Best Cat Food For Hairballs and Vomiting: Reviews and Complete Buying Guide

When your kitty gets things coming out the wrong end, it can be a disaster for everyone. And make no mistakes, your cat isn’t going to help you clean up that mess. To help solve that problem, we’re going to take a look at the best cat food for hairballs and vomiting in your specific situation.

Let’s get started with our favorites overall

In A Hurry? Here Are Our Top Picks…

• Blue Buffalo Control
• Purina One Sensitive Systems
• Hill’s Science Diet Wet Cat Food
• Royal Canin Feline Health
• Nulo Grain Free
• Purina One Control

Overall Best Cat Food For Hairballs And Vomiting

Blue Buffalo Control

Blue Buffalo’s formula won our favorite pick for hairball prevention, but it does a great job handling vomiting too. It has a ton of nutrients and is at a good price point.

Blue Buffalo prevents vomiting by helping your cat digest his or her food. This formula also helps to move hair buildup in the stomach to the GI track. This is great because if the hair stays in the stomach, it ends up regurgitating.

Another perk here is that this formula consists of ingredients that your kitty’s gut will thank you for: it’s loaded with proteins and whole carbs. These carbs help to ensure that your kitty is getting a good diet, but cats and too many carbs don’t get along well. Be careful with portion control as this formula could turn an inactive cat into an overweight inactive cat.

The Blue Buffalo mix is filled with all the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that your cat will need. There’s no need to worry about trying to find extra supplements to boost your cat’s immune system or add a few years. This cat food does it all.

What We Like

• Prevents vomiting by helping digestion
• Helps your cat move food to his or her GI tract and eliminate regurgitation
• Healthy diet through lots of proteins and whole carbs
• Promotes a strong immune system and long life through loads of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants

What We Don’t Like

• High whole carbs could make your cat overweight if it’s inactive

Blue Buffalo is a good option if you’re looking for an all around excellent cat food to prevent vomiting. It helps your cat with digestion, prevents hair buildup in the stomach, and gives your cat a balanced diet.

Check Price and Reviews on Chewy

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Best Cat Food For Sensitive Stomachs

Purina ONE Sensitive Systems

Purina One is our favorite product for sensitive stomachs. It makes for a vomit-free household by helping your kitty digest his or her food. At the price per pound, Purina One is very reasonable.

Purina’s Sensitive Systems food works by being easy to digest for your cat – more so than almost any other product on the market. That makes this food a great pick for cats who are throwing up for non-hairball-related reasons. This food doesn’t do a lot if your cat is struggling with hairballs though. You can check the Blue Buffalo mentioned below or continue reading for other hairball solutions.

This formula focuses on providing your cat with the nutrients he or she needs while staying easy to digest. This vomit-preventing food has a ton of protein. Since a cat’s number one caloric need is from protein, this is a fit that your cat will appreciate.

High levels of protein will also help your cat maintain strong muscles. Since only a small part of this food has a lot of carbs, this is a great pick for active cats and lazier cats alike. It helps active cats stay active and helps cats on the sleepier side of the spectrum stay trim.

Purina also makes their food great for your kitty’s immune system. This cat food is loaded with antioxidants and omega fatty acids. Omegas aren’t as bad as they sound, so no worries here. Just to ice the cake, Purina made their food so that it eliminates plaque build-up and whitens your kitty’s teeth.

Purina sells their product at a great price per pound, so it is a good pick for budget shoppers.

What We Like

• Prevents vomiting by being easy to digest
• Helps immune system and long life with antioxidants and omega fatty acids
• Great for active cats and less active cats alike due to lots of protein
• Helps clean and white your cat’s teeth
• Great budget buy

What We Don’t Like

• Won’t help with hairballs (for that, read on)

Purina has a great solution for your cat if he or she is struggling with non-hairball vomit. This food helps with digestion, provides a balanced diet, improves immune systems, cleans teeth, and is at a very reasonable price per pound.

Check Price and Reviews on Chewy

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Best Wet Cat Food For Hairballs And Vomiting (And Best Cat Food For Urinary Problems)

Hill’s Science Diet Wet Cat Food

Hill’s Science Diet’s wet cat food does a great job at stopping any problems your kitty may be having. It will help your cat with his or her hairballs, vomiting, any urinary problems, and is a wet variety.

