# Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Cats?



## budandgray (Nov 1, 2004)

Anyone ever give a little (less than a teaspoon) to their cats to help with shedding and hairballs?

I have tried this months ago with okay results. Bud licks it right out of a spoon, but he has a fairly sensitive stomach and it seemed to give him an upset tummy. He does LOVE the stuff though as he'll sit at my feet and meow slightly if he sees the bottle. Gray on the other hand, doesn't seem to like it much but add a little too food and he'll make it disappear. Gray could eat dirt and be okay it seems! :lol: 

I only tried 2-3 times and its been about 3 months since their last dose.


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## spacemonkey (Aug 12, 2004)

Haven't used it for any specific reason (shedding, hairballs). But we use a *lot* of it in our cooking, and the cats sometimes get a small platter of E.V.O.O. They really like it


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## kristen98 (Feb 2, 2005)

Haha. Spacemonkey, do you watch Rachael Ray on 30 Minute Meals on the food channel? She is the only person I know who calls it E.V.O.O. :lol: :wink: 

I'll have to try that to see if it works. I just went home during my lunch break today and used that blue rubbery kitty groomer that every one talks about (I forgot what it's called) and I swear I pulled off enough hair from both my cats to cover a whole Sphynx with hair :lol: They are shedding like crazy since this beautiful weather has begun here in the northeast. No hairballs yet, but it would be nice if I could prevent some suffering on their part.


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## emma_pen (Nov 2, 2004)

I had an odd experience with my cats + virgin olive oil. My OH left the glass bottle on the bench and went to work. I come home to find the bottle cracked and my two 9 month olds (at the time) COVERED in oil. After much bathing/brushing, there was no way I could get them completely oil-free. They were walking about with mohawk hair styles! Anyway, a week later, they were hairball for free for months, and their hair was in amazing condition! :lol: :lol:


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## kristen98 (Feb 2, 2005)

OMG! That really is a funny story! :lol: I can just picture them standing in front of the broken bottle of olive oil with their mohawk hair looking up at you with innocent eyes and meowing, "We didn't do it". :lol:


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

Can't argue with success. But a little puzzled as to WHY it would work as a hairball preventative. The reason that petroleum jelly works it because it's absorbed by the hair in the G-I tract, and since it's indigestible, it helps the hair to "slide" through, both through the jelly absorbed by the hair and the jelly coating the lining of the G-I tract. Olive oil IS digested, so I wouldn't suppose either would apply.

I can see its nutritional benefits, though.


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## emma_pen (Nov 2, 2004)

I would imagine it simply acts as a lubricant for large masses in the GI tract.


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## spacemonkey (Aug 12, 2004)

kristen98 said:


> Haha. Spacemonkey, do you watch Rachael Ray on 30 Minute Meals on the food channel?


Why yes I do, I love that show! 8)


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## kristen98 (Feb 2, 2005)

spacemonkey said:


> kristen98 said:
> 
> 
> > Haha. Spacemonkey, do you watch Rachael Ray on 30 Minute Meals on the food channel?
> ...



Me too! :wink:


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