Best Cat Food for Long Haired Cats

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Long-haired cats often get hairballs. If you own a long-haired breed such as a Birman or Persian, this is especially common. Cats spend much of their time grooming. It inevitably leads to tons of swallowed fur. If that fur is not processed in the digestive tract, it comes out pretty gross. Besides working with a veterinarian, one of the best ways to ease your cat’s hairballs is to get them the best food for long haired cats. In the following article, you will get to know some of the things to look for when searching for cat food on the market to promote their health and stop issues such as hairballs.

PRODUCT	BRAND	EXPERT RATING	CHECK PRICE
	Purina Hairball Adult Formula Cat Food		Check Price
	Hill's Science Diet Dry Cat Food, Adult		Check Price
	Blue Buffalo Indoor Hairball Control Cat Food		Check Price

Best Hairball Control–Best Cat Food for Long Haired Cats

Ingredients

Natural fibers are the best way to push food through the digestive tract. Any effective bloat prevention food should have fibers present on the ingredient list. But excess fiber can be hard on your cat. Because of this, you need to go for a brand that you trust.

Cats are carnivores, simple. Highly recommended cat food will not hold back on protein when making a formula that controls hairballs. Besides helping with hairballs, your cat’s food also needs to have balanced nutrition for optimum health. Your aim is a food with low amounts of digestible carbohydrates. Omega-3 and omega-six fatty acids are excellent. Your cat will have healthy skin and coat with these ingredients.

If you find your cat vomits rather than coughs up hairballs, it may be due to allergies from grains. Some cats can manage to digest carbohydrates better than others. The best course is to talk to your vet first about when to switch to grain-free food and whether it will be beneficial and easy on your cat’s sensitive stomach. Examine your cat’s symptoms closely.

Taste

A fancy food that controls hairballs is no good if your cat does not eat it. Fortunately, there are various flavors and styles of food available on the market. Food for managing hairballs come in chicken and fish flavors.

The consistency of the food is as important as the taste. Hairball control has both wet and dry types. In the wet category, you can choose from pâté, minced, shredded morsels, and sliced. Dry food may be kibble, where you can add chunks of meat and veggies.

Overall, no one knows what your cat prefers better than you. With some trial and error, you should be able to discover a hairball control that both delivers results and is appetizing for your cats.

Things to Avoid

Whenever possible, when purchasing food for your cat, look for products with zero artificial flavoring or preservatives. Chemicals serve no purpose. Some additives are utilized to preserve dry cat food and have BHT and BHA. Unfortunately, these are potentially cancer-causing ingredients.

Steer clear from any food that has tons of starches, fats, or other fillers. Cornmeal is an ingredient typically added to cat food, but it gives zero nutrition. They are good in moderation since they are needed to fuse the kibble together. Too many carbs can be dangerous to your cat.

Wheat gluten is good and is a natural ingredient used to take the place of meat proteins and whole grains. In some cases, these glutens contain melamine, which can result in kidney issues. Worse are the presence of artificial colors. Your cat can care less what the color of their food is. These colors are there to make them attractive to humans.

Can/Bag Size

If you buy wet food regularly, you may have found out that cans often come in two sizes. They are 3 ounces and 5.5 ounces. For smaller cans, 3 ounces is more than enough for a single meal. Large cats may have to eat 5.5 ounces in one meal.

When it comes to freshness, you should purchase the size your cat can comfortably eat. Although larger cans of cat food are available, you will have to put the leftovers on the fridge. Fussy cats don’t like cold meals.

If you are purchasing dry cat food that has zero preservatives, consider purchasing smaller bags. It is a fact that bigger bags are usually the more affordable price per pound. But if your hairball control food is getting spoiled before your cat can consume all of it, then it is just wasted food.

Since hairball control foods are pricier, you have to ensure that you don’t end up throwing it.

Other Steps to Stop Hairballs

Aside from finding the right type of food for your cat, a few lifestyle changes should be applied that will stop any issues causing hairballs.

If you regularly brush your cat, they will have fewer loose hair that comes off when grooming. Some cats find a good brushing to be pampering while others dislike it. When you brush your cat regularly, you may discover that your cat will become more comfortable with it in time. Cats groom themselves more when they are feeling bored and stressed out. Daily exercise can help stop these symptoms. As an added plus, it will stimulate their digestive tract.

Having a few toys around can make your cat active and running. It is a good investment, especially when you’re trying to get rid of hairballs.