Wet food is a favorite of most cats. It often smells better, has more flavor, and is closer to what a cat’s natural diet would be out in the wild. Wet food will also help your cat get enough water and will help prevent dehydration. This meal is a good choice for cats who don’t want to dry food.

Hill’s Science Diet’s wet food works a lot like the dry. It uses natural fibers to aid your cat in his or her digestion. Once the hair has been digested and moved into the gastrointestinal tract, it passes out the other end without forming a hairball. This easy-to-digest formula will also make a dent in vomiting in general, hairball related or no.

Another way that this wet food tackles hairballs is that it works a lot on your cat’s skin and hair care. Unhealthy skin or hair will fall out and shed more than the healthy kind and will get caught in your kitty’s stomach. This is sort of an indirect way of attacking hairballs, but it gets the job done.

This wet diet is a great choice for active cats since it packs in the proteins. You can also expect a lot of vitamins, minerals, and omegas. These nutrients go a long way towards making sure your cat has great overall health. Vitamins and minerals that help your cat’s urinary system get extra helpings. This is a good pick if your cat has urinary problems.

Hill’s Science Diet’s wet food is pricey, but it comes with a guarantee: if you aren’t satisfied, return the unused portion for a 100% refund. Can’t beat that.

What We Like

• Your kitty will like the wet variety
• Prevents hairballs by helping with digestion
• Also prevents hairballs by promoting good skin and fur health
• Give your cat a balanced diet with proteins, vitamins, minerals, and omegas
• Helps with urinary health or problems
• 100% money back guarantee removes risk if your cat doesn’t like it

What We Don’t Like

• Not budget loving

Hill’s Science Diet’s wet food is our favorite option if you can’t get your cat to eat dry food or if your want to give a special treat. This food stops hairballs, aids digestion, promotes a healthy skin and fur, and removes all risk from you.

Check Price and Reviews on Chewy

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Best Cat Food For Intense Hairballs Or Vomiting

Royal Canin Feline Health

Royal Canin is our favorite pick if your cat has an extreme and consistent problem with hairballs or vomiting.

This formula attacks vomiting and hairballs using a dual approach. Like some others on this list, it helps cats move hair in their stomach into their gastrointestinal tract. Hair in the gastrointestinal tract doesn’t end up regurgitating. This food also eliminates hairballs and vomiting by using a special blend of dietary fibers. These dietary fibers help your cat to digest food better and are good for sensitive stomachs.

You can also look forward to a great, balanced diet for your kitty. Royal Canin is loaded with proteins and has a good blend of carbs and fats to provide lots of other nice nutrients for your special boy or girl. This food has a lot of vitamins, minerals, and omegas that help your cat’s heart and other organs. You can expect nice skin, a shiny coat, and plenty of energy for more active cats.

Royal Canin also helps reduce plaque buildup in your kitty’s teeth.

Some buyers mentioned that their cat didn’t love formula. We discuss strategies to handle this in the Frequently Asked Questions section. For know, know that you can always begin to introduce the new food bit by bit. Place a small amount in your cat’s favorite food, then a little bit more, and use ever increasing amounts that way to help your kitty get used to their new diet.

(Cats can sometimes be a bit picky)

This cat food will help you prevent hairballs, but it’s on the pricier side of cat foods.

What We Like

• Prevents vomiting by helping sensitive stomachs
• Ends hairballs by moving them down into the gastrointestinal tract
• Special blend of dietary fibers really helps to end vomiting and hairballs
• Great for active and less active kitties alike due to high amounts of protein
• Reduces plaque buildup
• Vitamins and minerals help organ health, skin, and coat

What We Don’t Like

• Not all cats love the formula
• On the pricier side

This cat food is great if your cat has a big problem with vomiting and hairballs. It’s on the pricier side, but does a great job of stopping the constant struggle with throwing up.

Check Price and Reviews on Chewy

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Best Cat Food For Active Or Overweight Cats That Vomit And Have Hairballs

Nulo Grain Free

Nulo’s grain free cat food is our favorite option to prevent vomiting if you have a cat who is active or on the heavier side.

