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Food intolerance can cause hairballs.
Try limited ingredient cat food with added fiber to clear it up.
Our 3 best cat food for hairballs:
- Ziwi Peak | Wet Cat Food
- Dr. Elsey’s | Dry Cat Food
- Fancy Feast | Value for Money
Feral and zoo cats rarely get hairballs.
This points to diet and environmental causes of hairballs. Food intolerance, high carb diets, and stress are possible problems.
Limited ingredient cat food with added fiber can help cats with hairballs find relief. Or add your own fiber (e.g. psyllium).
Check out the buying guide below for more help and our top picks. We also look at frequently asked questions on this topic.
Let’s go!
I am not a veterinarian and I recommend seeking the advice of a vet for any further questions. This article is not intended as a replacement for medical advice.
Buying Guide
How to treat hairballs in cats?
Causes include diet and environmental. More below in the FAQ.
Try the following:
Choose a Limited Ingredient Cat Food
Food intolerances can cause hairballs.
This is a non-allergic reaction to ingredients in cat food. Up to 10% of cats have food intolerances.
Common sources of food intolerance include:
- Wheat
- Barley
- Soy
- Additives
- Pea
Less ingredients = less food intolerance risk.
You don’t need to check for ‘limited ingredient’ on the label, but make sure you cat food contains as few fillers as possible.
Remember that cats are carnivores. They only need meat, organs, and bones.
Quick notes:
- Food intolerance can cause hairballs
- Less ingredients = less food intolerance risk
- Choose limited ingredient cat food
Choose Wet Cat Food
Wet is best.
A wet cat food tends to have less irritating ingredients. Easier to find limited ingredient cat food.
Many dry cat foods load up with grains, peas, and soy. Not ideal for cutting down the risk of hairball problems.
Quick notes:
- Wet is best
- Dry cat food high in grains
- Can irritate digestion
Look for Added Fiber
Fiber helps clear hairballs.
Food sources:
- Cellulose
- Beet pulp
- Sugarcane
- Flaxseed
Research is promising.
Owners reported a 70% reduction of vomiting with added cellulose (4%) in a four week trial. Sugarcane reduces the risk of vomiting from large hairballs.
PetMD recommend dry cat food with 8-10% fiber and canned cat food with 2-4% fiber (dry matter). Aim for this when looking for options.
Quick notes:
- Fiber helps clear hairballs
- Reduces vomiting risk
- Look for 2-4% fiber (dry matter) in wet food
Try an Elimination Diet
If nothing else works…
Try an elimination diet. This involves limiting to novel protein food sources to help with allergies and food intolerances.
Speak with your vet about options. Some novel protein cat foods worth a look include Ziwi Peak Venison.
Quick notes:
- Elimination diet for allergies and food intolerances
- Novel protein cat food
- Speak with your vet for help
Resources:
Choose Complete Cat Food
Final thing…
Cat food must contain all the nutrients cats need for health. Look for the statement of nutritional adequacy.
Choose cat food for maintenance (adults 1-7 yrs), growth (<1 yrs) or all life stages. Supplemental food is only for occasions.
Quick notes:
- Choose complete cat food
- Check statement of nutritional adequacy
- Make sure it’s lifestage appropriate
Learn more:
3 Best Cat Food for Hairballs
1. Ziwi Peak Venison
Best Wet Cat Food for Hairballs
Pros and Cons
Summary
Ziwi Peak Venison is best choice for hairballs.
Has novel protein (venison and mussel) which can give relief from allergies and/or food intolerances. Grain-free too.
Fiber is from chickpeas, which might not be the best choice though (compared to say psyllium). Pricey as well.
Best for:
- Senior health
- Kidney health
- Allergies
Where to find Ziwi Peak?
Learn more:
2. Dr. Elsey’s CleanProtein
Best Dry Cat Food for Hairballs
Pros and Cons
Summary
Dr. Elsey’s Clean Protein is an easy choice for dry cat food.
It’s made without grains, peas, and other nasties. Nothing to irritate your cat.
Main issue is the lack of variety to choose from. No novel protein options for elimination diets.
Best for:
- All life stages
- Easy digestion
- Convenience
Where to find Dr. Elsey’s Cleanprotein?
3. Fancy FEast Classic
Best Value for Money
Pros and Cons
Summary
Fancy Feast Classic is mostly animal protein in the tin with minimal fillers to help reduce hairballs and vomiting.
