Best Cat Food to Prevent Hairballs

Best Cat Food to Prevent Hairballs

If you have a cat it is just a matter of time before you will have to deal with a hairball problem. Some people think hairballs are just a natural fact of life when you own a cat, but they can be a sign of an underlying gastrointestinal issue. Which means if you want to address the root of the problem, it is very important to find the best cat food to prevent hairballs before they happen.

 

Best Hairball Cat Food

ImageNametypeRatingShop
Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free Hairball Control Cat Food Dry
BLUE Freedom Grain Free Wet Cat Food Hairball Control Wet
Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Hairball Management Dry
Purina Pro Plan Focus Hairball Management Wet
Purina ONE Hairball Formula Adult Dry Cat Food Dry
Hill’s Science Diet Hairball Control Cat Food Wet

 

 

 

Hairball Cat Food Reviews

 

 

Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free Hairball Control

Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free Hairball Control (Buy Online) is one of our top picks when it comes to the best cat food for hairball prevention. As most cat owners know the Blue Buffalo company produces some of the best cat food on the market. Their commitment to quality ingredients means you can rest assured you are providing your cat with a balanced healthy source of nutrition.

Blue Buffalo Wilderness helps prevent hairballs with a natural blend of fiber. This added fiber helps push hairballs through your cat’s intestines, which is a much better alternative than your cat coughing the hair up on your carpet. The fiber in Buffalo Wilderness cat food is derived from plant-based sources, but since this is a grain free cat food you don’t have to worry about wheat are corn-based fiber upsetting your cat’s stomach.

As with all Blue Buffalo products this cat food has an excellent nutritional profile. First, this cat food is packed with healthy fats like Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids to help promote a smooth shiny coat. Blue Buffalo Wilderness also contains an exclusive blend of vitamins and antioxidants to help support your cat’s digestive health and immune system.

Calories:

3,745 kcal/kg, 426 kcal/cup

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein

36.0% min

Crude Fat

16.0% min

Crude Fiber

5.0% max

Moisture

10.0% max

Magnesium

0.08% min

Taurine

0.15% min

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

0.5% min

Omega-6 Fatty Acids

2.5% min

 

 

 

Purina ONE Hairball Formula Adult Dry Cat Food

Purina ONE Hairball Formula Adult Dry Cat Food (Buy Online) is the perfect food to feed your cat if you want to say goodbye to hairballs once and for all. Like all Purina products this one is made with real meat, and it also has no added fillers. This food is made and packaged in the USA, so you can rest assured about the quality of the ingredients in this product.

Purina ONE Hairball Formula uses a special blend of natural fiber to help push hairballs through your cat’s intestines. The main source of fiber is powdered cellulose and soybean hulls. The powdered cellulose will gently help push hair through your cat’s intestines. While the soybean hulls will help push through any hard compacted hairball obstructions.

The main ingredients in Purina ONE Hairball Formula are Chicken, Corn, Rice, and Soybeans. This food also has a good assortment of added vitamins and minerals like zinc, selenium, and vitamin E. Purina ONE Hairball Formula also serves as a good source of taurine, and it is chock full of omega 3 & 6 fatty acids.

Calories:

3,910 kcal/kg, 438 kcal/cup

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein

34.0% min

Crude Fat

14.0% min

Crude Fiber

4.3% max

Moisture

12.0% max

Linoleic Acid

1.4% min

Calcium

1.0% min

Phosphorus

0.9% min

Zinc

150mg/kg min

Selenium

0.35mg/kg min

Vitamin A

10,000 IU/kg min

Vitamin E

100 IU/kg min

Taurine

0.15% min

Omega-6 Fatty Acids*

1.5% min

 

 

 

Iams Proactive Health Senior Adult Dry Cat Food Hairball Care

If you have a senior cat with a hairball problem the Iams Proactive Health Senior Adult Dry Cat Food (Buy Online) is one of your best hairball control options. This food is specially formulated to meet the nutritional needs of an aging cat, while at the same time it comes with the added benefit of controlling hairballs.

Iams Proactive Health Senior Adult Dry Cat Food prevents hairballs from forming using a blend of natural dietary fiber. This fiber not only reduces hairballs it can also help bring some regularity to and aging cats digestion.

As a cat ages, the muscles in their intestines lose some of their ability to contract. This can lead to constipation issues, which will only be magnified if they have a hairball problem. Feeding your senior cat a high fiber diet is not only a good idea for hairball control it will also help their overall health in the long run.

