Cats are wonderful pets that give you lots of love and entertainment. If you have a cat long enough, however, you’re likely to find a gross hairball in your bed, in your shoe, or on the floor. Though many people consider hairballs a necessary evil in cat ownership, it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, hairballs may be a symptom of health concerns, such as skin conditions or digestive issues.
If your cat experiences hairballs frequently, check out these reviews for the best cat foods for hairballs to manage this unpleasant problem.
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2023
Rating
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Product
Details
Best Overall
Smalls Fresh Human-Grade Other Bird (Subscription Service)
If your cat suffers from frequent hairballs, we could think of no food better than Smalls Other Ground Bird. It has a high dose of fiber for optimal digestion, helping your cat’s digestive tract every step of the way.
This is a very fresh, nutritionally friendly feline recipe, using top-notch animal protein sources from turkey and chicken. It’s appetite-enhancing for cats, even the pickiest of them! The protein content is 17.0%, with real meat you can see visually.
We were impressed with the overall ingredient content in this recipe and adored the simplicity. It has a powerful blend of greens to provide essential nutrients. This combination of additives nourishes the gut to promote healthy digestion and ease of passage.
We give the short, but effective fresh ingredients list a big thumbs up! You’ll notice an improved look in skin and coat in no time. It has tons of omega fatty acids and vitamin E supplements to make fur manageable and skin soft. It also contains taurine for heart health.
There’s nothing you have to worry about with Smalls. It’s tailored to your cat and delivered right to your door. It’s a little expensive, so it may not be suitable for all budgets. But overall, we don’t think you could ask for more in cat food, but you be the judge.
Pros
Appetite enhancing
Nourishes skin and coat
Promotes healthy digestion
Cons
It might not fit with all budgets
2. Wellness Natural Hairball Control Dry Cat Food – Best Value
Wellness Natural Hairball Control Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe Dry Cat Food is the best cat food for hairballs for the money. Specially formulated for hairball prevention, this dry cat food has a protein-rich recipe that helps hair to pass through the digestive system smoothly and comfortably. The formula also contains tons of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to support skin and immune health.
Free from wheat, corn, soy, or fillers, Wellness Natural Hairball Control has plenty of natural, species-appropriate fiber sources to help hair digest easily and prevent hairballs in the future. If you want a balanced, high-quality hairball control cat food on a budget, Wellness Natural Hairball Control Chicken Meal & Rice Recipe Dry Cat Food is a great choice.
Pros
Specially formulated for hairball control and prevention
The Honest Kitchen Grain-Free Chicken Recipe Dehydrated Cat Food is a great choice for high-protein, human-grade food. Packed with 70% free-range chicken and no grains, wheat, soy, corn, or GMOs, this dehydrated food offers a lot of nutritional benefits. Because Honest Kitchen’s foods have minimally processed and whole food ingredients, your cat can get balanced nutrition without digestive issues.
While this cat food is a premium brand, it does take a bit more work than dry or canned food. The dehydrated food needs to be mixed with warm water for feeding, which can add some time to your feeding routine. Conversely, dehydrated food is compact and easy to store.
Pros
Minimally processed, whole-food ingredients
No fillers, byproducts, or grains
Balanced nutrition
Cons
Time-consuming to prepare
Some cats don’t like the flavor
4. Wellness CORE Grain-Free Dry Kitten Food – Best for Kittens
Though kittens don’t get hairballs as frequently as adults, it can happen. Wellness CORE Grain-Free Kitten Formula Dry Cat Food is an hairball control cat food choice for kittens. The food uses deboned turkey and whitefish as the primary ingredients, along with antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. Salmon oil with DHA omega-3 fatty acids aid in healthy development and skin and coat health.
For hairballs, this Wellness CORE formula includes a proprietary ingredient – ActiCoat. This probiotic coating supports healthy digestion to move hair through the digestive tract smoothly and easily. No fillers or by-products like wheat, soy, or gluten ensure your kitten gets a nutrient-packed food for health and vitality.
Solid Gold Tropical Blendz with Chicken & Coconut Oil Pate Grain-Free Canned Cat Food offers a delicious and healthy option for wet, canned food. Most cats enjoy pate, and this formula includes chicken, wholesome veggies, and coconut oil for well-rounded nutrition. Coconut oil not only contains healthy fats for a healthy skin and coat, but also helps to move stubborn hairs through the digestive tract before hairballs can form.
This canned food can be fed on its own or as a topper for dry food. Because of its well-rounded nutrition, Solid Gold Tropical Blendz is appropriate for all life stages, including kittens and senior cats. Unlike many canned foods, Solid Gold Tropical Blendz contains no soy, gluten, wheat, corn, carrageenan, meat by-products, or artificial preservatives.
Chicken Soup for the Soul Indoor Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Cat Food is another great cat food for hairballs. Formulated for indoor cats, this dry food features powdered cellulose to move hair through the digestive tract and prevent hairballs. This formula has no by-products, wheat, corn, or soy, giving your cat high-quality nutrition.
