Hello everyone!
My 2026 got off to a rocky start. I had to take my cats to the vet a few times. First, my black cat had some issues, then it was the grey one's turn.
Today, I want to share the story of my black cat, who's developed this weird habit of eating his own fur.
I used to think it was normal for cats to occasionally groom themselves by vomiting up fur. But it's not normal. Normal is when the fur comes out with the poop.
My black cat was throwing up his food with fur in it, and I thought it was just a normal thing. That was until it happened 2-3 times a week. I was planning to take him to the vet after the New Year's holidays, but he decided to show up at the vet's office on January 1st.
What happened?
The cat threw up four times. That in itself wasn't normal. To make matters worse, he was lethargic and didn't really feel like eating. Before this, after vomiting, he'd always rush back to eat again.
This happened on New Year's Eve.
Since I thought they'd be taking blood and possibly doing an ultrasound, I removed all food from his access to take him to the clinic on an empty stomach.
At the clinic, they examined him and immediately sent him for an ultrasound to rule out constipation and potential surgery.
Shaved belly after the ultrasoundFortunately, we got off lightly with just an enema and an anti-nausea shot.As part of his treatment, they told me to feed him a paste to help remove the fur (it's also malt paste) and to keep an eye on his stool to make sure it wasn't too solid.
I've already written a separate review about the importance of fiber for cats. I chose Cliny's malt paste because it was the only option available at the vet's clinic, and I wasn't up for a long search on New Year's Day.
The paste might not have been a hit with my cats in terms of taste, but it did the trick, so I ordered a second batch.
A bit about the packaging
It comes in plastic tubes of different sizes – 75 and 200 ml. I'm still trying to find the right size for my cats and am currently using the mini formats for testing purposes.
My cat's tub looks like toothpaste, with a screw-on lid. The opening is wide, and the paste comes out easily. What's the point of the paste?The paste looks like a scrub with small particles. Its job is to break down hair clumps in the stomach and remove them easily with the stool. One more thing – in normal circumstances, hair should come out with the stool, not through vomiting.
Texture of the pasteHow to give it?According to the instructions, I'm supposed to give my cats 2 cm of paste each. I don't measure it every time, but it looks close enough to the mark.
Daily dose for one catI give the paste in the mornings, before breakfast. You have to give it to them straight away.
My grey cat loved the Cliny paste from my finger, but with a salmon flavor. Not so much with the cheese flavor, though. I tried it myself, and it smells kinda chemical-y, maybe that's why.
The culprit behind the paste's appearance in our routine is my black cat, who's being super finicky and won't touch any of the pastes I've tried so far. But he doesn't have a choice. What I do is follow the vet's advice and just spread the paste all over his paw. It's a bit messy, but it gets the job done. The paste is quite thick, so he can't just shake it off, and he ends up eating it from his paw. Not the most convenient method, but it's a temporary solution until I find something better.
I've been experimenting with different flavors of Cliny and other pasta brands, and we might just find something our cat likes on his own.
Results
Our cat has been eating Cliny black pasta for over a month now. He only had one episode of vomiting, and that was when we were trying out a different brand's malt-paste. As soon as we switched back to Cliny, the vomiting stopped. I'd say the pasta is working!
I've also noticed a change in our cat's stool – it's visible that he's shedding. His coat is looking normal again.
We'll need to give him malt-pasta on a regular basis because he has a thick undercoat. We might even consider getting him a summer haircut to give him a break.
HairballsOverall thoughts
I'd give Cliny's malt-pasta with cheese 4+ stars. It's working, and I can see the results in our cat's coat. The cats themselves are still a bit hesitant to eat it, but that's not the pasta's fault.
Thanks for reading, folks!
If you're interested in another review, check out my post on human tablets for high blood pressure that I give to my cat