If you have a cat, you’ve no doubt experienced hairballs. We curse them as we step out of bed with bare feet, warn our dogs not to eat them, search out holistic and homeopathic remedies to make the cats stop producing them…
But despite our efforts, hairballs remain a fact of life. For this reason, it seems completely normal to us that there would be a day commemorating them…
National Hairball Awareness Day
National Hairball Awareness Day falls on the last Friday of April. So today we’re going to talk about a few things you may not be aware of. For example,
- Did you know there is a museum exhibit devoted to hairballs?
- Do you know how to pronounce “hairball” in Persian?
- Have you thought about the 10 Most Creative Things You Can do with Hairballs?
- Did you know these 15 Amazing Facts about Hairballs?
Hairball Museum Exhibits
Now in it’s sixth year, the National Museum of Health and Medicine offer a very specific exhibit: The Hairball Exhibit
The annual exhibit features both animal and human hairballs (also called trichobezoars).
Trichobezoar is a word derived from the Persian word “Bezoar” which means, “Protection from poison.” Bezoars (hairballs) were once thought to be a universal antidote against poisoning and were used in 11th century Europe for a number of ailments.
China still uses ground-up cow bezoars as a medicine to prevent mouth disease!
The exhibit contains 3 human hairballs and several pet hairballs. We think a visit to this museum would be well worth your time!
15 Things You May Not Know About Hairballs
Take a look at the Top Fifteen Things you Probably Didn’t Know about Hairballs.
For example, did you know that the average cat consumes 173 grams of cat hair each year? That’s the equivalent of 86 Ruby-throated hummingbirds. That’s a total of $7.50 in quarters!
10 Creative Uses for Hair (and hairballs)
As part of our tribute to hairballs, we’ve created a list of 10 Creative Things You Can Do with Hair & Hairballs. These range from making special insulated bird nests for your feathered friends to selling your most distinctive cat hair ball on Ebay or ETSY…
Ways to Prevent Hairballs
Cats ingest hair because their tongues are covered in tiny barbs (papillae) that act like brushes when they clean themselves. Many things can result in excess hairballs forming in your cat, including boredom, health problems and poor diets.
You can help your cat by brushing long-haired cats daily and short-haired cats at least once per week. For this reason, we’ve brought you an Insider’s Look at Cat Grooming.
Nutrition is the single biggest external factor for animals and for hairball problems the right diet can pay dividends. Feeding your cat food with a perfect balance of fatty acids promotes a healthy skin and coat which means your pet will shed less.
A Fun Way to Pass the Time
Want to learn more about hairballs (and have some fun at the same time)? Visit the Hairball Battle and get your hairball war rolling… It’s even more entertaining than Candy Crush!