Have you ever been awoken in the middle of the night by your cat trying to pass a hairball? Do you feel bad or do you start to blame yourself? These are all feelings and situations that cat owners go through.

The biggest questions are...

Do i need to help my cat groom?

Are hairballs normal or dangerous?

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Helping your cat groom is important for many health reasons and also for bonding. Of course some cats are not fond of someone coming at them with a brush. This is something that can be changed over time. With time and patience your cat can learn to trust you with helping them groom. A few increased moments each day could pave the way for you to have this special bonding time with your cat.

So does helping your cat groom themselves help? You bet it does. When you brush your cat you are helping eliminate loose hair and are helping with the shedding process. What you are removing, is what your cat would of swallowed and then some. Now its important to mention here that you can spend 30 minutes grooming your cat but they are still going to re-groom themselves after you are done. Cats are very particular, it doesn't mean they don't appreciate the help.

Are hairballs normal? Yes hairballs are normal but on occasion. If your cat is having a hairball multiple times a week or every week you need to examine your cats hairball. Sounds disgusting I know. Make sure it is all hair and that your cat isn't swallowing other items. To many hairballs equals to much hair. Now food also plays a role in this as well. Some foods help your cat pass hair through there digestive system rather then hacking it up.

So lets set the scene. Your cat has just thrown up a hairball for the second time this week. You should pick it up and squeeze it. Does it feel hard? Is it dry or wet? You should pull apart the hairball to see if it truly does contain all hair. If it does not contain all hair, try to look and figure out what your cat may have gotten into. Is the hairball dry inside? If the hairball is dry this may be a indication of some dehydration especially if your cat just passed the hairball. My cats hairball is reddish pink to pink color, why is that? The hairball that can stain anything. If your cat is having this type of hairball. I can usually guarantee you are feeding your cat food that contains dyes. This coloring comes from the food they eat. If your cat is passing blood with a hairball this will be very noticeable as a crimson color and will be a thick mucus . Feeding your cat heavy dyed foods is not healthy. There is never a reason to add dye to any animals food. Is this type of food causing more hairballs for my cat? It all depends on who you ask and what research paper you have read. No dye is better than dye. You want the most healthy diet you can provide for your cat and foods that contain these dyes are not helping you or your cat. Are hairballs dangerous? They can become that way, hairballs can become to big for a cats digestive tract and cause a blockage. This can be very life threatening. Cats with longer hair are at a higher risk.
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Now that we have covered a few basic tidbits of knowledge lets get down to the grooming.

A typical day of grooming for me and my cat is him walking as I brush. He eventually sits and lays down and lets me brush him with out having to be mobile. When brushing your cat try not to stay on one place to long, you can always come back. You don't want to make one spot to sensitive. Under the collar, chest and tail are 3 big areas a lot of owners forget and you should wait till last to brush. These are triggers for your cat, they may spring up and be ready to play bite and attack. So be prepared but do not give up. After I brush i also like to use a foaming cleaner. That cleans and also cuts down on pet dander and allergens on a cats fur and scalp.

In the picture you will see Maahes who is of course my pride and joy. These products I personally use and purchased. I have not been paid to market these products. I only recommend and market products I have used personally on a regular basis. Good luck and let the grooming and bonding begin.

I recommend...
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