What food helps cats with hairballs? A practical South African guide
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What food helps cats with hairballs? For most adult cats, the most useful starting point is a complete hairball-control food with added dietary fibre, supported by regular brushing and adequate moisture. Functional treats, cat grass and hairball gels can play different supporting roles, but they are not interchangeable and frequent vomiting should never be treated as “just hairballs”.
This guide compares the main options available in South Africa, including Kit Cat and Hill’s hairball foods, hairball-control treats, broths, cat grass, Laxapet and The Apartment Cat’s complete hairball-control bundle.
Quick answer: what should I give my cat for hairballs?
| Option | What it does | Best used for |
|---|---|---|
| Complete hairball-control food | Adds dietary fibre intended to help swallowed hair pass through the digestive tract | The daily nutritional foundation for an otherwise healthy adult cat prone to hairballs |
| Functional hairball treats | Provide fibre or hairball-focused ingredients in a complementary treat | Supporting a complete diet; not replacing it |
| Wet food, broth or food topper | Adds moisture and can encourage a cat to eat | Supporting hydration alongside a complete diet; not a direct hairball treatment |
| Cat grass | Offers safe edible greens and roughage | An optional, supervised addition for cats that enjoy nibbling grass |
| Hairball gel | Provides targeted support for constipation or hairball impaction according to the product label | Short-term or veterinarian-guided use rather than a substitute for diagnosis |
| Regular brushing | Removes loose hair before the cat swallows it | Every hairball-control routine, especially for medium- and long-haired cats |
Why do cats get hairballs?
A cat’s tongue collects loose hair during grooming. Most swallowed hair passes through the stomach and intestines and leaves in the stool. A hairball forms when enough hair remains in the stomach to clump together and is later vomited as a compact, usually tube-shaped mass.
Long-haired cats, heavy shedders and cats that groom excessively may swallow more hair. Indoor cats can also shed throughout the year. Diet can help with the movement of swallowed hair, but it cannot fix matting, fleas, itchy skin, pain or stress-related overgrooming. Those causes need to be addressed separately.
What should I look for in a hairball-control cat food?
Look for a complete food made for your cat’s life stage, with a clearly identified hairball-control function and feeding guidance on the pack. Fibre is the main nutritional feature. Different formulas may use insoluble and fermentable fibre sources to support normal intestinal transit.
Research in long-haired cats has found that diets containing psyllium and higher total dietary fibre can increase the amount of hair passed in faeces. That does not mean every cat needs a high-fibre diet or that crude-fibre percentages can be compared perfectly between products. The whole formula, your cat’s health and how well the food is tolerated matter too. See the published dietary-fibre study.
Kit Cat Chicken Cuisine Hairball Control
Kit Cat Chicken Cuisine Hairball Control is complete and balanced dry food for adult cats. Kit Cat lists dietary fibre for hairball management, with chicken, taurine, fructooligosaccharides and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the formula. Its guaranteed analysis lists a maximum crude-fibre level of 5%.
This is the practical choice for someone who wants an everyday adult food with a specific hairball-control function at a more accessible price point. Introduce it gradually and measure the daily amount according to the bag, particularly when wet food and treats are also served.
Hill’s Science Plan Hairball & Perfect Coat
Hill’s Science Plan Hairball & Perfect Coat Adult is another complete dry food for adult cats. Hill’s describes its Advanced Fibre Technology as helping swallowed hair pass through the gut, while vitamin E and omega-6 fatty acids support skin and coat condition. The South African Hill’s product information provides the manufacturer’s full feeding guidance.
Choose between Kit Cat and Hill’s according to your cat’s age, tolerance, preferences, current diet and your veterinarian’s advice. Neither is automatically “best” for every cat. The best food is the complete formula your cat can eat consistently and tolerate well.
Do hairball treats work?
Hairball treats can support a daily routine, but they are complementary foods. They should not replace a complete meal, and several fibre-based products should not be stacked together casually.
INABA Churu Hairball Control Chicken Recipe is a high-moisture, lickable complementary treat made with chicken and insoluble cellulose. It can be served from the tube, in a bowl or as a topper.
For a crunchy option, choose the Hairball Control variant of Kit Cat Purrfect Pockets. It has a crisp shell and creamy centre. The variant matters: the Purrfect Pockets range also contains products made for other functions, so select Hairball Control rather than assuming every flavour does the same job.
Treats should remain a small part of the day’s intake. Follow the pack instructions and adjust the main food allowance if treats are given regularly.
Can broth or wet food help with hairballs?
Broth and wet food are useful for moisture, not because they dissolve hairballs. A cat that eats mostly dry food may benefit from a measured wet addition and constant access to fresh water. Moisture supports normal digestive health, but it does not replace fibre, grooming or veterinary care.
