us something about the connection between hairballs and digestive health.
Hairballs normally pass through the intestines and leave your cat’s body through their poop. If this movement is interrupted or delayed, the hairs may fuse together with fat in the stomach, forming a trichobezoar. Typically, this triggers retching, which forces the mass through the esophagus and up out of your cat’s mouth.
Every time that a hairball “comes up” in this manner it indicates an anomaly in the digestive process. In a piece published in Veterinary Practice News, Gary D. Norsworthy, DVM, makes this surprising assertion:
“I am convinced that the vomiting of hairballs is a sign of chronic small bowel disease if it occurs twice a month or more in any cat; or if it occurs once every two months or more in shorthaired cats; or if it occurs in cats that are not fastidious groomers, i.e., presented with many mats in their hair coats or with heavy dandruff.”
In short, a hairball once a month or less is no reason for concern. Any more frequently suggests that something isn’t right.
Top 6 Best Cat Foods For Hairballs Reviewed
#1 Overall Best: Smalls Ground Bird Fresh Cat Food
- Made In: United States
- Guaranteed Protein: 13% Min
- Age Range: All Life Stages
- Calories Per Ounce: 40
- Typical Cost Per Day: $4.00 per day
Made primarily with species-appropriate animal proteins and minimal carbohydrates, this fresh cat food from Smalls is our top choice for cats struggling with hairballs. It’s a single-protein recipe as well, which may be appropriate for cats with food allergies. If your cat is sensitive to chicken, Smalls also offers recipes made with turkey, beef, or fish.
Chicken muscle meat and chicken liver account for the bulk of this recipe’s 48% protein content (measured as dry matter). Cod liver oil provides animal-sourced omega-3 fatty acids which may help support skin and coat health in addition to providing anti-inflammatory benefits.
Overall, this recipe provides carnivore-appropriate nutrition for cats of all ages. The high moisture content makes it a hydrating choice and it is easily digestible for most cats. If your cat prefers pate over minced foods, Smalls Smooth Bird may be a better choice.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Liver, Green Beans, Water Sufficient for Processing, Dried Yeast, Tricalcium Phosphate, Kale, Magnesium Proteinate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Dandelion Greens, Dried Kelp, Taurine, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Cod Liver Oil, Salt, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Sodium Selenite, Biotin.
Ingredients We Liked: Chicken, Chicken Liver, Cod Liver Oil
Ingredients We Didn’t Like: None
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Rich in animal protein and hydrating moisture
- Cod liver oil provides animal-sourced omega-3s
- Very low carbohydrate content
- Minced texture is easy to chew for most cats
What We Didn’t Like:
- Only available as a subscription plan
- No phone support (text and email only)
#2 Runner Up: Tiki Cat Koolina Luau Chicken with Egg in Chicken Consomme Grain-Free Canned Cat Food
This bare-bones recipe from Tiki Cat has several qualities that might help your hairball-prone feline.
If your cat’s hairballs are caused by digestive issues, you might appreciate the simplicity and digestibility of this recipe. Unlike some foods that emphasize low-value plant protein, the recipe is all about the meat. Chicken takes center stage and dwarfs all other inclusions, offering a species-appropriate source of protein and nutrients.
Of course, chicken-based food always comes with a caveat. It’s probably not a good choice for cats with suspected food allergies and is out of the question for cats with a confirmed chicken allergy. Because chicken is so common in cat food, it’s one of the top food allergens for cats.
Because this food contains dried egg, it’s a source of the choline and lecithin that help to prevent hairballs.
On the negative side, it’s made with sunflower seed oil instead of animal-sourced fats. Chicken fat, fish oil, and other animal-sourced fats are optimally digestible for cats.
Ingredients
Chicken, Chicken Broth, Sunflower Seed Oil, Dried Egg, Tricalcium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin (Vitamin B3), Biotin, Copper Sulfate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Calcium Pantothenate, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin a Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Potassium Iodide, Folic Acid, Vitamin K3 Supplement.
Guaranteed Analysis
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Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Simple, highly digestible recipe
- Limited ingredient list
- Contains egg
- Hydrating
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains plant-sourced fat
- Expensive
#3 Value Pick: Nulo Freestyle Turkey & Chicken Recipe Grain-Free Canned Cat & Kitten Food
Since chronic hairballs can indicate digestive issues, it’s a good idea to choose foods with a positive reputation among cats with GI problems. This chicken and turkey pate from Nulo has that kind of reputation.
