Hairballs can cause vomiting, loss of appetite and constipation in your cat. In rare cases, removal may require surgery. Spare your cat from these problems by following these guidelines.
 
  
 
 
  Steps: 
1.   Brush your cat daily, especially while she's shedding, to help prevent hairballs from forming in the stomach. 
 
2.   Use a bristle or rubber brush for shorthaired cats. 
 
3.   Brush longhaired felines with a wide-toothed comb or wire slicker brush. 
 
4.   Feed your cat a "hairball control" cat food high in vegetable fiber, or administer a commercial hairball prevention preparation available from your veterinarian or at pet stores. 
 
5.   Alternatively, mix 1 tsp. mineral oil or petroleum jelly per 10 lb. body weight into your cat's food, as a home remedy. (The average cat weighs 8 to 10 lbs.) 
 
6.   Understand that feeding other oils, such as vegetable oil, to your cat will be ineffective, because they will be digested and absorbed. 
 
7.   Make sure you use your cat's body weight in your calculations, not your own (a common error). 
 
 
This may sound a little funny, but it's cheap and works! I have one cat. I used to buy him those hairball prevention treats, but they didn't work very well. On a whim once, I jokingly bought one of those lint rollers for $3 (it does say 'removes pet hair'). After my cat sat on my lap, I lint rolled him. He loves it! I roll him every other day (he's short-haired). It doesn't hurt him at all and it does pick up the dead hair. If you have a cat that will sit on your lap, I suggest you buy a lint roller (the kind that has the tear off sheets). They last awhile. Mine always last maybe 4-5 months and it beats having to clean up hairballs or invest in some medicine.