At first, I thought the hairballs were normal.
I mean… cats throw up hairballs sometimes, right?
That’s what I always heard.
So when Milo started gagging every once in a while, I didn’t think too much about it. I figured it was just one of those random cat things that happens sometimes (even though hearing that sound in the middle of the night is honestly awful).
But then it kept happening.
More often.
And eventually, I started noticing something that didn’t feel normal anymore.
Sometimes he wasn’t even throwing anything up.
He would crouch down, start gagging, make that horrible hacking sound… and then nothing would come out.
That’s when I started asking myself something I probably should’ve asked sooner.
“Why does my cat keep throwing up hairballs?”
Because at some point, it stopped feeling random.
What Was Actually Causing It
Once I started paying closer attention, the pattern became easier to notice.
Milo was shedding way more than I realized. Every time he groomed himself, he was swallowing loose fur. And over time, that fur was building up in his stomach instead of moving through normally.
That’s really what causes most hairballs.
It’s not just random vomiting.
It’s swallowed hair getting stuck instead of passing through the digestive system the way it should.
And once enough builds up, cats start trying to force it back out.
That explained a lot.
The gagging.
The coughing sounds.
The random vomiting.
Even the moments where he looked uncomfortable but nothing came out.
At first, I thought the hairballs themselves were the problem.
But the real issue was all the loose fur building up over time.
The Signs I Didn’t Think Much Of
Looking back, there were a few signs that showed up before things got bad.
He was grooming himself constantly.
There was loose fur everywhere.
The gagging started happening more often.
And sometimes he would stop what he was doing just to crouch down and hack for a few seconds.
At first, those moments didn’t seem serious.
But when they started repeating over and over again, it became obvious something wasn’t moving through his system properly.
That’s when I knew I needed to stop reacting to hairballs after they happened and actually try fixing what was causing them.
What Actually Helped
The biggest change came when I tried a hairball gel.
I went with PetAg Hairball Natural Solution Gel, because at that point I just wanted something that actually made sense for what was happening.
Instead of him constantly trying to throw hair back up, the goal was helping move everything through his system before it got stuck in the first place.
And honestly, this was the first time it felt like the problem was actually improving instead of just repeating itself.
Before, it felt like Milo was gagging all the time.
Some days it would happen over and over again.
After using it, that dropped off a lot. Not instantly, but enough that I could finally tell something was changing.
That “trying to throw up but nothing coming out” situation started happening way less.
I’m not gonna pretend giving a gel to a cat is the easiest thing in the world (because it’s definitely not), but once things are already built up, this was the first thing that actually helped clear things out for me.
If your cat keeps gagging without much coming out, I honestly wouldn’t wait too long to try something like this.
What Helped Keep It Under Control
Once things improved, I focused more on preventing the buildup from happening again.
That’s when I added Rocco and Roxie Hairball Treatment Treats.
These were way easier to give because Milo actually liked them.
I wouldn’t rely on treats alone if things are already bad, but once the hairballs calmed down, they helped keep everything more consistent.
Less gagging overall.
Fewer flare-ups.
And honestly, just less stress hearing those hacking sounds all the time.
Something Else That Helped More Than I Expected
The last thing I added was Freshly Bailey Omega 3 Fish Oil for Cats.
At first, I wasn’t even thinking about hairballs with this one. I was more focused on his coat and shedding.
But over time, I noticed there was way less loose fur everywhere.
And that ended up helping more than I expected.
Because when cats shed less loose hair, there’s less fur getting swallowed during grooming in the first place.
I also liked that it’s made with wild-caught fish and clean ingredients, so it felt like a good addition overall instead of just another “hairball product.”
It wasn’t the direct solution by itself.
But it made everything else work better together.
Looking Back
Looking back, I wish I had stopped brushing it off sooner.
I thought frequent hairballs were just one of those normal cat things you deal with sometimes.
But when your cat keeps gagging, hacking, or trying to throw up hairballs over and over again, there’s usually a reason behind it.
Once I understood the real issue was all the swallowed fur building up and not moving through properly, everything started making more sense.
And once I focused on helping that process instead of just reacting every time he threw up, things finally started improving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my cat keep throwing up hairballs?
Most frequent hairballs are caused by loose fur building up in the digestive system faster than it can pass naturally.
Is it normal for cats to gag without throwing anything up?
Occasionally, yes. But repeated gagging or hacking with nothing coming out can mean hair is building up and causing irritation.
What causes hairballs in cats?
Hairballs are caused by swallowed fur collecting in the stomach instead of moving through digestion normally.
Do hairball gels actually help?
They can help move swallowed fur through the digestive system so it doesn’t keep getting stuck.
Can shedding make hairballs worse?
Yes. More loose fur usually means more hair being swallowed during grooming.
Disclaimer: This article is based on personal experience and is not intended as medical or veterinary advice. If your pet is experiencing serious or ongoing symptoms, consult a licensed veterinarian.