With the guidance of a vet, you can try giving a hairball laxative to your cat. It will help flush out fur from the digestive system. It should be mild enough so that it doesn’t cause unwanted side effects.

Symptoms of Hairballs– best cat food for long haired cats

Other conditions can sometimes result in hairballs. Be sure to talk to your vet when dealing with your cat’s illness. Before beginning hairball prevention, it will help if you know the symptoms of hairballs:

• Vomiting or coughing with the hairball being expelled in knots.
• Vomiting frequently
• Constipation
• Diarrhea

Potential Causes of Hairballs

Expelling hairball occasionally is normal. It can occur in both long-haired and short-haired cats and happens from kitten to senior stage. Every cat groom, and thus ingests small amounts of fur. If the digestive tract can process it, there is no problem. But if the hair starts to accumulate in the digestive system, your cat may start vomiting.

There is a possibility that your cat has hairballs more frequently than normal because of a health issue such as inflammatory bowel disease or food allergy. If the issue is IBD, you can opt for foods that are soothing to sensitive stomachs.

Food allergies are a bit more complicated conditions to address. There are foods available on the market, and from your vet that can help cure a food allergy that causes hairballs. You may have to feed your cat this type of food for eight straight weeks and observe the changes.

How to Choose the Right Food For Your Cat? — best cat food for long haired cats

Although there are many good products on the market, you should do your research first to make sure you are giving your feline’s best feeding experience. When selecting the best food, consider the following factors:

Read the Labels

Examining the label of cat food is crucial. In this way, you will be armed with the information, and you will be aware of the ingredients in the product you purchase. The most abundant ingredients in cat food are stated first on the list, so you should find the protein sources such as salmon meal or deboned chicken mentioned first.

Cost

If you have the budget to buy pricier cat food, you should purchase it to be certain that you are getting a premium product. Sometimes expensive doesn’t necessarily mean that it is good food. You should always examine the label cautiously. 

If you purchase cat food, make sure that you purchase a small amount first to make sure it has good benefits for your cat and only after buy large quantities. Premium quality food may be pricier, but it will save you tons of money on vet bills.

Top 3 best cat food for long haired cats

OUR TOP PICK!

Runners Up

Hill's Science Diet Dry Cat Food, Adult

This best cat food for long haired cats gives the same benefits as previous brands discussed. But the difference here is it solely targets hairballs. Because of this, it is slightly affordable than brands that also have urinary health benefits. As with other science diet food, the best cat food for long haired cats is formulated for cats aged 1 to 6. If your cat has zero issues with their urinary health, this may be a better choice, and it will save you a few dollars.

Along with natural fiber blends to help with hairballs, this food is made of all-natural ingredients. Like all science diet best cat food for long haired cats, it has various vitamins minerals, and amino acids. It should address all of your cat’s nutrition needs. This best cat food for long haired cats comes in dry and wet type. The food is minced. Since some cats snub pâté, this is definitely a good option. 

In the end, your cat has to consume the food in order for it to be effective. Additionally, this brand comes in ocean fish flavor and chicken to attract fussy eaters. This best cat food for long haired cats has zero artificial preservatives and flavors. It also has clinically proven antioxidants to promote a healthy immune system.

Blue Buffalo Indoor Hairball Control Cat Food

This best cat food for long haired cats is popular for being natural and using only premium ingredients. Because of this, it can come at a higher price point. It is recommended for cats one year and older. Blue Buffalo best cat food for long haired cats, has deboned chicken as their top ingredient. You will find that there is zero chicken meal or by-products in their ingredient list.

The factor that sets blue Buffalo apart from the crowd is the presence of life source bits. It is a mix of natural ingredients with a special kibble. This type of kibble is improved with vitamins and minerals. To ensure that it doesn’t lose its potency, they manufacture it at lower temperatures than other ingredients.

Whether or not this makes the food appealing boils down to personal preference. The manufacturing process is called cold forming. It is a great option for those who are looking for their cat food to be as natural as possible. This best cat food for long haired cats is rather pricey, but so is every other cat food for hairball control.

Blue Buffalo best cat food for long haired cats has real meat featured as the first ingredient. Top-quality protein from real chicken aids your cat in maintaining strong muscles. Additionally, it has wholesome whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.

Final thoughts

Long-haired cats are mesmerizing and hypnotic companions. But their long silky hair needs optimum maintenance. It is not enough for them to get regular grooming and bathing. Health happens inside the body, so you should give them the best cat food for long haired cats. There are tons of choices on the market, so make sure to check out and purchase something that will please your finicky cat and give them variety.