If Your Cat Has Hairballs, These 8 Products Can Help (2025)

Hairballs are clumps of partially digested hair that occur when a cat grooms itself with their sandpaper-like tongue, creating a clump of dead hair that is expelled from their stomach by coughing and vomiting.Some cats can dispose of these hairballs with ease, while others need a bit of assistance. Certain mineral oils, petroleum jellies, and other products can be used safely to expel hairballs.

“When they can’t expel it, it can become really dangerous,” Cat Wellness and Behavior Expert Jackson Galaxy told The Spruce Pets. “Lubing up your cat's digestive system to help pass a hairball is the only predictable way to help.”

The Winners

After researching and trying out at least a dozen hairball remedies, our top favorite is the Tomlyn Laxatone Hairball Remedy, for its ease of administration, simple ingredients, omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acid nutrients, and flavor choices of maple, tuna and catnip. It can also be given to kittens as young as four weeks old, and is safe for daily use. Another great choice is the Royal Canin Hairball Care canned wet food for its protein-rich slices, hydrating gravy, and special fiber blend to move hairballs smoothly through the digestive system. We also recommend these hairball remedies which might be a better fit for your cat's needs.

Best Dry Food: Purina Plus Hairball Formula Cat Food

Best Treast: Temptations Indoor Care

Best for Prevention: Cat Lax Hairball Supplement

Best for Picky Eaters: Pet Honesty Cat Hairball Support Chews

A Holistic Choice: Weruva Pumpkin Patch-Up! Pumpkin Pouches

Best Brush: Mars Coat King Brush

What We Like: Simple ingredients; easy to administer; laxative for easy hairball removal

What We Don't Like: May be difficult getting your cat to ingest it

Our top hairball remedy not only assists your cat’s digestive system in smoothly passing hairballs, it also supports a healthy coat and skin with its vet-approved formula of ingredients including soybean oil, light mineral oil, antioxidant and B-vitamin rich malt syrup, omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids.

It works for both long and short-haired breeds, and can be given to kittens as young as four weeks old. The gel is highly palatable and comes with a choice of three flavors (maple, tuna, or catnip). It’s also a cinch to administer by applying a quarter to a half teaspoon of gel to the top of your cat’s paw to simply be licked off as they’re grooming themselves. You can use it safely every day for the elimination of hairballs, and then go down to administering once weekly for maintenance and prevention.

Safe for daily use

What We Like: Rich in protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals; special fiber blend to move hairballs; food slices are covered in hydrating gravy

What We Don't Like: Expensive

Royal Canin’s Hairball Care formula has top ingredients of hydrating water, chicken and pork by-products—which is what’s left after the meat that humans eat is removed— like livers, kidneys and other organ meats, which are rich in protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.

It’s also got a special fiber and highly digestible protein blend that helps move hairballs along smoothly out of the digestive tract. This formula works for cats one year of age and older. It can also be paired with Royal Canin Hairball Care dry cat food.

Gravy provides additional hydration

What We Like: Has real chicken as first ingredient; offers complete nutrition; sup

What We Don't Like: Second ingredient is corn meal

Purine One +Plus Hairball Formula cat food is high in fiber to help your cat more easily digest the material that would otherwise be coughed up in hairballs. The dry kibble formula is affordably priced, readily available at most supermarkets, big box stores, and major online retailers, and the food has an appealing texture and flavor that most cats seem to enjoy.

The food is manufactured in the United States, the first ingredient is always real chicken, and in addition to digestive health, the fiber-rich food promotes a healthy immune system and a shiny coat. If your cat prefers wet food, Purina One also offers a hydrating canned cat food, Purina One Indoor + Hairball, made with ocean fish as the first ingredient.

Manufactured in the United States

What We Like: Effective for hairball control; good value for price; available in most stores that sell pet supplies; low calorie

What We Don't Like: No longer called specifically ‘hairball control’, now called ‘indoor care’, but seems to still work just as well; kittens younger than 6 months can’t have them

At only two calories per treat, Temptations Indoor Care treats are good for any cat with hairball problems, even those watching their weight. They’re yummy and effective, in addition to being very affordable and readily available. You’ll need to give 16 treats per 10 pounds of body weight each day, or you can serve these along with a main meal by following the dosage directions on the packaging.

We recommend giving these treats along with a hairball preventative dry or wet food that your cat enjoys (like one of our top picks!) for best results.

Less than two calories per treat

What We Like: tasty with a dual texture; effective hairball preventative; helps keep skin healthy

What We Don't Like: Pricey

Pet Honesty Cat Hairball Support Chews can be given daily and even the pickiest cats we know find the flavor and combination texture—crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside—hard to resist. The formula is designed to reset your cat's digestive system to target current hairballs and reduce future episodes.

The recommended dosage is one pellet per pound to help improve a cat's hairball condition. Plus, the bite-sized chews are made in the United States. Ingredients include apple pomace, citrus fiber, psyllium husk, and omega-3s, and exclude corn, soy, and wheat. The chews are conveniently packaged in resealable bags with a 30-day supply for one cat inside.

Promotes healthy skin and coat

What We Like: Main ingredients of cod liver oil and vitamin E promote healthy coat; tasty formula; good for both prevention and elimination; suitable for kittens

What We Don't Like: Not palatable to all cats

Cat Lax is highly effective at both the prevention and elimination of hairballs, and is readily accepted by most cats. Its primary ingredients of cod liver oil and vitamin E work together to nourish your cat’s coat and improve their digestion overall. To administer, just squeeze an inch of gel out of the tube onto the back of your cat’s paw, and they should lick it off right away.

