Q: Why is My Cat Losing Hair?
Q: My Persian cat has been losing his hair by the base of his tail and around his neck. He scratches a little, but not badly. Could it be stress?
A: It is certainly possible that this could be stress related. Stress can lead to over grooming by your cat which would result in hair loss.
Before we assume that this is the cause we rule out other things first. One of the first things to rule out would be fleas. Even indoor cats can get fleas so your veterinarian may wish to prescribe a flea preventative.
Another possible cause of the hair loss would be allergies and even an underlying skin infection. Your veterinarian can diagnose and treat infected skin and recommend treatments to help with the itch. There are also different treatments for allergies if that is in fact what your Persian has. Your vet also may want to check routine blood work just to rule out underlying problems.
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Comments (7)
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creative orthodox April 3, 2009 7:03 AM
My Exotic cat had the same problem. When we took him to the vet, it was diagnosed as fungal infection. He was given a course of anti-fungal to take. We also consulted the pet shop guy whom we bought our cat from and he suggested adding a little disinfectant like Dettol to his bath. My cat is alright now and his fur has grown back beautifully.
shelly June 5, 2009 7:30 PM
it could be stress but i would check his cat food. the more meat the better because cats and dogs need meat protein. i've been hearing alot of ads about Dinovite supplements. have you heard of them?
Anonymous July 15, 2009 1:21 PM
I have 2 persians and mine had the same problem. I couldn't get a straight answer from any vet or specialist. I finally found a lady who had raised persians for years and told me to do a little research about cats and their diet. i was shocked to find out I had been feeding things that could kill them. the prescription diets were the worst. They contained no meat, and had all fillers such as corn , soy, wheat , gluten. Cats need meat, they cannot survive without it.Skin problems , kidney problems, bladder, eyes and many more conditions are usually contributed to their diet. My cat is doing great now and we have had no other problems. Definately start by looking at their diet.
toby September 30, 2009 7:39 PM
hi anonymous, I also have two persians and both of their furs are thinning. I took them to the vet and he said "it's normal thats the breed they shed a lot" but i knew there had to be something else. What kind of food do you guys suggest to bring back their beautiful coat.
jesse October 24, 2009 9:04 PM
my cat is losing his fur and also you see a lot of scabs and he also has dots of blood on him i have no idea what to do with this
mar November 11, 2009 9:54 PM
my cat is pulling her hair on her back, just pulls & pulls?
Mel November 13, 2009 9:28 PM
I have a "Himi" cat & I noticed a mat on her tail so I was combing it w/a lg. tooth comb & a lg. wad of hair just fell out. I barley stroked thru it & it just came out, then I got scissors to cut the 'mat' & saw that 3/4 the length of her tail (topside) was bald! No sores, bumps, anything... just slick! I am freaking out bcs I have not noticed any silver hair on my tan carpet- I did find 4 fleas on her head but not her tail.... HELP! TKS!