Best cat food for hairballs
A cat food aimed at hairballs works by adding extra fibre to help swallowed fur pass through the digestive system rather than sitting in the stomach and forming a clump. It is a genuinely useful thing to look for if your cat is regularly bringing up hairballs, but it works best alongside a proper grooming routine rather than as a replacement for one.
Why cats get hairballs in the first place
Cats swallow loose fur constantly while grooming themselves, and most of it passes through the gut without any trouble. A hairball forms when enough fur accumulates in the stomach to clump together rather than moving on, which a cat then usually brings up rather than passing it the rest of the way through.
Long-haired breeds, heavy shedders, and cats who groom themselves excessively, whether from habit or stress, tend to bring up hairballs more often than the average shorthair. Older cats can also be more prone to it as their gut motility slows down a little with age.
What a hairball-formula food actually does
Foods marketed for hairball control typically contain added fibre, often from ingredients such as beet pulp or cellulose, which bulks up what passes through the gut and helps carry swallowed hair along with it rather than letting it sit still long enough to clump. Some recipes also support a healthy coat, on the basis that less loose hair shed and swallowed means fewer hairballs in the first place.
This is a genuine mechanism rather than a marketing gimmick, but it works gradually as part of an ongoing diet rather than as an instant fix for a cat already struggling with a hairball. Switch to any new food gradually over a week or so, mixing it with the old food, to avoid an upset stomach in the process.
Grooming still does most of the work
Regular brushing, particularly for long-haired cats, removes loose fur before your cat swallows it, which does more to reduce hairballs day to day than any food alone. A few short brushing sessions a week, more often during a heavy shed, is worth pairing with any dietary change rather than relying on the food by itself.
If hairballs become frequent, or your cat seems to be struggling to bring one up, straining, or seems off their food, that is worth mentioning to your vet rather than assuming a food change will resolve it. Occasional hairballs are normal; frequent ones are worth a proper look.
What we stock
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
James Wellbeloved Hairball Adult Dry Cat Food Turkey
Single-protein turkey dry food for cats, with natural fibres to reduce hairballs
£24.65
Iams Hairball Dry Cat Food Chicken
Complete dry cat food built around a fibre blend for hairball control, wheat-free recipe
£12.50
Purina One Adult Cat Coat & Hairball Chicken
A complete dry cat food with chicken and fish oil, formulated for coat condition and hairballs
£19.29
Vetiq Healthy Bites Hairball Remedy Cat Treats
Functional hairball treats for cats, with malt and inulin to support digestion
£2.30
Johnson's Hairball Remedy
A 50g malt-flavoured paste to help eliminate and prevent hairballs in cats and kittens
£4.99
Beaphar Hairball Paste 2 in 1
A 2-in-1 hairball paste for cats from 6 weeks, one stripe malt, one prebiotic MOS
£6.82
Beaphar Hairball Easy Treats
Malt-paste cat treats to help hairballs pass naturally, 5-10 a day as a treat
£3.09
Whiskas 1+ Salmon Adult Dry Cat Food
Complete salmon dry food for adult cats in a practical 1.9KG bag
£12.39
Whiskas Kitten Chicken Dry Cat Food
Complete chicken dry food for kittens, available in several bag sizes
From£3.19
James Wellbeloved Grain Free Adult Dry Cat Food Turkey
A grain-free turkey dry food for adult cats, with potato rather than rice or wheat for carbohydrate
£24.65
James Wellbeloved Kitten Dry Cat Food Fish
Single-protein fish dry food for growing kittens, excluding common allergens
£21.79
James Wellbeloved Senior Dry Cat Food Turkey
A single-source turkey dry food for senior cats, formulated with added joint-care ingredients
From£21.79
Common questions
- How often is it normal for a cat to bring up a hairball?
- An occasional hairball, roughly once every few weeks for an average shorthair, is generally considered normal. If it is happening much more often than that, particularly in a shorthaired cat, it is worth mentioning to your vet rather than assuming it is simply how your cat is.
- Do hairball foods work for every cat?
- Most cats tolerate a hairball-formula food well, since it is simply a food with added fibre, but individual cats vary in how much difference they notice. Introduce it gradually and give it a few weeks before judging whether it has genuinely reduced how often hairballs appear.
- Does brushing really reduce hairballs?
- Yes, and for most cats it makes more difference than a change of food alone. Removing loose fur before your cat swallows it during grooming is the most direct way to reduce how much ends up forming a hairball in the first place.
- Are hairballs ever a sign of a bigger problem?
- Occasionally. Very frequent hairballs, or a cat who seems to be repeatedly trying and failing to bring one up, can point to an underlying digestive issue rather than simple grooming. If you are ever concerned, it is best to get your cat checked over rather than wait and see.
Related
Sources
Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.