Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
My cat is licking and biting on his back near his tail. His lovely mane is disappearing too.
By Mrs Earl
Your cat either has a flea or food allergy, or its suffering from worms, or it could be anxiety. Whatever the reason, you need to have it check by a vet, sooner than later. Blessings~
We have been finding little clumps of hair. They aren't bloody or snarled. We can't see where they are from. We wonder if stress and depression might be the problem. We got a kitten two months ago and he's been good with her when they play.
The kitten dive bombs him yet he doesn't use his claws. He is eating and drinking well, but seems sad. We love the kitten, but I want our cat to be happy and healthy.This is a vet-worthy question as is any change in behavior or skin problem (like losing fur). It could be stress from the new kitten or some other health problem. Once your kitty gets a clean bill of health, you can talk to the vet about the best ways to keep the depression/sadness at bay.
I have a rescue cat who has terrible dandruff. He sheds so much more than the other rescue cat I have. He leaves tremendous amounts of dandruff and hair wherever he goes. Brushing makes it worse (so the vet tells me). I need to know how to help this guy.
He makes just sitting with him uncomfortable, stroking is out of the question as he leaves so much hair and dandruff. I know cats shed, but this is beyond the pale. He really needs the love and attention of sitting in someone's lap and being stroked. It's just too unpleasant due to his dandruff. Does anyone have any ideas?
By Lynn Briggs from Cincinnati, OH
I have three cats, and one is an extreme shedder. I think some are just that way. You know Pigpen from the Peanuts cartoons? I compare her to him. Anywhere she goes, she leaves hair. It seems like you look at her, and her hair gets on you.
I wonder why your vet said that brushing makes it worse. I was talking to our vet about it, and she showed me a Furminator brush/comb. It's *really* effective. And Lizzie (the cat) loves it! When I'm going to brush her, I get a towel and spread it out on me first, then Liz hops up and I brush away. Afterwards there is enough hair for a kitten! I don't use it too often, though, because I've read that it can be overdone (I read about someone who was not paying attention, brushing her cat's hair while on the phone, and made a bald spot).
But if the vet says that brushing is a no-no, I guess you shouldn't do that. Did you discuss the cat's diet? I know diet can affect the skin/coat. You can do like me and spread a towel out when petting him, to help keep most of the fur/dandruff off of you. I have to go wash my hands after loving on Lizzie, and sometimes I have to change my shirt before cooking. I pay my daughter a dollar to clean our furniture with the Scotch Fur Fighter once a week. We've just learned to deal with it.
I'm glad that you're helping these cats. I hope you find a solution that works for you. Good luck!
It's possible your new rescue cat has a vitamin deficiency. Also, I read on the 'net that you could use "Olive Oil" (only) in drinking water daily and it helps condition the skin/fur in canines. Maybe in a few months you will see a difference. Just do a google search to find out how much olive oil to use in the water dish although cats don't drink as much water as a dog would. I wonder why the vet hasn't diagnosed the cat's condition and begun some time of treatment for it.
I have a cat that I love but had terrible dander that made me sneeze. I change her food to a different brand and it has gone away. Maybe he is allergic to corn or something in the food?
How long have you had this cat? Does it get along well with the others, or does it hide? I had a cat who shed terribly when she was at the vet's office. Of course she was terrified, and thus the shedding. I would follow up with my vet. Maybe it's a combined problem? Good luck to you.
Nzymes.com Will clear it up in 2 weeks. Suggest their product for absolute healing and help. No i don't sell it. I do rescue and have helped many animals with their granules. Healthy, nothing from China, not even their container, HA. You need to stop grocery store bought food. Ingredients are nothing but danger. Contain even euthanized pets (including the poison). Everything is loaded with corn filler. Corn is a big allergen.
This should not be ignored, if its painful for you to sit next to him, guess what its like for him to go through this. Take him to your local humane society which is less expensive and have him checked. Could be an allergy and ask them to shave him so he is more comfortable. Have mercy on him, he is your baby isn't he ?
