Hi Cathy,

As it happens, my cat's first tube of hairball remedy was the molasses (I
think) flavored Petromalt. His second tube is Hartz's salmon flavored one.
My cat is not keen on either, but it's not a big problem. At least the drops
he shakes off his paw clean up easily from the carpet.

After this second tube runs out, I am thinking of trying the butter or maybe
giving him helpings of canned tuna fish in oil (people version) a few times
a week.

He was on dried food (Iams mostly) for almost all his life, so perhaps the
fur he consumed didn't pass because of insufficient oil in his diet. Diet
variety perhaps helps ensure oil, too? I will have to check the labels of
the various cat foods and treats designed to prevent hair balls and see if
they work mostly by adding oil to the diet.

"Cathy Friedmann" wrote
"Caliban" wrote
snip
The Internet has reports that Vaseline petroleum jelly works just as
well,
typically suggesting one put a dollop on the cat's nose.

The hairball remedies Petromalt and Laxatone (basically the same thing as
Petromalt) - are both just petroleum jelly (Vaseline), with flavor added.
If you have the molasses flavored kind that you cat doesn't like, try &
see
if you can find the fish-flavored variety, in case that's a bigger hit w/
him.

I see one site also
states pats of butter work, too. See
http://home.stny.rr.com/carmon/Vomit.htm . The mechanism appears to be
simply lubricating the fur the kitty has swallowed so it passes more
readily
through its "plumbing."