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My cat's stomach is hard and she's passing lots of hair. What's wrong?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Longhair | Female | spayed | 9 months and 19 days old

I have a 10-month-old long-haired female cat (she has been spayed) whose stomach is always very firm. She pooped on the floor yesterday (I assume she was mad at me because I was gone for the night) and I noticed that it had TONS of her hair in it. I also saw her eat a fuzz-ball of her hair yesterday. She has never vomited and eats & drinks water normally. I see regular poop when I clean the litter box, but she has a brother who uses it as well. Should I be concerned? How "firm" is too firm?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on May 20th, 2019

It’s hard to know exactly how to answer your question since the firmness can only be determined by a physical exam. In general cats do not have a firm abdomens. If she is nervous with you palpating her abdomen, she may tense up. It is also possible you are palpating firm stool in her colon. Certainly a physical exam by her veterinarian is your best route to get your questions answered and I recommend to have her examined. Since she is ingesting a lot of hair, you may try changing her diet to a food meant for hairball regulation. Royal Canin makes an excellent diet for cats who ingest a lot of hair. Daily brushing or even getting her furninated will also help to remove a lot of the hair and decrease ingestion. It’s possible her stomach is some discomfort related to the hair and that may cause a tense belly. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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