Nulo works by helping your cat digest his or her food better. This is done by use of a special patented probiotic. This BC30 probiotic gets in your kitty’s gut and helps him or her to process all of the food in there. Nulo’s formula helps a lot with vomiting and a little bit with hairballs too, but it’s best for sensitive stomachs.

This is a great pick (and our favorite) if your cat is very active or is a little bit chunkier. Nulo tossed a ton of animal based proteins in their food, which is just what your cat needs. The proteins help your active cats to recover and keep going strong. The lack of carbs in this cat food helps your heavier cats to lose a few pounds since they aren’t getting too many calories.

Nulo is great at giving your cat healthy nutrients and it shows in their formula. Organ health and a shiny coat are included. Health problems such as osteoarthritis are prevented. The same ingredients that help your cat eat a lot of protein provide tons of vitamins, minerals, and omegas that your cat needs.

What We Like

• Prevents vomiting by being very easy to digest
• Helps active cats stay strong and helps overweight cats shed a few pounds
• Balanced diet loaded with proteins, vitamins, minerals, and omegas
• Promotes a clear coat, organ health, and strong muscles
• Prevents negative health issues

What We Don’t Like

• Helps a little with hairballs, but there are better options if hairballs are your main concern

Nulo is our favorite pick if you have an active or overweight cat who struggles with vomiting.

Check Price and Reviews on Chewy

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Best Budget Cat Food To Prevent Hairballs Or Vomiting

Purina ONE Hairball Control

Purina One is our favorite pick if your cat has a problem but you don’t quite have the dollars to shell out on a big purchase. This cat food gets the job done and gets your cat back to health while staying budget-loving.

Hairballs are reduced by way of increased digestion. Purina One’s unique formula adds natural fibers to your kitty’s diet. You can be sure that the hairballs aren’t collecting in his or her gut.

Purina One’s formula has a lot of perks: it’s loaded in vitamins, minerals, and omegas for one. These nutrients help to make sure that your cat has a beautiful and healthy coat as well as healthy skin. This is another way of reducing hairballs. This food also helps your cat’s organ health and will boost his or her immune system plenty. You will have an all around happier, healthier cat.

This formula does have a good chunk of grains and carbs in it, so that’s a possible downside. For overweight cats, you may need to restrict portions to ensure that your kitty isn’t getting too many calories in a day.

All in all, this formula is kind to your wallet and doesn’t miss out on much. It’s a great pick.

What We Like

• Great buy for those on a budget
• Prevents hairballs by helping your kitty’s digestion
• Prevents hairballs by giving your kitty healthy skin and fur
• Vitamins and minerals boost your cat’s immune system

What We Don’t Like

• Has a lot of carbs – you may be necessary to restrict portions for heavier cats

Purina One is our favorite option if your cat has a hairball problem but you’re on a budget. It lacks a few benefits and comes with a few too many carbs, but this formula will help your cat overcome hairballs.

Check Price and Reviews on Chewy

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Things To Know Before You Buy

Your Guide To Your Kitty’s Nutrition

When buying cat food, one of the great hold ups is when we know our cat needs something, we just don’t know what. It seems like all companies are hailing their brand new, record breaking, earth shattering formula. “This is what your cat needs to be healthy!” they say.

But how do we really know?

Cat nutrition isn’t too difficult to understand once we take a look at it. You don’t need to be a certified vet to get a good grasp on what’s best for your cat. You just need to remember a single fact:

Cats are carnivores.

Being a carnivore means that cats can get all of their nutrition from meat. They don’t need peas and carrots, won’t appreciate collards on New Years, and can even go without avocado-laced superfoods.

Here’s why that’s important. All calories come from 3 sources: proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Humans need all 3 to have a balanced diet. Cats get by on just fats and proteins. Fats and proteins are all that some cats eat since meats often do not contain carbs.

A lot of modern cat food doesn’t follow a cat’s natural diet and preferences though. Many cat foods include carbohydrates since carbs are an easier and less expensive way to give your cat some extra nutrients. This isn’t a problem since carbs aren’t usually bad for cats.