It’s primarily made from turkey and chicken meat, along with tuna fish. The variety of protein sources might make this food a problematic choice for cats with food allergies or sensitivities. But for those cats without food allergies or sensitivities, this food does well in taste tests and seems to soothe the digestive tract.
Along with pinches of other plant ingredients, the food contains pumpkin, which is a commonly recommended treatment for hairballs.
Ingredients
Turkey, Chicken, Turkey Liver, Turkey Broth, Tuna, Natural Flavor, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Agar Agar, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Cranberries, Pumpkin, Menhaden Fish Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Tomato, Dried Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Salt, Iron Proteinate, Sodium Carbonate, Zinc Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin E Supplement, Magnesium Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Biotin, Potassium Iodide, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Hydrating canned food
- Popular among cats with digestive issues
- Contains pumpkin, which may help reduce hairballs
- Less expensive than comparable foods
What We Didn’t Like:
- Contains some plant content
- Multiple protein sources
#4 Best Canned Cat Food: Hound & Gatos Turkey & Turkey Liver Canned Cat Food
Because it’s built according to what the company calls a Paleolithic feeding model, this food is particularly popular among cats with inflammatory bowel disease and other digestive issues.
This limited-ingredient food is made with a single source of animal protein. Turkey isn’t one of the top allergens for cats and is a good alternative to chicken.
The recipe is one of the simplest on the market, containing turkey meat, organs, and broth, along with binders and supplements. It is free of fruits and vegetables. For an obligate carnivore, this spells easy digestion and, ideally, fewer hairballs.
While few reviewers argue the nutritional merit of this food, some say that the pâté has a strange, firm texture and that their cats didn’t like eating it.
Ingredients
Turkey, Turkey Broth, Turkey Liver, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Agar-Agar, Choline Chloride, Salmon Oil, Taurine, Salt, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Magnesium Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Made from turkey, which is a good alternative to chicken
- Limited ingredient list
- Highly digestible
What We Didn’t Like:
- Some cats don’t like the taste or texture
- One of the most expensive foods on the market
#5 Best Freeze-Dried: Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Raw Absolutely Rabbit Dinner Morsels Cat Food
Freeze-drying destroys pathogenic organisms without altering the nutritional and textural qualities of fresh raw meat, making this Stella and Chewy’s recipe a highly digestible choice for cats.
The morsels are primarily composed of rabbit meat and bones. Since most cats don’t eat rabbit regularly, it’s not one of the top allergens and is unlikely to stir up any allergy issues.
This recipe includes olive oil and pumpkin seed. These plant-sourced ingredients aren’t ideal for an obligate carnivore, but it’s worth noting that pumpkin seeds are fiber-rich and might be able to help flush hair through your cat’s body.
The food contains probiotics, which can improve overall digestive health. Handling, processing, and storage conditions could kill these microorganisms, so it’s unclear how viable they’ll be by the time they reach your cat’s food bowl.
Ingredients
Rabbit With Ground Bone, Rabbit Liver, Olive Oil, Pumpkin Seed, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Phosphate, Choline Chloride, Dried Ediococcus Acidilactici Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Longum Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product, Taurine, Tocopherols (Preservative), Dandelion, Dried Kelp, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Riboflavin Supplement, Sodium Selenite, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Manganese Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Rabbit is a novel protein – ideal for cats with food allergies
- Pumpkin seed might help minimize hairballs
- Added probiotics
- Highly digestible
What We Didn’t Like:
- Rehydration takes a few minutes
#6 Best Multi-Protein: Primal Turkey Formula Nuggets Grain-Free Raw Freeze-Dried Cat Food
These freeze-dried nuggets are primarily composed of turkey muscle meat and organs. Turkey isn’t a top allergen for cats, so it’s a good alternative to chicken for cats that have a known or suspected food allergy.
Because 96% of the protein in this recipe comes from animal sources, you know that it’s highly digestible and nourishing for your cat. The food isn’t all meat, though. It contains organic pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, kale, squash, celery, blueberries and cranberries, and traces of other fruits and vegetables.
These low-carbohydrate plant ingredients make the food nutritionally complete in lieu of synthetic vitamins and minerals.
Ingredients
Turkey (with ground bone), Turkey Livers, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Cranberries, Organic Blueberries, Organic Celery, Organic Kale, Organic Squash, Organic Rosemary Extract, Organic Cilantro, Organic Ginger, Organic Quinoa, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Fish Oil, Montmorillonite Clay, Organic Coconut Oil, Cod Liver Oil, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Organic Ground Alfalfa, Dried Organic Kelp.
