National Hairball Awareness Day

Julia Fulginiti, Reporter
April 27, 2023

This strange holiday is dedicated to any animal with fur, but mainly cats! Out of all the common pets, cats get the most hairballs. Hairballs occur when fur gets stuck in a cat’s stomach from grooming, and they have to cough it up.

The first cats evolved 6 million years ago, and had freely roamed the lands until 7500 B.C. when humans started domesticating them. It wasn’t until 4,000 years later that cats popularity skyrocketed due to the Egyptian’s belief in their god-like qualities. Now, there are 95 million house cats in the U.S. alone! Because of this, the National Museum of Health and Medicine started National Hairball Awareness Day to make sure that owners take good care of their cats’ health.

Now, how do you celebrate such a strange day? There are 3 ways!

  • Comb your cat: Hairballs may be natural and healthy, but combing your cat doesn’t hurt. Besides, it gives you an excuse to hang out with your kitten!
  • Yoga: Hairballs can be caused by stress, so when animals are upset, there will be more hairballs. Doing something relaxing with your pet can help both of you unwind.
  • More treats please: For cats that are especially prone to hairballs, petroleum-based cat treats may help. They’re designed to lubricate your cat’s system and keep everything moving, thus reducing hairballs.

5 Fun Hairball Facts:

  1. They can be bigger than a baseball. The largest hairball weighed 7.5 ounces and was 4.9 inches across (1.9 inches bigger than a Major League baseball)!
  2. They’re more common in warm months. Due to the warmer temperatures, more fur sheds, causing cats to naturally consume more of it.
  3. Longer hair = bigger hairball. This means long haired cats like Persians and Maine Coons are more likely to get hairballs, since their fur sheds more frequently than a short haired cat.
  4. Even humans can get them. Technically, any animal that has hair can get a hairball, but usually rabbits and cows are the most susceptible. (But regardless, please stay away from eating your hair. That’s nasty.)
  5. The name lies: hairballs are not actually balls. Due to the fact that they travel up through the esophagus, they’re tube-shaped.