

Nutritional Management of Hairballs

Why make a hairball management formula?

  • Most cats are susceptible to hairballs due to continual ingestion of hair during regular self-grooming
  • Cat owners have told us that hairballs are one of their top concerns
  • According to Iams consumer research, a number of cat owners said that they and their cats find hairball treatments to be an unpleasant experience

How were our hairball management formulas developed?

IAMS nutritionists were looking for a way to control hairball formation while maintaining optimal feline health and well-being. They evaluated risk factors for hairball formation in cats fed diets that varied in fiber source and content.

  • 98 cats were studied
  • 9 groups were fed test diets and 3 were fed control diets
  • Test feeding period was 6 to 7 weeks, following a 5-week control-feeding period
  • Total cat-days of testing = 9,968

These researchers found that feeding diets that contained a blend of beet pulp and cellulose was more effective at moving hair through the digestive tract, compared with the same diets containing beet pulp as the only fiber source.

  • 80 to 100% increase in faecal hair excretion with beet pulp/cellulose-blend diets, compared with the beet pulp-only diet
  • By promoting the passage of hair ingested by the cat during normal self-grooming, an important risk factor for hairball formation is minimized
  • Hairballs were not evident in cats fed the beet pulp/cellulose-blend diets

How do our hairball management formulas work?

The patent-pending fiber system (blend of beet pulp/cellulose) gently moves hair through the gastrointestinal tract while maintaining healthy digestion

  • Beet pulp, a moderately fermentable fiber, promotes optimal intestinal health
  • Cellulose helps to enhance the passage of ingested hair

How do our hairball management formulas compare with our other cat formulas?

Our hairball management formulas provide the same high-quality nutrition and taste as our other adult formulas with the added benefit of reducing the risk of hairballs.

Both provide high-quality nutrition for adult cats

  • Similar feeding amounts as our other adult formulas
  • Excellent stool quality, skin and coat condition, and taurine status

Great taste

  • Similar acceptability and palatability test results as our other adult formulas

Find the right food for your pet

Expert nutrition and enjoyment. No compromise
