Why Do Cats Vomit Hairballs?

Cats are very clean animals that lick their fur every day. Because they have rough tongues, loose hairs get stuck in their mouth and swallowed down into their tummy. The stomach cannot digest these hairs like it does food. Eventually, the hair gets tangled up into a long, wet ball. Since the tummy gets full of this ball instead of useful nutrients, the cat feels sick. It then coughs to push the hairball back up through its throat so it can spit it out. This helps keep them feeling better and prevents blockages. Most cats do this once in a while, which is perfectly normal.