Hi--go online to How.com and type in "cat losing hair and dandruff" and lots of things come up that should help you. Diet is likely the first clue, but make use of this website, really good for advice. I felt so sorry for your kitty when I read your post. He must be hurting so much. Hope you find some help. Barbara W.
My cat only loses the hair on his back closest to his tail, and he rubs on anything; he is itchy. This only happens in winter. Come spring he stops itching and his hair grows back.
But it's really bothersome to him. If I touch that area he squalls like he's in pain. What can I do to make the winter months more tolerable for him?
My cat is a male 8 years of age. He started losing hair on his back. It started small and now it's getting bigger. What could it be? I am not working and have no money for a vet. I scared it will make my other cat sick. Please help me save his life. What should I do?
By Monique
If the skin on his back is inflamed and/or flaky to go along with the hair loss he may be suffering from a flea allergy. Some animals are highly allergic to flea saliva and even one bite can trigger a reaction. The itch is so bad that they obsessively scratch and/or chew at the irritated spots obsessively. I have 2 dogs with flea allergies and I've had people think they have mange before because of the hair loss.
If you suspect fleas, grab some blue Dawn dish soap and some body armor to give him a bath. Make sure you treat the carpets for fleas as well (flea carpet powder is about $5 at wally world) and wash any bedding or toys. Make sure you treat the yard too. Flea killer spray (the kind that attaches to the water hose) is about $10 at wally world. I hope this helped.. I hope he gets to feeling better :)
She was born with one eye and a deformed mouth. She only has four teeth so she doesn't eat dry food only the tinned mackerel. My cat is losing the hair around her neck. My wife gave my cat a birth control pill in her water and now she is losing hair around her neck. What can be done?
My cat is an about 9 - 10 week old rescue and his owner was neglectful. They let him get bitten by fleas, which are gone and he has small patches of fur missing on his arms, face, and ears.
I am starting to get concerned even though people say it will grow back. He's happy and seems healthy, but I just want to make sure.
My short haired cat seems to molt excessively all year round. It is driving me crazy. Is combing her regularly actually encouraging the growth as its getting to the point when I'm starting to believe she is molting on purpose just to wind me up or get extra attention?
Haha!
I have a sweet bobtail kitty girl named Bunny Baby. She's been spayed, is an indoor kitty. She is three years young and has a hypothesized diagnosis of potential 
Her UTI went away, however she began to develop a bump just on the inner rim of her ear and her sister developed an ear infection after the gradual diet change. After another costly trip to the vet I was told to take both kitties off of the PO urinary support and we did the gradual diet switch again to Canaday pure grain free kibble and the same brand canned food along with Natural Balance and Pride by Instincts wet food.
As we have two kitties with different pallets. My kitty Bubbles, although tested and treated with prescribed medicine, never fully recovered from what was diagnosed as an allergic or fungal ear infection. Now, my sweet BB is licking the fur off her front legs. Both kittes rub their mouths vigorously on corners. Sometimes it seems too tough, like they are trying to scratch a serious itch. Otherwise they both seem happy and healthy.
My biggest concern about these issues is that the house we currently live in (and are trying to get out of as it has made me sick with allergies and severe sinus infection and headaches, fatigue) has a leaky roof and mold. The porch leaks moldy water on the floor. I groom them daily since the mold water began to drip. I give them the big lick, which is just a vigorous wipe down with a tablespoon of ACV and warm water. I am also putting coconut oil on BB to help with her legs which I have discovered that around the perimeter of the bald spots, is a little dry and scabby.
If anyone has advice besides going back to the vet; who only seems run tests and come to no firm conclusion yet prescribes meds that cost a ton and in the long run, don't even help my babies. I've literally spent thousands trying to get to the bottom of these symptoms the girls experience. Thank you all in advance!
