If you have a cat companion, you know a thing or two about hairballs. But you may not be aware that this normal activity can cross the line into problematic.

Cats are the quintessential groomers, and their rough tongues are great at removing loose hair. Most of that hair passes through the digestive tract, but the excess is brought back up as a small, hot dog-shaped glob.

While it’s normal for your cat to produce a hairball every month or so, several per week is way too many. It could mean that hair collected in your cat’s stomach is blocking the passage of other material. Or maybe your cat is over-grooming due to pain, itchiness or stress. Frequent hairballs can even signal problems with gastrointestinal function.

So don’t brush frequent hairballs under the rug. Check with your veterinarian about taking a closer look.