(Photo) my cat just threw this up - hairball?

[Calyx72]

My cat is 13, a house cat all his days, we got him about 8 years ago after his previous owner died.

He used to eat only Royal Canin wet food as allergic (skin scabs +++) to any cat food from supermarkets etc

I changed about 5 or 6 weeks ago to Katkins which after a few weeks of soft stools, he is doing great with - more energy and softer fur, no constipation (after being constipated a lot on RC)

I think he has a UTI in the past few days as licking his bits and not happy going to wee. He has been better yesterday and today with weeing.

But he just chucked this up in front of me and if I hadn't seen him do it I would have thought it was a poo

Do I need to see if a vet will see him or watch and wait? He seems okay now, sitting on me purring

Yes that's a hairball, perfectly normal and would be big if he hasn't had one in a while, plus food has been changed. Is it a similar colour to his fur? The first time
My black cat did one I was very shocked!

Looks like a kebab

Def hairball.

Probably shedding some of his winter coat. This alone is nothing to contact vet about-perfectly normal. Just surprised in 13 years he's never done it before!

Classic hairball. We are depressingly familiar with them...

If he's been down in the dumps recently, getting rid of this will probably cheer him up no end

Thank you thank you. Yes it's the same colour as him. He hairballs quite often but never even nearly this size! I got a fright and now feel like a dafty but thank you

Give him a run over with a zoom groom every day and he won’t get them so much. Not with a furminator though, I tried with mine and the poor sod was bald after a while.

I brush him with an ordinary hairbrush but not much comes off. I do have one of those brushes that is supposed to help with moulting but haven't used it recently, will try it maybe once a week thanks

I'm not the best after this thread! Good God, I think I'd vomit on the spot if I found that.

Why are they called hair balls? That's no more the shape of a ball

Sorry, meant to say I'm glad your cats feeling better. He's lovely - I love black cats.

Ahh he's gorgeous and hopefully you are relieved and suitably chastised by THAT glare

Our previous cat ( tortie/white) seemed to save a hairball for when she needed to show her disgust . They were usually left on the stairs , looked very much like a turd but were very tightly packed manky furballs.

Our current pair (both black cats like yours) like to throw up frothy grass spit , on the carpet , obvs .

Thanks yes I was fairly queasy too, watching in horror! His healthy looking glare is a relief

He is beautiful thanks

@70isaLimitNotaTarget he does tend to do them (much much smaller ones!) if we are having a lie in on a Sunday and he is bored

That is one impressive hairball, he’ll feel a lot better after that!

Btw, he’s judging you for shaming him on MN... expect the next one on your pillow (or in your shoe)

Agree with everyone else that that is a hair ball. Please keep an eye on his weeing though. Glad to hear he’s doing better today and yesterday, but urinary problems in male cats can sometimes be very serious, so if he starts acting like he can’t go, or stretching/rolling like he’s in pain, please take him to a vet asap.

@Myneighboursnorlax thank you. It happened once a year or two ago and I read up and took him, he got medication which sorted it, I am monitoring in case it stops improving but he does seem better