Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
1786778 tn?1314987818

Help, My cat is pulling her fur out.

I have a 1 year old black domestic short hair, recently she has been pulling her fur out from 1 spot on her back. We have checked for fleas and bug bites, and dry skin but there seems to be nothing. She also pulls fur out of the other cat we have....but I think that's because she is trying to get the snarls out of his fur. I would just like to know if anyone else has experienced this before.
12 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
874521 tn?1424116797
hi Carly and welcome. this is actually quite common it can be due to several reasons. allergies, fleas, IBD, stress, or even just very dry skin...with a black kitty you would notice if the skin was really dry and see while dandruff like flakes..if this is the case add some Omega 3 fish oil to her diet...Krill Oil is the best.

if its allergies, this can be environmental from any scent in the home such as cleaners, candles, room sprays even scented litter.

or a food allergy usually chicken is the biggest culprit. also grains in the food are triggers for many cats. dry food is also a huge problem, b/c of the many preservatives along with the grains of course.

can you do a trial of changing her food to a non chicken GRAIN FREE canned food and see if that makes a difference. also try to eliminate as many scents as possible around your home.
with people allergies to a food or product we tend to sneeze and get runny eyes with cats they feel it on their skin...therefore they itch or breakout in tiny sore scabs or both.

post again if we can help, good luck.♥
Helpful - 1
1 Comments
This worked for my cat! My cat licked all her belly fur off a couple years ago and about two years ago, started licking all the fur off her front and back legs. It looked like we had shaved her fur! I started putting 1 pump of Omega-3 fish oil into her food twice a day (the recommended amount is only once a day, but I thought it might be good to give her extra since she had been without treatment for so long). Results took about a week to notice, which means it worked immediately. Thank you.
874521 tn?1424116797
hi, your poor kitty must be feeling miserable, its usually the food (grains) or a contact allergy...always an allergy that causes this. I did type out a much longer reply for you last evening but for some reason its not showing...to make this short I will give you a link to read on this issue...good luck and let us know how its going okay, always a process of elimination!!!

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=2134
Helpful - 0
874521 tn?1424116797
oh your poor kitty must be feeling miserable, this is 99% due to allergies, to food(grains mostly) or a contact allergy to something in your home ie cleaning products, candles or any scented items, laundry detergent, FABRIC SOFTNER(big culprit) all the chemicals in furniture or rugs...scented litter. can be many things and its always a process of elimination. i will send you a very good site to read, I just don't agree with using steroids unless absolutely necessary..as they can also lead to many health issues like diabetes. but if your kitty is now completely lost all the hair it maybe time to try for a short spell, this will not cure the problem its only a temporay relief so you still need to track down the CAUSE
read this site well than talk to your Vet. good luck, let us know how it goes ok

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=2134
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
12 year old long haired female started with hine legs up to tail and now around rib area.  she is not totally bald and there is no signs of infections or hot  to touch just leaving behind fuzz. please help my old dearest  cat.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
This sounds like my 14 year old male long hair. The exposed skin is healthy and is regrowing?
Avatar universal
12 year old long haired female started with hine legs up to tail and now around rib area.  she is not totally bald and there is no signs of infections or hot  to touch just leaving behind fuzz. please help my old dearest  cat.
Helpful - 0
1948556 tn?1337020737
she might have a mental disablity.it is possable with animals
Helpful - 0
2131867 tn?1336328439
YA THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA! BUT I WOULD DEFIANTLY SHAVE THE SPOT SO YOU CAN KEEP A BETTER EYE ON IT! this WILL HELP YOU DETERMEN IF IT GETS WORSE OR BETTER WHILE YOU ARE TRING TO DETERMEN THE CAUSE! YOU KNOW WHAT? my CAT THAT HAD THE PROBLEM IS ALSO A BLACK FEMALE SHORT HAIR! ISN'T THAT SOMETHING! STILL WAITING ON THOSE PHOTO ! LOL!
TLK 2 U LTR
DORA MAY HENAIRE
Helpful - 0
1786778 tn?1314987818
Yeah, I don't like to use medication unless it is as a last resort.

I think it could be dust mites. This apartment is so dry and dusty that I literally have to dust every day. However I do think the eliminating thing might work. I will start with a different litter for maybe a month, then switch food for about a month. Hopefully we find out soon.
Helpful - 0
1786778 tn?1314987818
The spot doesn't seem to be warm or hot. I know me and my fiancee were thinking about shaving the small area because it is hard to see her skin through her fur.
Helpful - 0
874521 tn?1424116797
yes its possible to become sensitive to anything after long term exposure and that includes foods, same for humans and cats too.

heres an article with good info on this topic. the only thing I do NOT agree with is using steroids (and most other medications)...this will only mask the problem and is NOT a cure. and despite what the Vets say.."even one dose of a steroid can lead to diabetes!!!" so only ever use as a last resort,after you've tried absolutely everything else.
Kitty is much better off if you do an elimination routine and discover what is causing the issue rather than throw drugs at her.

like I said the most common culprit is the GRAINS in food, find a brand that is grain free and preferably canned. you can get these at good pet food retailers.they are becoming the food of choice now.

you also mentioned a recent move if its not grains/food related another possibility is dust mites or something else new in this location that is causing the reaction.(?) read the article and do some changes for you kitty.
let us know how its going okay.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=2134
Helpful - 0
2131867 tn?1336328439
  I had the same problem with my cat she had some flaking and hair loss so I shaved her with clippers as short as I could than put "Hot Spot" treatment on it 2x a day for a week but it only took a couple of days to clear up! When she had it the infected ares felt hot to the touch! Does your cats area feel warm?
any way it healed up and her hair grew back just fine! I was thankful cause she was suffering with it for almost a year cause I didn't have the $ to take her to the vet! Maybe you can try it ! Let me know how it turns out! email me if you don't mind! Here is my email  ***@****

                                                            Your new friend:
                                                                      Dora May Henaire
   P.S..
     Maybe you can send me a pic of he cutie?
       tlk 2 u ltr !

Helpful - 0
1786778 tn?1314987818
I haven't seen any dandruff on her, but my other cat has dandruff. So could it just be the air is dry? This is our first winter/spring in this apartment and this is the first time she started to do this.

Is it possible for her to get an allergy from the food that she has been eating for a while now?
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Cats Community

Top Cats Answerers
874521 tn?1424116797
Canada..., SK
506791 tn?1439842983
Saint Mary's County, MD
242912 tn?1660619837
CA
740516 tn?1360942486
Brazil
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Members of our Pet Communities share their Halloween pet photos.
Like to travel but hate to leave your pooch at home? Dr. Carol Osborne talks tips on how (and where!) to take a trip with your pampered pet
Ooh and aah your way through these too-cute photos of MedHelp members' best friends
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.