Is Vomiting Hairballs Normal in Cats?

Many people believe that vomiting hairballs is just a normal part of being a cat. Since cats are fastidious groomers, it seems logical that they would regularly throw up hair. However, contrary to this popular belief, hairballs are typically not normal.

Cats are designed by nature to groom themselves. Their tongues are specialized to remove loose hair, and their digestive systems are generally capable of moving swallowed hair through a healthy intestinal tract without a problem.

Is My Cat Actually Vomiting a Hairball?

An important first step is to determine if your cat is vomiting a hairball or whether they may actually be coughing.

Many owners describe their cat as “trying to bring up a hairball but cannot.” These cats might actually be coughing, not trying to vomit. This distinction matters because coughing in cats can signal different medical problems than vomiting.

A coughing cat will often crouch low to the ground with their head and neck extended forward. Many cats also take on a wide-legged stance while making repeated hacking sounds. Videos of the behavior are incredibly helpful for veterinarians when diagnosing your cat with a cough.

There are many possible reasons a cat may cough, including asthma, parasitic infections, bacterial infections, heart disease, fluid in the chest, cancer, or irritation within the respiratory tract. Given the range of causes, coughing always warrants a conversation with a veterinarian.

But Really, My Cat Is Vomiting.

If your cat truly is vomiting, it is important to remember that vomiting itself is not a diagnosis but rather a symptom. While hairballs can sometimes be part of the reason, vomiting usually suggests there may be something else going on.

Sometimes the cause is relatively simple, such as eating too quickly or a food intolerance. Other times, vomiting can be one of the earliest signs of an underlying systemic medical condition such as kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, or gastrointestinal disease. Since cats are especially good at hiding illness, even occasional, intermittent vomiting can be worth investigating.

Because there are so many possible causes for vomiting, your cat’s age and lifestyle as well as the pattern and history surrounding the vomiting become very important. Your veterinarian will often want to know how often it happens, what the vomit looks like, whether there have been changes in weight, whether there have been any changes in diet, stress, or behavior at home, and if there are any other clinical signs such as diarrhea, changes in appetite, drinking and urination. In many cases, diagnostics such as blood work, fecal testing, urine analysis, and/or ultrasound are needed to help determine the underlying cause. 

What If It Really Is a Hairball?

If your cat is vomiting hair, it is important to consider that they might be ingesting excessive hair due to overgrooming. Overgrooming itself is usually a symptom, not the root problem.

Common reasons cats overgroom include:

• Allergies

• Fleas

• Stress

• Anxiety

• Pain

• 
  

A veterinarian can examine your cat and chat with you to determine what the specific cause is in your cat.

An orange cat grooming itself

The Bottom Line on Hairballs in Cats

Despite popular belief, vomiting hairballs is not normal for cats. Whether your cat is coughing, vomiting, or over grooming, these behaviors warrant a chat with a veterinarian.

What can you do before that?

• Keep a journal to help identify patterns. Try to note:

  • When the episodes happen and what your cat was doing

  • Where your cat was when it occurred

  • What the vomit looked like

  • Any recent changes (in the home environment, diet, etc)

• Capture visuals to share with a vet

  • Take photos of what the vomit typically looks like

  • Take videos of the episodes

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These pieces of information will help a vet diagnosis and treat your cat.

At Philly Cat Vet, we focus exclusively on feline medicine and understand the unique ways cats show illness. If your cat is vomiting, coughing, or struggling with hairballs, we can help get to the bottom of the issue and create a plan tailored specifically to your cat. Contact us today!