The only time that carbs are bad for cats is when carbs don’t allow your cat to eat enough proteins. Not enough proteins and too many carbs can lead to overweight cats, lazy cats, and even diabetes. Being overweight for a cat is much like being overweight for a human: mortality and chronic problems rise across the board.

This isn’t to say to make sure your cat doesn’t get carbs. This is to say that you’ll want to make sure your cats get a high amount of protein. All the items we’ve reviewed above cover this requirement, but some do it better than others. High amounts of protein help your cat to stay trim and energetic. Protein has a higher chance of giving your cat all the nutrients he or she needs.

When it comes down to it, just remember: cats are carnivores. You don’t have to feed him or her like a carnivore. But you can’t go wrong if you do.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if my cat doesn’t like his or her new food?

Cats can be picky eaters and it’s not guaranteed that yours will fall in love with his or her new meal.

Have no fear. The same skill that made the steam engine can help your cat change his or her diet: we just need a little creativity.

If your cat isn’t loving the new meals you’re putting on the bowl, you can try to change your kitty’s diet a bite at a time. First, start with something like 90% of the original food and 10% of the new. Over the course of a few weeks, change that percentage at a rate your cat will eat. Go to 75% original and 25% new, then 50% and 50%, then 25% original and 75% new, all the way until you’ve made the full change.

Cats, like people, enjoy the feeling that they are having a bit of input in a decision. As long as you’re making the change gradual for your special guy or gal, he or she won’t mind it too much over the long run. Just give a little extra affection and be patient. Good things come to those who wait (and our cats are worth waiting for).

Can I feed this to my kitten?

You can, but it’s best to buy a kitten specific food. As cats grow older, their dietary needs change. These changes are never so pronounced as they are during the first year of life.

What are the benefits of grain free?

As we discussed in the Things To Know Before You Buy section, carbs aren’t always the best option for your cat. Grains can sometimes be hard to digest and having a cat food without them can go even further to prevent vomiting.

Best Brands

Blue Buffalo

Blue Buffalo started when the Bishop family’s dog Blue developed cancer. This family didn’t just sit down and take it. They were convinced that Blue had developed cancer because of unhealthy ingredients in common dog foods. The Bishops set out to provide healthy, nutritious food for dogs and cats. They want to increase health, life, and happiness.

Purina ONE

Purina started all the way back in 1894 when Willam Danforth began feeding farm animals. Since then, they have expanded to take care of all our home pets. Purina strives to lead the charge in helping animals of all shapes and sizes live their happiest and healthiest lives. They back their products with the top notch in scientific research so that your cat can be healthy.

Hill’s Science Diet

As you could guess by the name, Hill’s Science Diet wants to be a leader in the field of science. Since the 1930s, Hill’s Science Diet has been led by the mission of enriching the relationship between people and animals. They think that when we give our cats good nutrition, we give our cats a better life. Hill’s wants to provide that life for your cat.

Royal Canin

Jean Cathery was born in the French town of Puy-en-Velay. When he began working as a vet for horses and bulls, he started to believe that the food we fed animals could impact their health. Royal Canin was born when Jean decided that he would take a stand. He would provide cats and dogs with the nutrition they needed.

Nulo

Nulo wants to provide nutrition and love (Nu + lo) in every bite of their cat food. Nulo started when a man named Michael realized that pet foods were filled with empty calories. Dogs and cats could eat the foods, but these animals would never know their best health. Michael’s goal is to challenge the status quo and give animals the nutrition they deserve.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading our guide on best cat food for hairballs and vomiting! When it comes down to it, the best cat food for your kitty will be the one that suits his or her unique needs best.

First, ask yourself if the problem is just isolated to hairballs. Is your kitty vomiting too? Does he or she have problems with his or her coat, hair, skin? If so, your cat’s food needs will vary.

You should also think about whether your kitty is active or lazy. For active kitties, you’ll want a lot of protein in his or her diet to fuel strong muscles. For lazy cats, avoiding carbs may be best if you don’t want your kitty to gain weight.

Last, take a look at the other benefits of your cat food. Some foods offer special blends of vitamins and minerals to promote overall health. Other foods are a little bit more lax.

If we could recommend a single product, the Blue Buffalo is our favorite since it prevents vomiting and hairballs.