The main ingredients in Iams Proactive Health Senior Adult Dry Cat Food are chicken, corn, sorghum, beets, and turkey. The main source of fiber comes from powdered cellulose, so it should be gentle on an elderly cats intestines. This food also has added Omega 3 & 6 fatty acids to help protect your senior cat’s cardiovascular health.

Calories:

3,313 kcal/kg, 332 kcal/cup

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein

30.0% min

Crude Fat

11.0% min

Crude Fat

13.5% max

Crude Fiber

8.3% max

Moisture

10.0% max

Calcium

0.75% min

Phosphorus

0.65% min

Potassium

0.65% min

L-Carnitine

80 mg/kg min

Omega-6 Fatty Acids

2.0% min

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

0.2% min

 

 

 

Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Hairball Management

Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Hairball Management (Buy Online) is made for active cats that need a high energy cat food. Not only is this one of the best cat food for hairball prevention on the market, it is also one of the most nutritionally dense cat foods you can purchase.

Like most other hairball control cat foods this one uses a natural plant-based fiber to help break up hairballs before they become a problem. Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Hairball Management primarily uses powdered cellulose to do this, while some of the soybean and grain meals also contribute to this foods fiber content.

Where Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Hairball Management really stands out is its protein and calorie content. This food is guaranteed to have a minimum protein content of 40%. Feeding your cat a high protein cat food ensures that they have an ample supply of amino acids to help build strong muscles and to maintain healthy organs and tissues. The high-calorie content of this food will also fuel your cat’s energy needs throughout the day. In addition, this food is packed with essential vitamins and minerals like vitamins A, E, B12 just to name a few.

Calories:

4,153 kcal/kg, 1,888 kcal/lb, 509 kcal/cup

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein

40.0% min

Crude Fat

16.0% min

Crude Fiber

5.5% max

Moisture

12.0% max

Ash

6.2% max

Linoleic Acid

1.4% min

Vitamin A

10,000 IU/kg min

Vitamin E

400 IU/kg min

Taurine

0.15% min

 

 

 

Meow Mix Dry Cat Food Hairball Control

Meow Mix Dry Cat Food Hairball Control (Buy Online) is an affordable food to feed a cat that has a hairball problem. If you are looking for a cheap hairball diet for multiple cats Meow Mix will definitely save you some money. While Meow Mix might not be as trendy as some of the more holistic cat foods, it is one of the most popular and well-regarded cat foods on the market.

Since Meow Mix is so affordable it is a great choice if you have a clowder of cats that all need to be fed a hairball control cat food. The price per pound of this cat food is just about a couple of dollars. In most cases, this food is up to thirty percent cheaper than all the other hairball control foods you can find out there.

Even though this food is not grain free it still has a very good nutritional profile. The primary ingredients in this food are Chicken. Corn, Rice, and Beef. Then there is the added cellulose fiber which is the active ingredient that will help control hairballs. Beyond that, this food is also fortified with a wide range of vitamins and minerals.

Calories:

3,404 kcal/kg, 305 kcal/cup

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein

31.0% min

Crude Fat

11.0% min

Crude Fiber

9.0% max

Moisture

12.0% max

Calcium

1.0% min

Phosphorus

0.8% min

 

 

 

Best Wet Cat Food for Hairballs

 

 

Hill’s Science Diet Hairball Control Cat Food

Hill’s Science Diet Hairball Control Cat Food (Buy Online) is the best cat food for hairballs and vomiting on the market. If you’re looking for a wet cat food that controls hairballs and is easy on your cat’s stomach then Hill’s Science Diet Hairball Control Cat food is your best option.

Hill’s Science Diet Hairball Control Cat Food uses a blend of natural vegetable fibers to help gently push hair through your cat’s intestines. This wet cat food uses a mix of soluble and insoluble fiber to help alleviate any hairball problems. The main source of soluble fiber is powdered cellulose. While the insoluble fiber in this wet cat food is primarily made up of guar gum and locust bean gum.

The primary ingredients in this food are chicken, turkey giblets, and pork. There is also a good amount of corn, wheat and soybean meal incorporated into this product. In addition, this food has been fortified with vitamins C, E, B12 and D3 along with a wide range of other essential nutrients.

