Falling on the last Friday in April every year, Hairball Awareness Day, on April 28 this year, aims to promote awareness of our pets’ health and happiness. Predominantly a concern for cats, rabbits, and cattle, hairballs are a healthy part of animals’ routines, but can also be evidence of an underlying health issue. So we have all the info and hairball facts to help you care for your creatures this Hairball Awareness Day.
History of Hairball Awareness Day
Hairball Awareness Day is a key date for any animal lover, but particularly cat owners. Since the evolution of the very first cats over 6 million years ago, our feline friends have been coughing up hairballs as part of their natural grooming process.
A hairball is a small collection of hair that collects in the cat’s stomach. When cats groom themselves, the barbs on their tongues catch loose or dead hair, which they swallow. Much of this hair passes straight through them and out the other end but if some of it gets lodged in the stomach, the cat will vomit it out to remove it from their system.
Wild cats roamed the lands passing hairballs wherever they pleased until around 7500 B.C. when people in the Near East began domesticating them as pets by bringing them into their homes, feeding them, and caring for them. Cats no longer needed to expend energy hunting for food, and instead could live in luxury with their every need considered.
In the ancient Egyptian era, around 4,000 years later, cats grew in popularity thanks to the Egyptian’s belief in their god-like qualities. Cats were highly revered and treated with great respect, much like the way we treat our feline pets today. Now, 95 million cats are owned in the U.S. alone. As a result, National Hairball Awareness Day was started in 2006 by the National Museum of Health and Medicine, to remind cat owners to pay attention to their cats’ health and keep them well cared for.
How To Celebrate Hairball Awareness Day
1. Comb for comfort
Make time for your feline friend and help them avoid a hairball by combing their fur. Although hairballs are a natural and healthy thing, it doesn’t hurt to give them a helping hand!
2. Do pilates or yoga with your cat
One cause of hairballs in animals is stress. When something has upset them, they’re more likely to occur. So help your pet to unwind with some relaxing activities that will be of benefit to you both.
3. Treat your cat to something tasty
Celebrate your fur baby with a yummy dish of something they’ll love. If they’re prone to hairballs, then why not offer them a petroleum-based cat treat, designed to lubricate their system and keep it moving, reducing hairballs. Your carpet will thank you for it!