INABA Dashi Delights is a complementary 70g topper with shredded chicken in bonito-flake dashi broth. It can be served over complete food or separately as an occasional treat. Because the recipes differ, check for chicken, fish, shellfish or dairy sensitivities.
Rocky & Rosie Chicken Bone Broth Powder and Rocky & Rosie Beef Bone Broth Powder are complementary powdered supplements that can be mixed with water or added to food according to their labels. They are hydration-support options, not hairball medicines.
Does cat grass help with hairballs?
Cat grass can offer safe edible greens and roughage, particularly for indoor cats, but it should be treated as an optional supplement rather than a proven hairball cure. Some cats enjoy it; others ignore it. Too much grass can cause vomiting, so access should be supervised.
Kunduchi Super Grass is an easy-to-grow pet-grass kit that usually sprouts in approximately 7–12 days. It gives indoor cats a safer alternative to chewing unknown houseplants or outdoor grass that may have been treated with chemicals.
When should I use Laxapet?
Kyron Laxapet is a palatable malt-based laxative gel used to help treat constipation and support the prevention and treatment of hairball impaction in cats. Give it only according to the product label and veterinary advice. It is not a daily food, and it should not be used to mask recurring vomiting, constipation or retching.
Ask your veterinarian before combining Laxapet with other hairball remedies, supplements or oral medication. Kittens, pregnant or nursing cats and cats with persistent symptoms need veterinary guidance before use.
Why brushing belongs in a hairball routine
Food deals with hair after it has been swallowed. Brushing acts earlier by removing loose hair from the coat. A suitable brush is therefore one of the most direct additions to a hairball-control routine.
The Mikki Classic Soft Pin Slicker – Small is intended for suitable medium, long, silky, double or thick coats. Use gentle strokes, do not force the brush through tight mats and never brush broken or irritated skin.
A complete option: Hairball Control Plus
If you want the food, treats, grooming tool and targeted support in one routine, the Hairball Control Plus Bundle for Cats contains:
- Kit Cat Chicken Cuisine Hairball Control Dry Cat Food — 1.2kg
- Kit Cat Purrfect Pockets Hairball Control — 60g
- INABA Churu Hairball Control Chicken Recipe — 4 × 14g
- Mikki Classic Soft Pin Slicker — Small
- Kyron Laxapet Laxative Gel — 50g
- M-PETS Lint Roller — 100 sheets
- The Apartment Cat practical hairball-control guide
The bundle is designed as a seven-part household routine, not as a veterinary treatment. It combines a complete adult food, two complementary hairball treats, grooming, targeted gel support and clean-up. The lint roller is for clothing and furnishings, not the cat. The evidence must be handled discreetly.
When is a hairball a reason to call the vet?
Occasional hairballs can occur in otherwise healthy cats. Contact your veterinarian if hairballs occur more than once a month, suddenly become more frequent, or are accompanied by repeated retching, appetite loss, weight loss, lethargy, abdominal pain, constipation or difficulty keeping food and water down. Frequent vomiting may be caused by gastrointestinal disease, parasites, hyperthyroidism, food intolerance or excessive grooming rather than a simple hairball problem.
VCA Animal Hospitals advises contacting a veterinarian when a cat vomits hairballs more than once a month and notes that vomiting, abdominal pain and lack of bowel movements can indicate an obstruction. Read its guidance on vomiting in cats and trichobezoars in cats.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best cat food for hairballs in South Africa?
For an otherwise healthy adult cat, start with a complete hairball-control food that suits the cat’s age, health and preferences. Kit Cat Chicken Cuisine Hairball Control and Hill’s Science Plan Hairball & Perfect Coat are two locally available options. Introduce any new food gradually.
Is wet or dry food better for hairballs?
The formulation matters more than the format alone. Hairball-control dry food can provide targeted fibre, while wet food and broth add moisture. Many cats can use both as part of a measured, complete diet.
Can I give my cat hairball treats every day?
Only if the manufacturer’s feeding directions allow it and the treats remain within your cat’s daily treat allowance. Hairball treats are complementary and should not displace complete food.
Can I combine hairball food, treats, grass and Laxapet?
Do not automatically combine several fibre or laxative products. Start with the simplest appropriate routine and ask your veterinarian before stacking supplements or using Laxapet with medication.
Do I need a special bowl for hairballs?
No bowl has been proven to prevent hairballs. A suitable bowl may help a particular cat eat comfortably, but hairball management depends more directly on grooming, an appropriate complete diet, moisture and investigation of frequent symptoms.
The practical bottom line
The best hairball plan is usually not one miracle product. Begin with regular brushing and an appropriate complete food. Add a functional treat or moisture-rich topper where useful, use cat grass only as an optional supervised supplement, and reserve Laxapet for label-directed or veterinary-guided support. If the hairballs are frequent, the next product should not be another treat. It should be a veterinary appointment.
Your cat has already handled the grooming. The administration is now with the household.