Hairball diet/maintenance for a cat that hates being brushed

[EatYourFive]

My cat has just been through gastric surgery to remove a hairball and I was just wondering how to avoid repeating this experience going forward. She absolutely hates brushing, I have spent a fortune on different brushes and googled every trick possible. She doesn't even like anyone touching her body, she loves affection but it's strictly head/neck strokes only, everywhere else is completely off limits, no room for negotiation.

The vet suggested a hairball diet and/or professional grooming or even a lion cut but that looks a bit extreme..

Can anyone recommend a hairball diet that is reasonably priced? The other problem I have is that our other cat is incredibly fussy when it comes to food and will only eat whiskas fish pouches. I have tried introducing our long-haired cat to better diets before and she'll eat most things, but when I turn my back she helps herself to my other cats whiskas meal (the other cat only eats a little and then bolts off).

I have already got elevated food bowls for her which have really helped with her regular vomiting but now I wonder if that's why she didn't bring up that hairball that got stuck..

Or is a regular trim or lion cut the best way forward?
Both cats are currently indoors only as we live next to a busy road but we are planning to cat proof our garden this

Hi we've recently got a Maine coon kitten and the breeder recommend hairball paste in with his food to help stop issues, don't know if you've tried it but our kitten really likes it

Malt paste here but she doesn’t mind being groomed. Cat grass? Pets at home sell it.

I used to feed my cats iams hairball dry food and that seemed to work. Now they won't eat it, I've definitely noticed an increase in hairballs

My indoor cats are brush refusers so I use anti hairball dry food, grow cat grass, and feed anti hairball treats.

I think Girlcat did once or twice cough up a hairball (in 6 years), Boycat tends to throw up hair soup occasionally so gets rid before it balls up properly. They are both "good" vomiters, so I'd imagine they shif hair before it gets balled up.

Then again, I have long hair and sometimes when cleaning out the litter tray I'll find poo hanging like a string of sausages held together by one of my hairs .

Friends have a long-haired Maine Coone who goes ballistic at the sight of a brush, and anti-hairball food didn't help. The only solution they've found is a lion cut at the vets under sedation once a year, generally in the summer. It's obviously going to become more of a problem as she gets older and sedation becomes more of a risk.

Thanks everyone. I think I will give the hairball paste a try first. Not overly keen on the lion cut especially if it needs sedation.. Can't find any local cat groomers although not sure how they'd be able to groom her when the vets couldn't even check her tummy after the surgery, and this was when she was still drowsy from the drugs!

@allergictoironing I like the term brush refuser, will use it from now on.

I wouldn't assume a lion cut has to involve sedation until you try it, my friend's cat has one regularly and is fine with it, no sedation required.

We use hairball treats and hairball paste for our cats in addition to dry hairball food. You could maybe try microchip feeders if your cats are inclined to eat each other's food (they're not cheap, although then again neither is surgery I suppose!).