Guaranteed Analysis
Dry Matter Basis
Caloric Weight Basis
What We Liked:
- Limited-ingredient food
- Highly digestible
What We Didn’t Like:
- Requires rehydration
- Contains plant ingredients
What To Consider When Buying Cat Food for Hairballs
Knowing that hairballs can be a symptom of digestive problems, feeding a cat with chronic hairballs is similar to feeding a cat with other symptoms of GI inflammation. Your goal is to give your cat food that aligns with their physiology. This means feeding your carnivorous cat a diet consisting primarily of meat and as few plant ingredients as possible, unless you’re trying a higher-fiber diet to help move hairballs through the intestinal tract.
Hypoallergenic Foods Might Help
Excessive hairballs are sometimes a symptom that a cat has food allergies. Food allergies that cause itchy skin can contribute to hairballs because itchy cats groom themselves excessively, which leads to cats swallowing more hair as they over-groom. Talk to your veterinarian about switching to a limited-ingredient or hypoallergenic food that’s free from the potentially allergenic ingredients.
Added Fiber Might Help
Most foods sold for hairball control are high-fiber products. Fiber additives help food and hair move through the GI tract.
If your cat has been eating a typical commercial cat food with ingredients like brewer’s yeast, wheat middlings, and dried beet pulp, they’re probably already getting more indigestible plant matter than any cat needs. Start by giving your cat an optimally digestible diet. If the hairballs persist, then you might try a diet with additional fiber.
Take your cat to your veterinarian before giving your cat a hairball treatment or changing their diet. Your vet will assess your cat’s overall health and determine the severity of the hairball problem. They will provide guidance on the best hairball treatment plan for your cat.
Helpful Tips for Minimizing Hairballs
1. Groom Your Cat Regularly
Cats ingest hair during self-grooming, so one of the best ways to prevent hairballs is by brushing the hair off your cat. Instead of entering your cat’s GI tract where it will turn into a hairball, the hair will instead go straight into the trash.
Click Here For Our Guide To The Best Cat Brushes And Deshedding Tools
2. Maintain a Healthy Coat To Prevent Excessive Shedding
A vibrantly healthy cat sheds less than their less-healthy counterpart. Here are a few ways to keep your cat’s coat strong and healthy:
- Identify and eliminate any food ingredients that are causing allergies or sensitivities
- Introduce an omega-3 fatty acid supplement. Species-appropriate sources of omega-3s include krill, salmon, and other fish. Avoid flaxseed oil and other plant-based sources of these fatty acids.
- Feed a nourishing diet rich in animal-sourced protein.
- Rule out any health conditions that could contribute to excessive shedding.
3. Consider Hairball Home Remedies and Supplements
Speak with your veterinarian first before trying any of these hairball treatments. Your vet can advise you on the most appropriate treatment for your cat and how to administer it.
Hairball treatments operate on one of two premises.
- The first is the fiber theory, which dictates that fiber supplementation helps to bind single strands of hair to food particles, hastening them on their journey toward the colon and into the litter box. Remember that more time spent in your cat’s body translates to more opportunities for the hair to fuse into a hairball.
- The second beliefis that oils, waxes, or petroleum jelly lubricate the hairs and prevent them from fusing into a trichobezoar.
Here are some commonly used treatments for hairballs:
Pumpkin
As a fiber source, pumpkin helps to carry hairs through the body. Canned pureed pumpkin is the most popular fiber supplement for hairball-prone cats, but some use other fiber sources like psyllium husk powder or coconut fiber.
Hairball-Specific Lubricants
These lubricants coat the hair in the digestive tract, helping it to pass through the system. They’re usually made from pharmaceutical-grade petroleum jelly, mineral oil, or a combination of the two.
Slippery Elm
This supplement lubricates the inner surfaces of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, helping to encourage hairballs to slide in the right direction.
Egg Yolks or Egg Yolk Lecithin Supplements
Egg yolks contain two micronutrients that can help to minimize hairball problems: choline and lecithin. The choline component—acetylcholine—helps to increase peristalsis, the muscular contractions in the GI tract that propel food and hair down and out. Lecithin emulsifies the fat that binds hairballs together.
You can provide these nutrients by adding egg yolks to your cat’s food or by providing an egg yolk lecithin supplement. Remember to choose egg yolk lecithin rather than lecithin from other sources like sunflower or soy.