Seriously, you've got to get this roof fixed. It not only is affecting your cats' health but must be affecting your own as well.
I find it a bit bizarre that you have spent thousands on vet bills but have not addressed your leaking roof and concurrent mold problem.
My kitty is also on Canidae soy-free grain-free and is very healthy. She has a perfectly beautiful coat.
Thank you Abigail. I am well aware that more than just the roof is in need of massive repair due to years of neglect, not of my own doing. Only one of my kitty friends is licking her fur off. My kitty friend Bubbles has a luxurious coat. The reason for caring for the cats before the roof is very complicated, but simply put if a family member gets sick their care comes first. And btw, the vet bills were over a couple of years. I don't have thousands to spend at once. The house isnt ours, we can't get a loan against a mortgage or the value of the home as it is an estate. My family are no help. I have been sick to the point of not being able to work, so that puts a damper on spending thousands in one go. The leaking roof and mold issues werent physically apparent until this past year due to excessive rain. Now that they have become apparent we have uncovered whilst trying to repair, further damage. To the extent that we have to move. I'm hoping when we do we will all recover.
My cat is 16 years old and has dry brown stuff on his face, around the eyes, nose, and under his chin. When I wipe it off gently with a wet washcloth it comes off, but chunks of fur do as well.
Any idea what's causing this?I have a 2 year old indoor cat and she is shedding more than normal and has dandruff on the top of her back. I haven't seen any bald spots or missing hair. She isn't scratching or acting abnormal. What can I do for her?
By Richard
Diet is poor. Bet first ingredient in her commercial food is corn. No more grocery aisle food. It even contains euthanized animals from pounds and so called shelters. Kitty needs some raw diet, a good pet store, grooming store, special feed store product is EVO. California naturals is another. It may cost a little more than Purina but you save by having a healthy kitty who needs no vet.
No vaccines; they destroy the immune system. Google healthy kitty diets, google vaclib.org or other anti vaccine site for vaccine ingredients (documented) and you will never vaccinate anything. You might decide on a product Nzymes granules ( I would never be without them). I do their quarter teaspoon a day for years on end.
Have no skin problems, fleas, vomiting, joint problems or other. I swear by Nzymes to correct problems as I take in abuse victims, malnourished all sorts of needies. Very uplifting to see them get well and whole. No, I don't sell Nzymes. What you will find is diet is everything. Poor diet? Poor animal.
Sorry but a cat having up to date Vaccines is a GOOD thing, it give the Immune system something to learn how to fight with with out putting the animal in danger. No Animal however should be vaccinated when they are too young for the vaccine or too sick to have it, the immune system can become overloaded with trying to fight the infection it already has. Also your cat will not passes on things to cats that have not been vaccinate or those too young or old to be Vaccinated. People who do not vaccinate their cats are the likely subject of catching these diseases and passing it onto those who cannot be vaccinated.
I volunteer at a at home shelter so I see the effects of cats who are not looked after properly all the time.
If you cant to see what vaccines do ask why we do not have things like Small pox?
if you see what they say about vacc's in Children on www.historyofvaccines.org/
you see why the same theory (like the theory of gravity, yet I don't see you jumping off a cliff) works on all animals.
Each disease for which vaccinations are recommended, however, can causes serious illness or death in unvaccinated populations, and might quickly begin to appear again if vaccination rates dropped. The United States has seen mumps outbreaks in recent years since vaccination rates have dropped, with severe complications and hospitalizations required for some patients. And before the introduction of the Hib (Haemophilus Influenzae Type b) vaccine, Hib meningitis affected more than 12,000 American children annually, killing 600 and leaving many others with seizures, deafness, and developmental disabilities. After introduction of the vaccine, the number of deaths from Hib dropped to fewer than 10 per year.
Each vaccine on the schedule continues to be recommended because of the risks posed by wild infection.
