Cats in the Shade
Did you know there is actually a National Hairball Awareness Day? How could I have missed it? I find myself aware of hairballs frequently- awareness day not required. It’s simple. I go into the master bath in my home. Despite an expanse of linoleum to deposit hairballs my cats always choose my bath mat. You know, the little rug you step on when you get out of the shower to prevent yourself from falling on your butt. In my house these are no ordinary hairballs. These are 4-6 inch rockets of hair and spit and cat food, complete with a comet-like trail for dramatic effect. The worst time for hairball discovery is when stepping out of the shower. Imagine my surprise when there is nowhere to put my feet!
My kitties are big cats. Emma and Mickey are both Maine Coons in the twenty pound range. (Click here for a Wikipedia article on Maine Coons.) They make mighty big hairballs because they’re on a diet they’re eating Royal Canin food for fat cats. This food is indeed helping with their weight yet the low fat content doesn’t have enough grease to slide that hair out the proper end of the cat. My vet Dr. King suggested putting a fatty acid supplement on top of the food to help with this. My first thought was, hasn’t she ever had a cat? By international cat law any substance put on top of a cat food immediately makes that food inedible irregardless of the potential of death by starvation. I will give it shot however, just to prove that the international cat law still stands. Stay tuned.