Hairballs three times a week

[Anonymous]

I have a 1.5 year old short hair fixed, indoor cat. He has a double coat with dense fur which I brush a few days a week. He seemed to go through a shed cycle last month with lots of extra fur floating around the house.

For the last three weeks he has been having 2-3 hairballs a week. Before this period he would have one maybe every other month. Some are big, some are small, once it was mostly old food and a little hair. His diet has not changed, he free eats dry kibble and eats protein-only wet twice a day, all high quality brands. He is drinking and eating normally, litter box is normal, he is not over-grooming, and is his normal funny, loving, active self. There is nothing new in his environment and he doesn’t get into plants or anything like that. The hairballs are barfed up in the early AM so I don’t think it is tied to overeating (he wakes up from my bed to go barf in the bathroom).

Could this just be adjusting to a shed cycle or something like a new allergy to grain food or meat? Hoping it is not something worse like an inflammation or disease. He has a vet appointment next week but curios if anyone has run into this before?

[Anonymous]

Update for anyone ever searching the board for something similar. Vet did full check up and suggested a switch in food and increase in anti-hairball paste and daily brushing. She thinks he is just being more attentive to grooming and dealing with more shedding. If frequency continues we will move to blood work and ultrasounds to rule out inflammatory problems. Prob overreacted but he is my baby!