Imagine coming home after a long day at work, opening the door and being greeted with a longing meow. Your cat snuggles up to your legs, you bend down and gently stroke its fur. But then you stop: a bald patch! Bald patches in a cat's fur are often a sign that something is bothering your pet - from stress to parasites, allergies and other serious causes. Read here what causes bald patches, how you can help your kitten and when a visit to the vet is unavoidable.
Bald spots in cat fur: What is normal?
If one or more bald patches appear on your cat's body, the medical term is alopecia . What looks worrying at first glance does not necessarily mean that there is something wrong with your four-legged friend.
Basically, hair loss is completely normal for cats . Over the course of their lives, house cats lose several kilos of fur. Cats shed their summer or winter fur, especially during the shedding season, i.e. in autumn and spring, in order to prepare for the upcoming season and to change into a thicker or thinner coat. However, hair loss occurs evenly across the entire body of the kitten. This means that the natural process of shedding leaves a lot of hair, but does not result in bald patches .
Hormonal changes can also cause your furry friend to lose more fur than you are used to for a while. For example, if the animal has just been neutered and is now shedding more fur, hormones are usually to blame for the hair loss. In this case, it can't hurt to talk to your vet. This way, you can rule out any serious causes and make sure that everything went well.
Fur loss also occurs during pregnancy when the expectant mother kittens prepare for their offspring: During this special time, seemingly bald patches can form on the pregnant cat's lower abdomen - where the kittens will later suckle at their teats .
In outdoor cats, bald patches can also appear after a fight . For example, if your house cat defends its territory, gets into trouble while hunting, or gets hit on the head while being teased, bald patches can also be the result.
Since you know your pet best, you can usually judge whether there is cause for concern or not. In general, however, it can be said that if your cat loses so much fur that bald patches form or the fur appears suspiciously thin, caution is advised. Alopecia often occurs as a symptom of illness . This indicates that the animal is suffering from stress or health problems and should be treated as soon as possible.
Alopecia as a symptom of disease
If your cat loses more hair than it can replace, it is likely that the hair loss is due to Illness If the fur of the four-legged friend is more or less symmetrical, it is called Hypotrichosis , a thin fur . However, if hair loss is more severe in some areas of the body than in others, this usually results in complete baldness, i.e. alopecia. In this case, it is important to find out how the hairlessness comes about:
- Is the cat shedding its fur or is hair growth disturbed?
- Does the cat cause the bald patches itself by scratching, grooming or pulling out hair?
If the cat removes its hair itself , it is a special form of hair loss – the feline self-induced alopecia (FSA) . Below we will show you how to recognize whether it is FSA and what diseases could be behind the bald patches.
Bald spots due to FSA? Signs and accompanying symptoms
Like most cat owners, you probably don't have the time to watch your four-legged friend around the clock to be close to the cat's hair loss. Nevertheless, even as a layperson, it is possible to determine whether the cat's hair loss is FSA or not. Various evidence indicate that your darling is causing the bald spots himself:
- Hair loss occurs exclusively places that the cat can reach with its tongue – for example on the belly and on the front and hind legs.
- Your cat is choking more and vomits Hairballs , also called trichobezoars or hair stones.
- Your cat also excretes via the Feces noticeably many hairs out of.
- You repeatedly find hair or tufts of hair in the cat’s mouth, which between the teeth or caught in the barbs of the tongue.
If you suspect that your cat may be suffering from self-induced alopecia, you should consult a veterinarian as soon as possible. without great time or financial expenditure the diagnosis By removing a hair from the affected area of the body and examining it under a microscope, the doctor can immediately determine whether it is FSA or not. In affected cats, the hair tips are damaged by constant licking and pulling, but the roots continue to grow as normal.
Causes of bald spots in cats
Whether the cat's fur falls out, doesn't grow at all or is plucked out by the kitten - bald patches usually indicate that the cat is not well. In order to make it feel better again, the cause of alopecia The most common diseases associated with hair loss include:
- parasite infestation
- contact and food allergies
- skin fungus and bacterial infections
- Hormonal diseases of the thyroid and kidney
- stress and behavioral disorder
Below we will look at the symptoms that indicate the individual diseases. However, self-diagnosis and self-treatment are always not recommended. Whenever your cat behaves in an unusual way, you should not be afraid to visit your trusted veterinarian and get professional advice.
parasite infestation
Parasites are usually tiny and barely visible to the naked eye. And yet they can cause great damage. The little creatures nest in and on the bodies of our pets and cause havoc there. A general distinction is made between Endoparasites and ectoparasites . Endoparasites include, for example, Worms , which are mostly ingested through the consumption of birds, mice or animal feces and then spread internally, primarily in the intestine of the cat.
Ectoparasites include, for example, Mites and fleas . They attack the cat’s fur and cause a severe itching To relieve the itching, the cat begins to scratch and lick itself. This creates bald patches, which are often caused by skin irritations in the form of pustules, crusts, redness or scales. Parasites such as scabies mites multiply extremely quickly and can be blamed for persistent, highly symptomatic secondary diseases like cat mange.
If bald patches appear, especially on the ears, your cat may be suffering from ear mites. Their saliva inflammations which can also be transmitted to the inside of the ear and, in the worst case, even lead to deafness.
Also very common in cats are Hair follicle or Demodex mites . Unlike fleas, these special mites do not cause itching, but can hair root damage so that the affected hairs gradually fall out. Hair follicle mites are not transmitted from animal to animal, but always from other serious illnesses that attack the cat’s immune system – for example feline AIDS (FIV) and feline leukemia (LeKV). A visit to the doctor is therefore essential.
contact and food allergies
Allergic reactions can also cause extreme itching in cats and, in the worst case, bald patches. Both the symptoms and the potential triggers of an allergy are very diverse.