Calories:

167 kcal/ 5.5 oz can

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein

7.0% (min)

Crude Fat

4.0% (min)

Crude Fiber

5.5% (max)

Crude Fiber

5.5% (min)

Magnesium

0.03.0% (max)

Magnesium

0.011% (min)

 

 

 

BLUE Freedom Grain Free Wet Cat Food Hairball Formula

BLUE Freedom Grain Free Wet Cat Food (Buy Online) is an excellent choice if you are looking for a grain-free wet cat food that also offers hairball control. Like most Blue Buffalo products this one is totally wheat, corn and soy free, and it doesn’t contain any meat or poultry by-products.

BLUE Freedom Grain Free Wet Cat Food uses a blend of natural plant-based fibers to gently move hairballs through a cats intestines. The primary source of fiber in BLUE Freedom Grain Free Wet Cat Food is cellulose, but this food also contains ground flax seed which can also help a cat pass a larger hairball.

The primary ingredients in BLUE Freedom Grain Free Wet Cat Food are whole chicken, chicken broth, chicken liver, carrots and sweet potatoes. Fish oil is also added to this food in order to enhance its Omega 3 & 6 fatty acid content. Other notable nutrients are vitamins A, B1, B2, B12, and D3. This food also has a guaranteed minimum taurine content of 0.1%, which means this is a complete cat food.

Calories:

178 kcal/5.5 oz can, 418 kcal/12.5 oz can

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein

9.0% min

Crude Fat

6.5% min

Crude Fiber

2.0% max

Moisture

78.0% max

Taurine

0.1% min

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

0.1% min

Omega-6 Fatty Acids

0.56% min

 

 

 

Purina Pro Plan Focus Indoor Care Canned Cat Food Hairball Control

Purina Pro Plan Focus Indoor Care Canned Cat Food (Buy Online) is another excellent wet cat food to help control hairballs. This cat food is also a great choice for less active indoor cats since it is a high protein and low-fat cat food. In addition, like all other Purina products this one is made in the USA and it does not contain any artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.

As is the case with most hairball control cat foods this one uses plant-based fibers to help move hair through your cat’s intestines. The main source of fiber in this food is corn bran, but some of the other grain-based flour might also add to this foods fiber content.

The primary ingredients in Purina Pro Plan Focus Indoor Care Cat Food are Salmon, Wheat, Liver, and chicken. As was previously mentioned this food has a high protein content at 12%. While at the same time its fat content is only 2%.

Guaranteed Analysis

Crude Protein

12.0% min

Crude Fat

2.0% min

Crude Fiber

0.9% max

Moisture

78.0% max

Ash

3.0% max

Taurine

0.05% min

 

 

What to Do When Your Cat Has a Hairball

 

 

Does Wet Cat Food Help With Hairballs?

Does Wet Cat Food Help With Hairballs

If you find your cat throwing up hairballs daily in most cases it doesn’t matter if you feed them a wet or dry cat food. The key to controlling hairballs is to buy a cat food with a sufficient amount of fiber.

You can find both wet and dry cat food that is specifically formulated to control hairballs. If your cat is happy eating dry cat food then stick with that and get a dry cat food that is made to control hairballs. Otherwise, if your cat is already eating wet cat food then you can find a number of canned cat foods that control hairballs listen in this article.

 

 

Hairball Cat Food Side Effects

Hairball Cat Food Side Effects

The only side effects that are associated with cat food designed to control hairballs are usually related to the added fiber. In some cases, fiber can cause an increase in gas and bloating. This will only happen to some cats, and you really can’t predict if the added fiber will bother them until they eat it.

If you notice any symptoms like gas and bloating you should ease off on feeding them hairball cat food in order to prevent any discomfort. If the gas and bloating aren’t that bad you could mix the hairball control food with regular food and see how they handle it. Otherwise, if they can’t handle it at all you will need to try other hairball control strategies.

 

 

Does Hairball Cat Food Work?

Does Hairball Cat Food Work

In most cases, cat food that is specifically made to control hairballs will help reduce the hairball problem. Of course, every cat is different so you might see more dramatic effects in some cats versus others. In most cases, hairball control cat food will lessen the problem, but you shouldn’t expect it to totally eliminate it. The best course of action is to feed your cat a hairball control cat food and then you should also make sure to groom your cat often.

 

Mark Young
Mark has worked with a wide range animals for over 10 years, and he regularly volunteers at his local animal shelter. Mark has decided to share his years of knowledge by writing helpful guides for both new and experienced pet owners