F.A.Q Kittens & Cats

What are the possible causes of hair loss in cats?

There are several things that can cause hair loss (or alopecia).
It can be due to a problem with the hair follicles, abnormalities of the hair growth cycle or due to trauma or scarring. 

• Abnormalities of the hair follicles. These can be congenital or acquired. With congenital problems the cat’s hair disappears within 4 weeks of life, or else are born without any. If the abnormalities are acquired, this can be due to a range of causes, for instance an infectious disease or hormonal diseases, such as diabetes. 
  
• Hair growth cycle abnormalities. These can be due to an acquired symmetrical (the same on both sides) hair loss, where the actual cause is unknown. It can be due to a stressful circumstance, such as fever. The cattery should also ask you lots of questions about your pet, and insist that the vaccinations are up to date. 
  
• Trauma. Hair loss can also be due to excessive grooming. This can be due to fungal infections, fleas, localised pain or dermatitis, amongst others. 
  
• Scarring of the follicle. A bacterial infection, for example, can cause hair loss.

As you can see from this long list of causes, it can often be quite difficult to reach the cause of the hair loss, and sometimes there is no reason to give any therapy if the possible side effects of the drugs outweigh loss of hair.

It is worth while getting your cat checked over by a vet to see if there is a serious problem behind this. Take along a urine sample from your cat at the initial consultation, so the vet can test the sample for conditions such as diabetes.