Hacking up a hairball is not the same as vomiting - not even close.

Hairball = wad of hair. Vomiting = food. If it's food, it's not a hairball. That's also why I specified more than once.

Also, not all cats have hairballs. Also also? While the occasional hairball can be within the range of normal, continued or frequent hairballs aren't - they can be a sign of serious illness.

One of the most toxic and damaging memes I need to fight as a veterinarian is that "cats just puke, and it's just normal." It's no more normal for a cat to vomit on a regular basis than it is for a human, and it bugs the heck out of me that people believe that it is.