Hairballs are often the source of comedy when it comes to depicting felines, however anyone who’s ever witnessed- or worse, stepped on- a hairball you know it’s no joke.

Hairballs are a product of a kitty’s grooming during which the tiny shapes of their tongue pull off loose and dead hairs which they swallow (gross, right?) Usually, that hair just passes right out without issue, according to WebMD.

If it doesn’t though, then it becomes a hairball.

Hairballs without massive regularly aren’t a huge concern, however they are pretty avoidable with regular brushing. This brushing will remove the majority of the loose hair so the cat’s natural grooming removes less. Try to get into a routine of brushing your cat regularly so they will grow accustom to it and, hopefully, look forward to it.

If your cat seems to hate brushing, just be patient. Try to do the brushing in one place the cat can associate with the activity and try to make that activity pleasing to them. Get the right brush for your pet, a shorter and gentler brush for a short hair and a longer and possibly metal toothed comb for a long hair. When you go to brush, don’t jump right into it. Pet them first, introduce the brush intermittently and pay attention to how your kitty is responding. Don’t over do it, give them a treat, and try again next session to get more actual brushing in.

However, if hairballs happen more often, consider getting a food that specialized for hairball avoidance. It will contain more fiber to help improve digestion and minimize shedding. There’s also product outside of food that you can add in.

Hairballs can also stem from excessive grooming, more than usual. If you think that’s a problem for your cat, try distracting them from it and introduce a different activity. The grooming may stem from boredom.

Additionally, if the grooming still occurs when you attempt this and you’ve noticed patches where the cat is licking the hair off, that might be a bigger issue. If that happens or hairballs are a massive issue for your pet, consider a vet visit to investigate the problem further.

For many pet owners, hairballs are few and far between. For some though, they are an issue and it’s important to try to avoid them since they are no fun for your cat- or for the person who discovers one!