The loss of hair in cats is normal, daily, and it is useless to mention it to the owners of these animals, but it depends on the quantity. A minimum, just enough to “bless” the clothes and sofa covers, is nothing to worry about, but if we begin to see piles of fur hovering around the house, it is necessary to investigate the matter and understand if our cat has a problem of health. It is clear that in this evaluation we must also take into account the fact that this animal, like many others, sheds and sheds a lot in autumn and spring, exactly when we plan the big change of the closets in the house.
It could be an infection if the cat’s hair loss is coupled with an itchy sensation, such as bacterial folliculitis, demodectic scabies, or ringworm. There are other possible causes that we will try to explore, leaving it to the vet to ascertain them. The important thing to point out is that we as cat owners have a significant role. We must in fact make sure that the hair is always clean and healthy. Any infections must be recognized immediately so that they do not evolve in a dangerous way.
Hair loss in cats: causes
We have talked about infections but there are many more and different possible causes. Let’s see the most probable ones one by one.
Just as humans can lose hair at a time of particular stress or tension, cats can lose their hair too. And why on earth should a cat be stressed out, since he lazes slyly all day? Let’s not be fooled: even felines can feel uncomfortable and underpressed, for example if there are jobs in the event or a move, if a new element arrives in the family, or if their routine is changed for any reason.
Always stress, but linked to a particular event, such as an illness, surgery, breastfeeding or pregnancy, can cause a loss of hair in the cat but in this case we are talking about telogen outflow. Usually the symptom appears about a month after the traumatic event and it is not necessary to intervene because the hair grows back on its own.
If stress is frequent, Cushing’s syndrome is a very rare disorder but can also cause hair loss. This disease is linked to the production of an excessive amount of natural cortisol which causes a lot of hunger and a lot of thirst, it also causes the belly to swell and thin the skin. And it makes you lose your hair. It is the vet who can diagnose it.
Less rare causes may be infections such as folliculitis. This disease prompts the cat to lick itself in an insistent way to clean itself of bacteria, but the hair also goes away, so it is necessary to intervene. Another type of infection is demodectic scabies, a type of mite that attacks the cat’s fur and weakens it, stains it and then makes it fall out.
Another enemy of the cat and its fur is ringworm, a parasitic fungus that grows along the hair shaft and weakens it until it causes it to fall out.
To finish the overview of the possible causes it is necessary at least to mention some of the pathologies that have hair loss in cats as a secondary symptom such as kidney failure, liver disease, viral diseases and prolonged fasting.
Hair loss in cats: remedies
As already mentioned, in many cases it is important that the cat is examined by a veterinarian, at least to exclude the most serious causes and for which an important and decisive intervention is necessary. In any case, a real trained specialist is the person who can reassure us, if the cause is trivial, and recommend the best remedy, even if it is just stress. There are also behavioral veterinarians who can help us understand the possible cause of the stress that the cat manifests by losing more hair than usual.
It is clear that the remedy is closely linked to the triggering cause.
If it is about fleas or other parasites, the veterinarian will recommend a pesticide product suitable for the specific problem, if there is stress at the base of everything, it is necessary to understand why there is this situation together with a behaviorist, also verifying that it is not either just for an off-season change of season, as today the weather is not always what we expect.
Allergies can also cause cat hair loss and in this case a dermatologist veterinarian should be sought.
Hair care in cats: accessories
We immediately pointed out that it is our duty as cat owners to take care of their coat to minimize the chances of it falling out. Here are two very useful accessories to do it.
The first is an undercoat deShedding tool that reduces hair shedding by up to 90%. It has a stainless steel teeth that manages to remove excess undercoat and dead hair with the utmost delicacy. The second is a classic glove perfect for removing excess hair and at the same time massaging our friend and in a delicate way because it has rubber “dots” on it.
