To prevent hairballs:
  1. add one half capsule of egg based lecithin to your cats food twice per week. (More is OK, but try with 1/2 cap first.)
Egg based lecithin may be best ordered online, as most health food stores carry soy based lecithin which is not good for cats.
Nature's Plus is a good brand.

2. Twice per week give your cat some Slippery Elm Bark.
Slippery Elm Bark, SEB, is a non toxic herb with many uses for cats. One is to
"grease the chute" helping to pass accumulated hair.
To prepare, take 2 capsules and add to 1 tbsp. boiling hot water. Let cool and add
a bit of an appetizer to it to make it more exciting for kitty to eat. You can add a bit of crushed fav. treats, a teaspoon of canned food, tuna juice, raw liver juice, parmesan cheese, real bacon bits etc.

Most cats do not mind SEB, so a whiff of something palatable is all it takes.  This easy, inexpensive, but most important, non-toxic home made hairball treatment along with some brushing will see you virtually hairball free.

Cat Hairball Symptoms

Hairballs is a not an uncommon problem in cats. Especially cats with a long coat or a very thick one tend to be more prone to having a hairball problem.

An ounce of prevention can go a long way in preventing cat hairballs.