Check for ring worm with a good UV light. Missing hair can be a sign of ring worm. Its annoying but treatable.
Make sure you try and clean any area that lights up before freaking out though it may just be dust or some thing else on the coat. (Or They missed and went on themselves in the kitty litter) especially the area around the missing hair, and it doesn't have to be a circle either.
Treating ringworm with (Medication from the vet) Melesab (IE bathing your cat, its a pain but it can be done, trust me, we got good at it), Apple cider vinegar (on missing hair), Any anti bacterial and house hold cleaning bleaching and washing with a antibacterial wash... everything. Your things, your clothing all of it could be caring it... and you can get it too. Thankfully we I am apart of the only rescue group I know that hasn't gotten it from our cats.
And cats with it need to be isolated in a bathroom or a titled area until the out beak finished +2 weeks.
Wash, wash, wash everything every day or as often as possible, this will illuminate re-contamination and hopefully make the ringworm go quicker. Wash the cat every 3 days (twice a week) or more if possible. Apple cider vinegar (on missing hair) and tablets if washing tears your arms apart.
3 lots of Ring worm out breaks and 20+ cats later. Working for a rescue group we unfortunately get a lot of hard cases. Is not call cute healthy kittens all the time.
My cat has a scaly red rash on his belly and fur is falling out. What can it be? I don't have a lot of money to go to a expensive vet.
Can someone help by telling me what it can be and how serious it might be?My cat seems to be losing fur on her belly. It is slow growing. She had a pink spot there, l put medicine on it, but it still stays there.
It is not growing bigger with the medicine, but her fur loss is growing. I am not sure what is going on.My cat is starting to get a bald patch at the base of her tail. My other cat is fine. Both have been on the same diet for ever and ever, no lice, ticks, or fleas found. There are no worms present.
She does lick the spot. Is there anything I can spray maybe on her to stop the licking? Thanks a bunch for any help. I love my cats as much as life more than that anyway.My cat is losing hair on his back. It turns red and then it comes out. Any help?
i think you will need to see a Vet. Unless you can see them, skin conditions are very hard to diagnose.
I agree with the answer above, you need to see a vet. In the meantime, have you checked him/her for fleas ? Have you noticed a change in behavior (excessive licking, scratching where the hair comes off...) ?
My cat has thinning fur under her paws and belly. The vet recommended using an anti-fungal shampoo which did not help after using for 6-8 months. I thought maybe fleas or mites so I diligently applied flea prevention, but no change after 1 year.
My cat is a Bengal and also used to pee everywhere in our home when we first got her (she had all her fur) and we were able to determine that this was caused by high magnesium low moisture in her food so we switched her to Hills Urinary Car C/D. No more peeing! It has been this way for 8 years. Her fur started thinning around the time we switched her over so we tried wet food. She would not eat it and tried everything.
Recently we tried a new urinary care food (by Purina I believe) and guess what after 2-3 weeks of using it fur started noticibly growing back, but she started peeing everywhere. Now we are back to Hills and her fur is thinning again.
Your help, comments, or suggestions are much appreciated. The pic is of her belly near her genital area.
My 8 year old male cat has a spot on his left side just bigger than a quarter with no fur there. It has been there for a few weeks and does not appear to bother him. He doesn't scratch at it and I can touch it just fine.
I assumed when I first noticed it that it was from him playing with my other cat or catching the fur on something. However I just noticed a second spot in the right side that is much smaller. Any ideas?
Your cat's hair loss can be from many possibilities, however, it is impossible to suggest an answer based on photographs. However, the condition may be spreading as you state there is a new patch. Some possibilities-mange, mites, fleas, yeast, allergy, infection... If you do not know what the problem is, trying over the counter cat medicines is just hit and miss, and lost money. The problem is continuing, you should take your cat to your vet for the correct diagnosis and treatment.
It looks like he pulled a mat loose. If it doesn't begin to fill in have your Vet look at it.