Butter and Oil
Some suggest that butter or oil lubricate hairballs, but butter and oil are digested and absorbed by the body before they can have any effect. Too much fat supplementation could bring your cat a whole new set of digestive problems. Butter and oil are not recommended to treat hairballs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which cat food is best for hairballs?
The best cat food for hairballs is one that promotes overall digestive health. Added fiber can also help hair move through the digestive tract so it can be passed with the cat’s feces. Cats with food allergies or intolerances might get fewer hairballs if they eat a hypoallergenic diet, as skin inflammation can trigger excessive grooming, causing the cat to ingest too much hair.
Is wet or dry cat food better for hairballs?
High-quality wet cat foods contain a lot of protein and are low in carbohydrates, so they are highly digestible, which could help reduce hairballs in cats. It’s also possible that the extra moisture found in a wet cat food might help hair move through a cat’s system more easily. However, dry foods might contain extra fiber, which is thought to help hairballs pass through a cat’s digestive system.
What ingredient in cat food helps with hairballs?
Hairball formula cat foods generally contain added fiber and lubricant ingredients such as petroleum jelly to help hairballs pass through a cat’s digestive system.
What helps dissolve hairballs in cats?
Hairball foods and supplements help remove hairballs by helping them move through a cat’s stomach and intestines so they can be passed out of the body in the feces. Ingredients that help cats pass hairballs include fiber and lubricant ingredients such as petroleum jelly.
I feed my cat Fancy Feast so could I mix the dry hairball remedy with the wet cat food?
Hello Gloria!
Most of the treatments mentioned above can be mixed into your cat’s wet food. You can mash dry psyllium husk powder directly into your cat’s food. The same applies for other powdered fiber additives.
If you use slippery elm bark powder, you will want to mix the dry powder with water to create a thick slurry before adding it to your cat’s food wet Fancy Feast.
Hope this answered your question!
– Mallory
My 10 year old cat will only eat dry food, I have tried in vain to introduce quality handmade “wet” food into her diet with absolutely no interest on her part, she will skip eating if there is wet cat food presented, even if it is mixed with her dry food in a small introduction. Given my dilemma, what dry cat food would you suggest, unbeknownst to me until just now I have been putting my trust in “Call of the Wild” cat food only to find out that it is not the quality food I thought it to be. I would be so grateful for your guidance.
Hi Tina,
Thanks for the comment! Since your cat insists on dry food only, I’d recommend upgrading to Dr. Elsey’s cleanprotein, Ziwi Peak, or Wellness CORE air-dried cat food. All are low in carbohydrates and contain primarily meat ingredients. If you’d like to read reviews of these brands and other top dry foods, please read our article on the top 10 best healthy dry foods on the market: https://cats.com/best-dry-cat-food
I know you’ve tried adding wet food to her dry kibble, but have you tried adding a little warm water to acclimate her to the idea of food that doesn’t crunch? Due to the risk of aflatoxin mold growth, this can be a little risky when feeding a grain-inclusive food, but mold is less of a concern if you’re feeding your cat a low-carbohydrate, meat-based food.
Hope you find a great product that both you and your cat love!
Best,
Mallory
My cat is an indoor 14yr cat & seems to be allergic to fleas, she’s appx 7lbs so giving Capstar concerns me- I try to pull flea mats off when brushing her also tried organize flea drops to put on her back she seemed un interested in eating then next think here comes hairballs- can’t afford $350.00 vet bill after every episode – has to be a way to get under control- think fleas came in on lg area carpet a friend gave us & they had a lg dog- this seems to be when it started & yes rug is gone- any suggestions welcome- feed her canned Fancy feast – dry food doesn’t digest well ?
Hi there! I would recommend finding other ways to control fleas—this doesn’t seem like a sustainable approach long-term! We go in-depth on flea treatments in this guide.
Really enjoyed video- more pets would have homes if medical care was reasonable! Thanks for your imput!
After initial success then total crash’n’burn failure with Open Farm, your writeup convinced me to try Smalls for the first time! Unfortunately, the discount code no longer works. I’m guessing it inactivated sometime between the initial article and the Oct. 2023 update.
Thanks for letting us know that the code’s not working! I’ve flagged this for investigation and will get back to you with a working code if I can.
You are recommending that cats should ingest PETROLEUM jelly for hair balls, rather than olive oil or butter?
I understand that you would not want to give cats very much oil or butter, as it is rich, but ingesting petroleum products?
The reasoning here is that the petroleum jelly is non-digestible, which means that it will be more effective in encouraging hair to pass through the digestive tract.