Some of the other benefits of this cat food are a high concentration of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat, as well as prebiotic fiber for healthy digestion. For immune support, the Chicken Soup for the Soul cat food contains superfoods like spinach and cranberries.
Pros
No fillers or byproducts
Ingredients for digestion and skin health
Cons
Some cats experience digestive upset
7. Blue Buffalo Hairball & Weight Control Dry Cat Food
If you need a food that offers a few different benefits, Blue Buffalo Indoor Hairball & Weight Control Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Adult Dry Cat Food is a great choice. Made with real chicken first, this food contains a variety of wholesome grains and nutrient-rich meat and vegetables for balanced nutrition. The high-quality protein, natural fiber, and low-calorie ingredients help maintain your cat’s healthy weight while preventing frequent hairballs.
The all-natural formula contains no meat by-products, wheat, soy, corn, preservatives, or artificial flavors, which can upset digestion and lead to skin conditions that exacerbate hairball formation. Keep in mind, however, that this food is formulated for weight control, so it may cause some digestive upset initially.
Pros
Weight and hairball control
Balanced nutrition
No fillers or byproducts
Cons
May cause digestive upset
8. Nutro Wholesome Essentials Hairball Control Cat Food
Nutro Wellness Essentials Hairball Control Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Adult Dry Cat Food offers wholesome, balanced nutrition with special ingredients to control and prevent hairballs. Farm-raised chicken is the first ingredient and supports healthy muscles and bones. Natural fiber comes from fruits and vegetables, rather than wheat and corn, to minimize hairballs and pass hairs through the digestive tract easily.
In addition to protein and fiber, Nutro Wholesome Essentials contains superfoods with antioxidants and healthy omega-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and a soft, shiny coat. Finally, the ingredients are non-GMO and sourced from a network of trusted suppliers and farmers.
Halo Indoor Cat Grain-Free Turkey & Duck Recipe Pate can be fed as a whole meal or a food topper to control hairballs and give your cat a treat. The hearty canned food features turkey and duck with non-GMO fruits and veggies for balanced nutrition. Several desirable nutrients are found in the high-quality protein, including L-carnitine and fatty acids for healthy muscles, weight, and skin.
No rendered meat, meat by-products, artificial ingredients, grains, or peas means your cat can metabolize nutrients more efficiently and reduces the likelihood of hairballs. If you’re feeding this to a kitten, it’ll get the nutrients it needs for healthy growth and development. Cats also enjoy the rich turkey and duck flavors.
Pros
Whole food ingredients
Appropriate for all life stages as a meal or topper
Buyer’s Guide: Selecting The Best Cat Food for Hairballs
How to Choose the Best Cat Food for Hairballs
Many hairball control cat foods on the market offer hairball-control formulas or ingredients that assist in hairball control and prevention. When you’re shopping for food, here are some factors to consider.
Fiber Content
A high-fiber diet helps many cats with hairballs by assisting with digestion. Different foods offer different types of fiber, such as lignins, hemicelluloses, and cellulose to move hair through the digestive tract. Healthy sources of these fibers include chicory, fructooligosaccharides, psyllium, oats, barley, beet pulp, and fruits and vegetables.
Ideally, you want a dry diet that has a crude fiber percentage of 8-10%. Canned foods should have a fiber content of 2-4%. Crude fiber doesn’t indicate the insoluble fiber content, however, which is what moves digestion, so check ingredients for different types of fiber. Alternatively, you may add psyllium or small portions of canned pumpkin to your cat’s food to increase its fiber intake.
Fatty Acids
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are crucial for healthy skin and smooth, shiny coats. When your cat has good skin and a healthy coat, they require less grooming and are less likely to take in a lot of loose hair.
No Fillers or Byproducts
Fillers and byproducts are empty nutrition for your cat and can lead to skin or health problems, exacerbating existing hairball issues. When you’re shopping for foods, look for minimal or whole food ingredients with no soy, corn, wheat, or byproducts to ensure your cat is getting well-balanced nutrition.
Giving your pet the highest quality nutrition is a top priority, so why not give them a food and water dish to match? The Hepper Nom Nom Bowl is our product, but it’s too good not to share.
Made from food-safe stainless steel, you can ensure that your pet is consuming the best nutrition out of the finest bowls on the market. Click here to get yours.
Other Hairball-Prevention Options
Along with a healthy diet for hairball management, you can help your cat minimize hairballs in a number of ways:
Brush your cat regularly to remove loose hair.
Include hairball-control treats, supplements, or gels into your cat’s diet.
If you’re still struggling with frequent hairballs after switching foods, adding supplements, and grooming your cat, it may be time for a vet visit. Your vet can perform an exam and rule out health conditions like mites, ringworm, infection, or underlying conditions.