Contact allergies can be caused by pollen or house dust but can sometimes be traced back to a change in daily routine. Detergents, perfumes or even cat litter can also cause allergic reactions.
Cats often also suffer from Food allergy or intolerance : Animal products, various types of grain and preservatives in particular cause reactions – but basically any food can trigger an intolerance. But even sensitive cats should not go hungry. There are special well-tolerated food with selected protein sources and gluten-free recipes. A special food composition will make even the most sensitive pet full and satisfied again.
If the hair loss is actually due to a contact or food allergy, it may be accompanied by some other symptoms:
- Digestive problems such as Diarrhea , vomiting or flatulence
- Skin problems such as inflammation, redness and dryness
- Personality changes such as loss of appetite and apathy
- breathing difficulties and cold symptoms
One thing is certain: an allergy can have a massive impact on the well-being your loved one and also cause bad secondary diseases such as asthma. Once the trigger has been found, it can be easily eliminated from the cat's everyday life. Therefore, seek advice from your vet to find the culprit and, if possible, get rid of it.
skin fungus and bacterial infections
Circular hair loss can also indicate a skin fungal infection with cat fungus or another type of fungus. Although the fungus remains in healthy animals with a intact immune system often goes unnoticed , but the risk of infection high – also for humans.
Very young and very old cats, as well as those with a history of the disease, are particularly susceptible to an outbreak of the skin fungus, which feeds on the keratin in the skin and fur and is transmitted via spores. The classic symptoms include patchy hair loss, skin changes and inflammations, dull coat and Itching . Since often ring-shaped skin redness The fungal infection is also called ringworm.
The constant scratching and the exposed skin, which would normally be protected by the fur, make affected kittens susceptible to bacterial infections , which in turn cause itching and weaken the immune system. A bacterial hair follicle inflammation (Folliculitis), for example, attacks the hair root and is characterized by wet patches, hair loss and dandruff.
In order to protect your cat from long-term suffering and to avoid the risk of infection yourself, you should seek medical advice if you suspect skin fungus. This is because, just like bacterial infections, skin fungus can be diagnosed and treated with medication with relative certainty.
Hormonal diseases of the thyroid and kidney
Also chronic diseases can lead to hair loss. One of the most popular cat diseases of a hormonal nature is Overactive thyroid , also called hyperthyroidism. The thyroid is enlarged and produces too many hormones – these in turn stimulate the metabolism which is thereby constantly on a too high level The result: The cat's body is literally working at full speed and is overdoing it in almost every respect. The following symptoms are therefore considered particularly typical:
- hyperactivity, restlessness and aggressiveness
- increased thirst and cravings
- increased urination , Defecate and vomiting
- Hair loss, bald spots and changes in coat condition
- abnormalities in grooming behavior and coat care
Since hyperthyroidism and its symptoms represent an immense burden, Weakness , loss of appetite and even weight loss and other symptoms of fatigue occur more frequently.
Much rarer is a hormonal disease of the kidneys, which is also known as feline Cushing's syndrome It can be caused, for example, by a tumor in the kidney area and causes the body excessive amounts of the hormone cortisol The syndrome is life-threatening and difficult to diagnose, as symptoms such as increased eating, drinking and urination or hair loss make it difficult to clearly classify the disease. One indication is a strong change in body structure serve: As muscles shrink, the abdominal circumference increases.
stress and behavioral disorder
One factor that can disrupt the health and well-being of cats, which is unfortunately often underestimated, is stress. If a house cat feels stressed, there can be many different reasons for this – for example, an upcoming or recent move , the separation by the owner or a fellow animal or new caregivers or animals in the immediate vicinity. Depending on how sensitive a cat is, it may be possible minor adjustments or changes of everyday life and the familiar environment can become stress factors: for example, do you have a new job that requires you to be out and about more often and for longer periods of time than usual, have you recently received more visitors or have you made some changes at home and perhaps moved your animal roommate's favorite spot to another place? All of these things can cause stress in cats.
Stress, on the other hand, can lead to bald spots in two ways: Firstly, it can happen that cats Increased grooming will try to compensate for their grief in order to create a pleasant feeling. When grooming, the cat will then work on its fur so persistently and often that it while licking, the hair is gradually pulled out . The result: bald patches. In extreme cases, this phenomenon is referred to as a compulsive, disturbed grooming behavior - the Psychogenic lickalocephaly .
Furthermore, stress can also cause your cat to lose appetite and lose weight. This combination of weight loss and stress can in turn ensure that the body hair growth stops or paused. In this case, however, a thinning of the fur is more likely to be expected.
Therefore, try to eliminate stress factors at the first sign and to meet your cat's needs by calming it down, relaxing it and fulfilling its needs - whether through cuddling or by respecting its retreat. If it loses its appetite or refuses to eat, you can, for example, try nutrient-rich drinks attempt.
The coat as a health indicator
As you can see, bald patches can have many different causes. If accompanying symptoms such as vomited hairballs or hair in the stool and between the teeth occur, self-inflicted alopecia is likely - this can help in determining the cause.
Ultimately, it is of secondary importance whether your furry friend is causing hair loss by scratching or grooming or not - bald patches and other changes to the fur are usually an indication that your cat is not well. So if you notice that your cat is losing hair in places, you should definitely see a veterinarian so that potential illnesses can be identified and treated early. This is the only way to ensure that your four-legged friend feels better quickly.
