Living with four cats, it’s not surprising that I have to periodically deal with hairballs. None of our are considered long-haired, though Diane and June do have slightly longer fur than Arwen and Zuko. Hairballs are part of their natural process since they constantly swallow fur, June more than the rest because she frequently bathes the other cats. Rest assured, there are no photos included on this post.
With only two carpeted rooms, unless the cat is on furniture, we mostly stand back and wait for the hairball process to be finished so we can clean it up. Well, to be honest, I mostly lay in bed, listening for the general location and assessing which cat is providing the hairball. For some reason, they mostly happen in the early morning hours. This is actually preferred, since it means they’re at the furthest point in the day from having eaten and the content is not likely to include food.
The listening phase is pretty important (if I can’t see it happening) as each cat has a different hairball style. Yes, really! Zuko seems surprised, leaving just a small spot, whereas June usually has more water with hers. The more distinctive ones that I have to watch out for are Diane and Arwen. Diane always produces two spots, the second one just a smaller follow-up to the main event, usually within a couple feet. Arwen… well, she’s unique, I have never seen a cat hairball quite like her. Where the other cats stay still for the process, Arwen actively backs away from what she’s producing, almost as if saying “What is this and why is it coming out of me?”
Needless to say, this affects my morning routine. I consider my room and bathroom to be safe zones – I generally wake up to that sort of noise in my room. I don’t step foot in the hall until I’ve turned on that light and checked the floor. I flip on the spare bedroom light to check that floor, though to be fair, most of that floor is currently being used as a storage area. At the other end of the hall, I assess the few paces between the hall and dining room light switches, looking for that reflected light glistening off liquid before I turn off the hall light. Taking as few steps as possible, I turn on the dining room light. It’s not that there are hairballs that often, I just don’t like finding them with my bare feet.