Looking at a hairball can be agonizing, even cleaning it doesn't seem to be so pleasant after all. Just thinking about it coming out of your cat gives you chills.

However, it's a common problem in cats, especially those very fluffy, full of hair.

As common as it is, it's important to keep an eye out, as they can cause intestinal blockage, which can become a serious health issue for your little animal.

When a cat grooms itself and starts grooming without licking it all over, it is removing all the loose hair on its body.

Its tongue is rough, it has tiny structures that catch the loose and dead hairs of its coat and, consequently, are swallowed.

Most of these hairs pass through the entire gastrointestinal tract without any problems. But, from time to time, they can accumulate in the stomach, forming a hairball.

When this happens, the stomach outlet region is blocked. In this way, the food cannot be digested and is expelled through vomiting.

Your cat will vomit the hairball that has formed in the stomach, which could also be a mixture of hair and semi-digested food.

Long haired breeds are the most susceptible to hairballs. Also, cats that shed a lot of hair or compulsively groom themselves are more likely to suffer from hairballs, as they end up swallowing a lot of hair.

Cats' intestines are primed to process hair, both their own and prey.

Therefore, it is not common to observe a high frequency of hairballs in a healthy cat.

In normal situations, all ingested hair should be eliminated in the stool.

However, in coat shedding seasons (spring and autumn) and in the case of furrier cats, it is common to expect the feline to orally eliminate up to one hairball per week.

If you notice an abnormal frequency of hairballs or the symptoms below, contact your trusted veterinarian, as these may indicate that your cat has a blockage that is threatening its health:

If your cat repeatedly shows any of these signs for more than 24 hours, take him to the specialist.

In addition to guidance, specific treatment may be required, such as surgical removal of these hairs.

Cats are very clean animals, which have a habit of self-cleaning.

As mentioned earlier, this is a natural process of this species, so there is no way to completely prevent your pet from producing hairballs.

There are actions that owners can take to reduce the likelihood of having them or their frequency.

In summary, as much as a hairball is natural, its recurring presence can indicate that your cat is not healthy.

Pay attention to your cat's signals.

Any increase in frequency, look for your vet.