Is your feline friend showing signs of losing their fur? That can be a distressing sign when suddenly your cat is slowly becoming hairless. Why could that possibly happen? You have to remember that cats and dogs will lose their fur for various reasons the way humans do. However, it is not something that you would expect to happen with your pet too often. Some causes of cat hair loss or alopecia are easily treated. And unfortunately, others are not. Let’s go over the common reasons that cats can lose hair.
Allergies
If your cat has an allergy, it will cause them to overgroom and lick themselves too much to the point they are taking off their fur. Cats can be allergic to fleas in particular, and that is because of having an allergy to the saliva of fleas and that causes them to become extremely itchy. Therefore, the cat will engage in compulsive grooming. Fortunately, there are medications for cats that can help relieve the effects of allergies.
Anxiety
Like anxiety, cats will overgroom themselves as a nervous habit to the point that they will lick away their fur. Many things can make cats anxious, and there are also treatments for it. However, if your cat is the anxious type, your cat may benefit from a treatment for anxiety that you would have to discuss with your vet. You will also want to keep the stress levels of your cat low by keeping them in calmer environments if you can.
Licking Due To Pain
Another cause for your cat losing fur is if they are overlicking themselves because of being in pain. They will lick themselves a lot because it helps them soothe the pain they are experiencing. However, again, licking too much will remove the fur. If cats are arthritic, they will be licking themselves. And there are also painkillers for cats if necessary. However, that can also lead to hair loss in cats.
Side Effects Of Medication
Some medications can cause your cat to lose their fur, especially if they are on corticosteroids such as Prednisone. The best thing to do when it comes to treating your cat with medications that can cause loss of fur is to either find another medication that does not cause the alopecia or adjust the dosage so it will not cause loss of fur to be as much of a risk.
Endocrine Disorders
If your cat has hyperthyroidism, as that is an overactive thyroid that causes weight loss and hyperactivity, it can cause hormonal imbalances that will cause the fur to fall out. Additionally, if the cats have too many steroids in the body, that also will cause hair loss. For instance, Cushing’s Disease will cause the cat to have too much cortisol in their body and will also cause alopecia. There are treatments for those disorders that can help regulate hormones and the endocrine system that will help cats grow their hair back.
Cancer
The worst-case scenario is cancer being the reason that your cat may lose their fur and that rarely happens. However, it is a reason for it and your cat would show other signs of cancer such as not eating, weight loss, being lethargic, and being in pain.
However, most of the time when your cat is losing fur, it can be fixed and all it takes is a visit to the vet to help figure the reason out as to why your cat is losing fur. You do not want to ever neglect it because your cat is not only suffering but may need treatment as soon as possible to reverse the condition.
