Kitties shed hair everyday, their body’s way of getting rid of old fur and replacing it with new ones. Cats also lose hair during scratching or grooming or even as a result of playing and fighting, so a few stray hairs here and there are probably not cause for concern. However, if your pet begins to lose hair and fail to grow it back, it may be suffering from a condition or disease that needs prompt attention. Cat hair loss can be harmless or it could be a symptom of a much bigger problem.
Causes of cat hair loss
The medical term for cat hair loss is alopecia. Alopecia is characterized by excessive loss of hair which can occur on different areas of the body. It is a symptom, not a disease. It may be caused by any of the following conditions or diseases, such as:
Allergies
The most common type of allergy that causes hair loss in cats is food allergy. A few common causes include fish, eggs, wheat, beef and surprisingly, milk. For some cats, the allergy can manifest early while for others, it may develop over time. Hair loss often appears on the face, head, ears, neck and on the front of the body, often accompanied by itchiness and some discomfort.
Flea allergies
If your pet has parasites such as ticks, fleas or mites, allergic reactions coupled by frequent scratching can lead to trauma which could damage hair follicles and cause hair fall. Flea bites are known to contain over a dozen allergens, thus triggering an allergic reaction on your pet. Once the parasite is controlled, the skin is able to heal itself and the condition is resolved.
Ringworm
A ringworm is not a worm but an infectious infection caused by a type of fungus that thrives in the upper layers of the skin, nails or hair. Cats become infected through exposure and direct contact with other animals, tools or objects. Cats can also catch it from shared areas that have been contaminated. A ringworm infection can manifest itself as patches of bald spots on the skin that form a circular pattern. Cats with this infection will often lose hair in patches. Hair in the surrounding area are also shorter and thus appear broken.
Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism is an abnormality in the cat’s thyroid glands. It is a common disease of a cat’s endocrine system. One of its symptoms is overgrooming, wherein the cat cleans and grooms itself obsessively, sometimes to the point of irritating its skin. This often results to excessive hair loss, which in turn results to bald patches.
Feline endocrine alopecia
While rare, this condition can affect beloved pets. FEA manifests as symmetrical hair thinning that occurs along the underside of the cat’s tail, the genital area, the inside area of the hind legs and along its trunk. It may be accompanied by itchy rashes.
Cushing’s disease
Cushing’s disease is also known as hyperadrenocorticism, a disorder of the endocrine system. Although it is rare among felines, it could affect older cats and cause a host of symptoms including hair loss, which manifests as bilateral symmetric wherein hair is absent on specific areas on both sides of the body.
