Cats have soft fur, but his fur can result in hairballs. Cats groom themselves using their tongues, and as a result they ingest the dead, loose hair. Most of this passes through the digestive tract, but sometimes it can irritate the stomach lining, and the cat will regurgitate this mass of hair. Invariably, this hairball will be left on your rug or some other conspicuous spot. Although there is no cure for hairballs, there are a few things you can do to minimize them.

• Groom your cat. By brushing your cat often, you are removing the dead hair. Following the brushing, wipe your cat with a damp cloth, removing any remaining loose hairs. This will mean that your cat will swallow less fur as they groom themself. When a cat grooms itself, the loose fur becomes trapped in its tongue, leaving the cat unable to spit it back out. When swallowed, the hair will either pass through the intestinal tract or be regurgitated as a hairball. Reducing the amount of fur your cat swallows will reduce the occurrence of hairballs.

• Use a hairball product. There are products such as cat food and treats made specifically to reduce the number of hairballs.  They lubricate the digestive tract to help hair pass through without causing a hairball.