Conference misery::feline_v1

    I was having that problem with Argus even though I combed him every
    day. I had figured that if any of my cats would have that problem
    it would be Pip, my ultra-longhair (Gus is a short-hair). A friend
    recommended a hoop comb. I couldn't beleive the extra hair that
    thing picked up. Combing him everyother day with the hoop comb seems
    to have solved the problem (although I still give him Petromalt)
    
    Deb

    I think that the idea behind taking the cat off dry food is that
    if he is eating wet food, he is getting more oils and this can aid
    in the prevention/digestion of hairballs.  One of my cats has a
    problem with hairballs too.  He is an excessive groomer so he ingests
    alot of hair to begin with.  I give him Petromalt, vaseline or
    vegetable oil, whatever seems to be handy.  He doesn't have a problem
    with coughing, he just vomits up his hairballs when he has them.
    
    One of the things that have helped Winston with his problem is a
    daily combing out of all loose hairs.  There is less left for him
    to ingest.
    
    Jo Ann

    Mine do the vomit route too.  They get vaseline.  What is a hoop
    comb?  I do try to comb everyday -  but when I don't we get more
    of the vomiting.
    

    Well, it's like a band of metal with plastic handles. The two ends
    are bent togeather and there is like a (removable) clip that looks
    sort of like this: 
    
                                *
                              *   *
                             *    *
                             *    *
                              \  /    
    removable clip -->         ==
                               ||
                               ||
    
    One side of the metal has little jagged teeth (like hand saw teeth)
    and the other side is flat. If the removable clip is taken off,
    you can use the flat side almost like a squeege after you've given
    the animal a bath.
    
    I've seen this comb in feed and grain stores (like Erikson's in
    Acton, and Agway in  Waltham) and in the larger pet stores like
    Debby's Petland and Boston Pet.
    
    Good luck,
    Deb
    
    

    I saw one of those combs at the cat show in Wash. D.C. and wondered
    what those people were doing to their cat till they explained. 
    I've not seem them on the west coast - have to ask at the next cat
    show.
    
    BTW, the cat that was being "hoop combed" won second place in the
    Morris Award semi-finals in DC.
    
    Jan
    

They've been called "shedding blades" or some variant when I've seen them 
at the store.  The teeth come in different sizes depending on whether the 
blade is intended for a cat, dog, horse, etc.

Ray

    To remove excess hair from my cats I have found the neatest thing
    is one of those freebies that you can get from a Tupperware party.
    I think they call it a lint brush (for lint it is the pits - but
    really removes the excess hair and the cats seem to love it).
    
    Also - although salt and fats are bad for us, cats need them (this
    is from many vets).  Greasy fish like salmon, tuna in oil, sardines
    in oil, mackeral, etc. are good to help them pass the hair safely.
    You can also take fats from meats you cook and add them to their
    food.  Basically, more meat and less cereal is the natural way a
    cat would eat and definitely decreases hair ball problems.
    
    EK
    

    Sorry - forgot a bit in reply #7.  Increased salt is good for kitty
    because he/she will drink more water (probably from the aquarium
    or toilet bowl if yours is like mine!) and also helps clean the
    kitty out.  Most Vets will tell you that cats, like people, generally
    don't drink enough water.
    
    Ellen
    

    There is a tube of some type of hairball remedy put out by HARTZ.
    It's the consistencey of oily toothpaste.  You put about an inch
    on the cat's paw and it licks it off.  I only had to use it once
    for each cat when they gave me hairball presents in the night.