Member

Posts: 120
From:West Chester, PA.
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 03-06-2004 06:15 PM         

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I have two 9 month old kittens that over the last few weeks have been 'coughing/gaging' maybe 3 times a week. They never throw anything up and only do the gaging thing for a few seconds so I am thinking that they MIGHT be getting hairballs. Do kittens that are 9 months get hairballs?

I was think of starting a preventive treatment, so I asked my vet, and they handed me a tube of tuna flavored petroleum jelly that cost $15.00. PETROLEUM JELLY???

My vet (who a trust VERY MUCH) says that I can use the good old vaseline petroleum jelly in the stores too, only the tuna stuff smells better to cats.

Thoughts, ideas????

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Member

Posts: 107
From:fort myers, fl. usa
Registered: Feb 2004

posted 03-06-2004 07:59 PM         

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i used to have a cat that would get hairballs and the hairball dry cat food worked fine 4 me i think it was made by purina....

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Member

Posts: 120
From:West Chester, PA.
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 03-07-2004 05:55 AM         

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My kittnes are 9 months old and still on kitten food until they at least 1 yr. old. I didnt want to start a hairball formula cat food until after they turn 1.

Did anyone here ever hear of petroleum jelly for hairballs??

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Member

Posts: 701
From:CA
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 03-07-2004 10:37 AM         

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Hello. Yes, even kittens can get hairballs. Petroleum jelly will tend to lubricate the offending hairball and allow it to pass safely out the rectum. If you have not done this already, you may want to start by brushing your kitties daily. This will remove excess hairs that may end up causing hairballs. This worked great for my cat and he no longer has hairball issues. Most cats also love to be brushed.

If you already brush them daily and they are still getting hairballs than the petroleum jelly will help a lot. However, it's not a replacment for daily brushing. Although the petroleum jelly will help the hairball pass through the body, daily brushing will help minimize the chances of getting hairballs in the first place.

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Member

Posts: 996
From:sheridan, wy
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 03-07-2004 08:53 PM         

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Petromalt and laxatone are OTC hairball remedies which are basically petroleum jelly. Laxatone is probably what your vet sold you. They are palatable to cats, so they take them a lot better than straight petroleum jelly. You can probably get it cheaper at Petsmart.

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Member

Posts: 120
From:West Chester, PA.
Registered: Nov 2003

posted 03-09-2004 05:59 AM         

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Thanks everyone. I do brush both my kitties everyday, and they LOVE IT, both of them grunt and purr so loud it's funny!

I was a litte 'concerned' with the vaseline petroleum jelly because although it is 100% petrol. jelly, it did say that there is a small fragrance added (smells like a 'baby'), which I was very concerned about making my kitties sick. My vet said as a "treatment only" maybe 1-2 times a week I could give them the vaseline stuff. I went to Petsmart, Petco and Pets Supplies Plus and ALL 3 stores were sold out of the Petromalt (which is what I wanted to give both of them in the 1st place because I heard great things about it). I am going to stop by today to see if they got any more in.
Also does anyone out there know anything about insurance for your cats/kittens? Like health insurance, etc. I was thinking about getting some and wanted some recommedations.

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New Member

Posts: 4
From:Maple, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Mar 2004

posted 03-09-2004 11:27 AM         

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I have also used petroleum jelly in the past.
I was told by a Vet that it is okay that for
the short term , but if you have
to use it for an extened period it will leach
some of the nutrients, vitamins, minerals from
your cat's body. Therefore, you really should
use a remedy that has petroleum plus any
necessary ingredients that the petroleum destroys. Are the hair balls bad? Maybe you
should also get cat food that contains more
fiber which will help the hair move more easily through the digestive system. And,
brush, brush, brush!!!!! PS: My cats get
Metamucil for extra fiber and they rarely
get hair balls.

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