Natural Hairball Remedy

I have shorthaired cats and they usually don’t have hairballs.  But when they do, I found a hairball remedy for my cats that is better for them than the normal store bought remedies that contain mineral oil or petroleum jelly.  You see, because mineral oil is also obtained from petroleum, it is not good for our kitties to ingest on a regular basis (you should not ingest anything that the body doesn't readily absorb).  See EWG - Environmental Working Group for more information on mineral oil and petroleum jelly.

The best hairball remedy surprisingly is “Olive Oil“

I give my cats a little olive oil (extra virgin) when they seem to need it.

How Much to Give your cat?

• I give them less about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon - that’s usually all it takes, and they either throw up the hairball, or pass it through their system with their stool. If they are still trying to cough up something, I will give them another dose (up to twice a day) and will repeat it the next day if necessary to take care of the problem.

How to Administer it to your Cat?

Sparky licking olive oil from a spoon

1. I put it right in a spoon and they lick it right up! They think it’s a treat.


2. If your cat doesn’t want to lick the olive oil from the spoon, you can always rub the oil onto their front paws. They will groom themselves and ingest the olive oil that way. (Make sure you rub it in a bit, or they will just flick their paws and decorate your house with it instead!)

Other Hairball Remedy Ideas

1. Of course, another hairball remedy is to comb or brush your cat daily. This cuts down on the amount of fur they ingest, therefore reducing the number of hairballs they get. When I’m in the good habit of combing my cats daily, they never get hairballs. Remember though - my cats are short haired cats. Long-haired cats may still get hairballs just because they have so much more fur.


2. I also have read that feeding a high protein and low carbohydrate diet will reduce the number hairballs that cats have.  See website The Conscious Cat for more information.  Seeing I already feed my cats a high protein low-carb diet, that may also be a contributing factor as to why they have fewer hairballs.

Disclaimer: I do not provide medical advise or otherwise engage in the practice of medicine.   The statements on this website have not been evaluated by the FDA.  Consult your veterinarian before following anything you have read on this website.    See my full medical disclaimer under Terms of Use.