What are Fur Balls?

[Cloudminnow]

My cat keeps being sick - she'll go many weeks without being sick then will have a few weeks where she's sick almost daily. She has always been like this and is now about 2 years old. In the sick there is sometimes something that looks like matted hair, but it is in a cylindrical shape, not a ball shape. Could this be fur balls, even though it's cylindrical?

that is exactly what they are when cats lick themselves clean some of the fur gets swallowed usually it goes through thier system and goes out with the poo, but if a cat is grooming a lot especially in the summer it sticks in thier stomach and the best way for cat to get rid is to throw it up instead nothing major to worry about

Thanks issey - that is reassuring.

Yep, it's good old hair balls, worse in long haired cats than shorties.

Best to groom the fluffy ones once a week - you won't believe how much comes off 'em! Better off on the brush, than swallowed then yacked up on the rug / your bed / you later, iyswim.

They can spend some time throwing up before the hair ball itself actually dislodges, plus once it's actually out their stomachs seem a bit tender for a while which tends to mean even more vomming.

All entirely normal, if a bit startling when you aren't used to it!

Is it best to stop feeding them for a while afterwards?

Mine seem to want to eat after bringing up hairballs, throw up and go straight off to find some food. It doesn't seem to bother them- they don't throw it up afterwards anyway. If it's just one hairball they would likely be fine- but if like cailleach said they are being sick for a while they might appriciate something a little lighter like chicken to help them settle.

I use a rubber brush on my short haired cats- grabs loads and loads of hair which is great right now as they all seem to be shedding.

My 10 month old kitten has brought up one hair ball a few months ago. It looked like a grey cement coloured sausage