Cats are especially clean animals that spend hours cleaning their hair. When they lick a lot of hair. If you live with a cat, you’ve probably seen him cough and even throw hairballs. It is here that some people resort to cat malt, a very useful and natural product that improves the digestion and intestinal transit of our cat.
Understand in Animal Expert everything about cat malt, including the necessary doses, at what age it should be offered, information on vomiting caused by hair intake and all the benefits of the product.
- Cat malt is a paste with a honey-like color and a denser texture.
- It is mainly composed of vegetable oils and fats.
- Malt extract.
- Fiber.
- Dairy products and yeast.
- It is also common to contain dyes.
- Preservatives and vitamins.
There are many brands on the market with different formats. The most common is in the form of a toothpaste tube. The composition varies slightly depending on the markings, but the base is malt extract. Some cats show a penchant for a particular brand and eat it more enthusiastically than others.
Cats, in their daily care, ingest many for the dead, who advance in their digestive system and can form more or less large balls. These are called tricobezoars, commonly known as hairballs.
The cat’s tongue, as seen in the image, has thorns or keratin projections called papillae, which help brush the hair and remove dirt, but also help remove weak hair and therefore ingestion of these hairs.
Cat hairballs can accumulate in the intestine, stomach or esophagus. If the cat coughs and expels the balloon easily, it means it hasn’t passed through the esophagus. If, on the other hand, the cough is accompanied by nausea, lack of appetite and vomiting with semi-light foods, the hairball is lodged in the stomach or small intestine. If the cat suffers from constipation and lack of appetite, this may be due to a hairball lodged in the large intestine.
Malt helps remove this excess ingested hair by faeces. It has laxative effect and helps improve intestinal transit, so it is also suitable for mild constipation problems. In short, malt helps the hairs ingested by the cat to be gently expelled from the entire digestive system.
As you well know, every cat has its own personality. Some people love malt, eat directly on the packaging and lick gently. Others, on the other hand, are more reluctant and will not eat malt paste for cats.
In this case, you can put a small amount of malt on one leg or in the corner of the cat’s mouth so that it ings, will not like it much and will try to remove it with its tongue. You can also try mixing the malt with the food, however, due to the texture of the dough, this may not be the best option.
You may have to chase your cat around the house every time you give it malt, but it’s something that, over time, will appreciate and see the results right away. Malt does not taste bad for cats, so you will get used to consuming it over time. You can also experiment with different brands to find the one that’s perfect for your cat.
For each dose, a ball the size of an almond or hazelnut is sufficient. If your cat likes it, you can give it a little more.
For a short-haired cat, two doses a week are sufficient. In the case of long-haired cats, four times a week is enough. During moulting or if we notice that the cat coughs a lot, you can offer the malt daily, until you notice an improvement.
Keep in mind that good brushing is essential for the cat’s health, as it removes the weakest hairs, dust and dirt that the cat can swallow while licking. You should frequently choose the right cat hair brush and brush.
In short-haired cats one or two brushes a week are enough, but for long-haired cats the ideal is that brushing is done daily. Discover short-haired cat brushes and long-haired cat brushes.
If you can’t brush your teeth every day, be sure to do so at least once or twice a week. In addition to strengthening the bond with your cat, you will help make your fur healthy and the volume of hair ingested considerably less.
Keep in mind that in spring and fall, when you change hair, you have to brush it much more often.
As we have seen, malt is a very useful product for cats. Combined with a good brushing, it will help the cat to live better with hairballs.
Sometimes, blockages caused by hairballs can become a problem. If bullets are accompanied by blood or if the cat has a prolonged cold, seek medical attention immediately.
Don’t forget cats lick a lot! Every day, they spend time getting dressed up and keeping their coats. That’s why you shouldn’t be afraid if, despite malt and brushing, they occasionally cough and expel ingested hair. This is normal and, as long as it’s not exaggerated, there’s nothing to worry about.
Learn more about: 10 breeds of long-haired cats
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