A ball of hair in the digestive tract, developed most frequently in bovines as a consequence of excessive integumentary licking. H08208. Definition from Hurnik et al., 1995.
a compact mass of hair that forms in the alimentary canal (especially in the stomach of animals as a result of licking fur)
a solid mass of cat hair that can form in a cat's stomach or intestines over time, as the result of the daily grooming a cat does
a clump of ingested hair; in some instances, hairballs can cause intestinal blockage in ferrets.
A hairball is a small collection of hair or fur formed in the stomach of animals that is occasionally vomited up when it becomes too big. Cats are especially prone to hairball formation since they groom themselves by licking their fur leading to hair going into the stomach.