It’s okay to give cats of average weight Cat Lax once daily, up to two or three times per week. The formula is safe to give to kittens too, although you should adjust the amount according to their size, or contact your veterinarian for guidance before administering.

Easy to administer

What We Like: Convenient snack-sized pouches; three flavor options; can be frozen

What We Don't Like: Doesn’t agree with every pet’s digestion

These handy pouches of pumpkin puree are the ideal size for a treat or for topping or blending into a meal for your cat. You can choose the plain pumpkin flavor or opt for a blend of coconut oil and flaxseed, or a third choice with ginger and turmeric— which surprisingly has the same calming effect on cats’ bellies that it has on human digestion. It can be given to dogs, too.

The fun part is that you can freeze these flavorful purees into popsicles, bite-size frozen treats, or spoon some into favorite toys and freeze it for your kitty to enjoy licking on a warm day. Recommended by holistic vets, these formulas are bursting with antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, consisting of soluble and insoluble fibers for optimal gut health.

Free of GMOs

We tested 23 different cat hair brushes with real cats, and the Mars Coat King brush was our favorite. While slicker brushes and other dematting tools may be more effective at removing hair, the boar bristles on the Mars Coat King brush are soft enough that your cat won’t avoid the brush, making a brushing habit easier to maintain. Its birchwood handle is comfortable and easy to wield, which makes maintenance brushing easier on you too.

By brushing your cat a few times a week, you can remove hair that might otherwise end up in their stomach, stopping hairballs before they form.

Easy to clean

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What to Look for in Hairball Remedies

Common Active Ingredients

Most hairball remedies are strong laxatives that help a cat clean out their bowels. According to Galaxy, “they're all a combination of petroleum jelly and a lot of time, mineral oil and flavoring” and therefore all work according to a similar method—encouraging clumped hair to pass through your cat’s feces so your cat doesn’t have to cough it up. Some foods and treats help mitigate hairball creation by further easing digestion with omega fatty acids and other oils.

Serving Remedies to Your Cat

Getting your cat to take a laxative might prove difficult, but there are a few different methods. Since most are created with a flavor they enjoy, you can put some on your finger and have them lick it off. Another popular method is to apply the paste directly to your cat’s paw or nose, which will encourage them to clean off the substance with their tongue. You can also try mixing it into their food to try to trick them to ingest. You may also need to try an option other than a paste, such as a treat-flavored pill pocket to tantalize their taste buds.

FAQ

  • Are hairball remedies safe?

    Yes, most hairball remedies are safe. Different jellies or oils should just pass through your cat, allowing them to leave hairballs in their litter boxes.


    However, Dr. Wolfe reminds us that, “All cat vomiting is not due to hairballs. They need to be checked out to make sure they don't have a gastrointestinal problem.”

  • How do you help a cat pass a hairball?

    “When they can’t expel it, it can become really dangerous,” Cat Wellness and Behavior Expert Jackson Galaxy told The Spruce Pets. “Lubing up your cat's digestive system to help pass a hairball is the only predictable way to help.”


    Hairball gels that cats can lick off a spoon (or a tiny dab of coconut oil, if your cat can tolerate it) or powder laxatives that can be sprinkled on their food are great ways to help them out with passing hairballs. You can also try adding fiber to their diet with one half teaspoon of pumpkin puree (must be pure pumpkin without any added sugar or spice), working up to an eventual full teaspoon over time if they digest it well.


    Dr. Wolfe also recommends Vetasyl, which can be sprinkled in the amount of one capsule per day over your cat’s food, as well as gels like CatLax and Laxatone.

  • How do you know if your cat has a hairball problem?

    “If he or she vomits a tubular-like vomitus with much hair in it, that is a hairball.” saysDr. Wolfe.

  • How often should you give a cat a hairball remedy?

    This depends on which type of remedy you’re using. Generally, using as directed on the package is the best way to go, as long as your cat can tolerate the treatment in those amounts. Hairball gels and pastes are usually good to use two or three times weekly, while fiber capsules like Vetasyl can be sprinkled on your cat’s food once daily. Other hairball chews and treats are often recommended to be given daily (or for a few days, as needed) based on your cat’s weight.

Why Trust The Spruce Pets?

This article was updated by KJ Callihan, a writer for The Spruce Pets who has also worked in animal shelters, helped socialize animals for adoption, and fostered animals of various kinds. KJ is a bonafide cat lady who also loves dogs, her household currently includes a cat named Arlo who enjoys napping in the sun, stashing his toys under KJ’s favorite chair, and hunting insects on the patio in his spare time. KJ interviewed veterinarian Dr. Gail Wolfe for some additional expertise on hairball remedies.

For hairball reduction at home, KJ relies on Temptations Indoor Care Chicken Flavor Soft and Crunchy treats every day. She also brushes her cat, vacuums his favorite spots regularly, and make sure he’s drinking enough water. Cats can become dehydrated easily, which may contribute to hairballs, so KJ's veterinarian recommended daily wet food be added to Arlo’s diet in addition to his dry food—as well as plenty of water—to manage hairballs.

This roundup was originally written by Steven Asarch, a freelance writer and product expert for The Spruce Pet. As a devout cat dad of two, Steven has expert experience figuring out which products are perfect for them. To get the best understanding of effective hairball remedies, Steven spoke to Jackson Galaxy, a cat expert who hosted the Animal Planet show My Cat From Hell for 11 seasons.

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