This one is affordable. And cats love it.
It does use a mish mash of by-products so doesn’t look pretty out the tin. That’s about it though for negatives.
Best for:
- Adult cats
- Budget buy
- Picky eaters
Where to find Fancy Feast Classic?
Learn more:
How Did I Choose These Cat Foods?
Using a database.
I sorted for cat foods without grains (e.g. wheat and barley) and complete cat foods. I filtered options to contain at least 2% fiber.
Finally, I looked at overall quality based on ingredients, nutrition, and taste.
Full list of the best cat foods for hairballs:
| Cat Food | Price | Texture | Lifestage | Carb* | Fiber | Grains | Legumes | Novel# | Score | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fancy Feast Classic | $ | Pate | Adult | 5% | 7% | No | No | No | 8.5 | Best value |
| Tiki Cat Baby | $$$ | Shreds | All | 2% | 8% | No | No | No | 8.5 | Pricey, but suits all ages (despite the name) |
| Dr. Elsey’s Clean Protein | $$ | Kibble | All | 0 | 5% | No | No | No | 8.5 | Grain-free dry cat food |
| Purina Pro Plan Kitten | $$ | Pate | Growth | 2% | 6% | No | No | No | 8 | Great for kittens |
| Ziwi Peak | $$$ | Pate | All | 10% | 4% | No | Yes | Yes | 8 | Novel protein |
| Tiki Cat Born Carnivore | $ | Kibble | All | 14% | 4% | No | Yes | No | 8 | Good dry food, but has peas |
| Hound & Gatos | $$ | Pate | All | 0% | 5% | No | No | No | 8 | High protein, and low carb |
| Sheba Perfect Portions | $$ | Gravy | Adult | 13% | 9% | No | No | No | 8 | Portion controlled |
| Meat Mates | $$$ | Pate | All | 2% | 4% | No | No | Yes | 8 | Low availability |
| Avo Derm | $$ | Gravy | All | 11% | 6% | No | No | No | 7.5 | Tuna rich, so only sometimes food |
FAQ
What are Hairballs?
A hairball (or trichobezoar) is a build up of hair.
Hairballs are cylindrical in shape, and not balls. They’re made of keratin which resists digestion, but usually gets cleared in the feces.
Cats spend 25% of their waking hours grooming. Their tongue has rough papillae barbs that picks up hair.
Quick notes:
- Build up of hair
- Made of strong keratin
- Usually cleared in feces
Are Hairballs Common in Cat?
No.
According to self-report polls only 10% of shorthair cats have one hairball a year or more.
Longhaired cats have twice as many hairballs as shorthairs. On the other hand, zoo and feral cats almost never get hairballs.
Quick notes:
- Not common
- Only 10% of cats have more than one a year
- Feral cats don’t tend to get hairballs
What Causes Hairballs in Cats?
Causes include:
- Fleas
- Stress
- Skin disease
- Food intolerance
- Fasting
- Inflammatory bowel disease
In short, hairballs are diet and environment related.
All of the causes listed lead to more grooming. Food intolerance disrupts digestive clearance of hair through the colon.
1-11% of cats have food intolerances. Common sources include wheat, barley, and additives.
A study of 100 cats admitting for chronic vomiting found as many as 73% had inflammatory bowel disease. Some experts suggest grain heavy diets are to blame.
Underlying health condition such as hernias can also cause vomiting.
Quick notes:
- Diet & environment related
- More grooming = more hairballs
- Food intolerance may cause hairballs
What are the Symptoms of Hairballs in Cats?
Symptoms of hairballs include:
- Dry heaving
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Vomiting
- Pain in the abdomen
Some of these symptoms are signs of many problems. Speak with a vet.
Quick notes:
- Many symptoms of hairballs
- Includes weight loss and pain
- Speak with a vet for a diagnosis
Read more:
Conclusion
Hairballs are rare and affect 10% of cats once a year.
Many cases of vomiting and hairballs are diet and environment related. Food intolerance is a possible cause.
Stick to limited ingredient cat food with animal based foods only. This gives you the best chance of success with easy digestion.
Our 3 best cat food for hairballs:
- Ziwi Peak | Wet Cat Food
- Dr. Elsey’s | Dry Cat Food
- Fancy Feast | Value for Money
