Maine Coon Hairballs: How to Stop the vomiting#

There is a sound every cat owner dreads. Huk-Huk-Huk-BLEGH. It’s the 3 AM alarm clock: The Hairball.

For a normal cat, a hairball is a small nuisance. For a Maine Coon with a double coat, a hairball can be the size of a sausage. While occasional hairballs are normal, frequent vomiting is not. If your cat is hacking up fur more than once or twice a month, their digestive system is struggling to cope with the sheer volume of hair they swallow.

Here is how to manage the fluff before it becomes a blockage.

What is a Hairball (Trichobezoar)?#

When cats groom, their sandpaper tongues strip loose hair. They swallow it.

Normal Scenario: The hair passes through the stomach, into the intestines, and comes out in the poop. You never see it.
The Hairball: If there is too much hair, or if the digestion is slow, the hair knots together in the stomach. It gets too big to pass, so the cat vomits it up.

The Danger Zone: Blockages#

This is the scary part. If a hairball gets too big to vomit but too big to pass, it causes a Bowel Obstruction.

Symptoms: Vomiting (but nothing comes up), lethargy, refusing to eat, painful hard belly.
The Fix: Emergency surgery ($3,000+).

A Maine Coon licking malt paste hairball remedy from an owner's finger — Malt paste acts as a lubricant, helping swallowed fur slide through the digestive tract safely.

Prevention: The 3-Step Protocol#

You can’t stop them from grooming, but you can help the hair pass.

1. Grooming (The First Line of Defense)#

Every hair you brush out is a hair they don’t swallow. During shedding season, you must brush daily. If you are lazy with the brush, you will pay for it with vomit.

2. Lubricants (Malt Paste)#

I swear by this stuff. It is a sticky, goo-like gel (usually flavored like chicken or salmon) that coats the stomach lining and makes the hair slippery.

Dosage: A 1-inch squeeze on your finger, 2-3 times a week.
Brands: GimCat or Vetoquinol Laxatone.

3. Egg Yolks (Lecithin)#

This is a natural hack. Egg yolks contain Lecithin, which emulsifies fat and binds the hair together so it slides easier.

How to feed: I give a raw (or lightly boiled) egg yolk once a week as a treat. It also makes their coat shiny.

Conclusion#

If your Maine Coon is hacking daily, see a vet. It could be asthma or IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease). But if it’s just the occasional giant fur-slug, upgrade your grooming routine and buy a tube of malt paste. Your carpets will thank you.

Resources & Further Reading#

Cornell Feline Health Center: The Danger of Hairballs.
Veterinary Partner: Laxatone and Lubricants for Cats.