10 Causes Of Hair Loss In Cats And How To Resolve It

Having a cat that has thick and beautiful fur is the dream of all cat owners or lovers. Whether it's a domestic cat or a purebred cat, when they have beautiful thick fur, their cuteness will seem to increase in our eyes.

But what happens if a cat that used to have good fur is now experiencing hair loss. We certainly don't want this to happen to our cats, do we? And if it happens, we will find out what causes hair loss in cats and find ways to deal with hair loss in our cats.

Now in this article, Angora will share knowledge about what causes hair loss in cats.

What Causes Hair Loss In Cats 

Here are 10 things that cause hair loss in cats, whether it's a race cat or a domestic cat:

1. Foods That Cause Hair Loss

The majority of these foods are foods that come from the ocean. But that does not mean this food should not be consumed by cats. This food can be given occasionally to cats but should not be given every day. Some examples of foods that should not be given every day to cats are :

A. Salted Fish

Some cats may like this one fish, but this fish can cause skin problems in domestic cats when given as food or snacks every day. This skin problem certainly affects the cat's fur which causes the hair to fall out by itself.

B. Tuna Fish

As with salted fish, this fish is one of that causes of skin problems in cats. Indeed, the consequences are not as severe as giving salted fish, but this fish is still the cause of hair loss in cats.

C. Shrimp

Not only fish, shrimp is one of the foods that cats like. This is because the skin is crispy and the meat is delicious which is very tempting for the cat's.

But you must know that shrimp can also cause skin problems that can cause the fur of domestic cats to fall out easily.

D. Crab

Maybe we rarely eat crabs because they are expensive. Crab is one of the foods that can cause hair loss problems if the cat has an allergy to this food.

Note: Skin problems don't actually have an effect on hair loss but the itching or pain from skin problems is what makes the cat keep licking the itchy area which can cause hair loss.

E. Rice

For purebred cats, consuming food that is mixed with rice will cause the cat's hair to thin and experience hair loss. This is due to the lack of protein intake and other nutrients that cats receive from eating rice mixed with fish and others.

2. Allergy Itching

In addition to food, itching allergies are also some of the causes of cat hair loss. Like humans, cats also have allergies to food, insect bites, drugs, dust and pollen. This itching allergy will make the cat continue to lick its body with its rough tongue until dots form on the skin until the worst of the hair loss and baldness.

3. Parasites

Fleas and mites can bite and annoy any cat. But some cats have an antigen hypersensitivity to flea saliva. As a result, an allergic cat feels an extraordinary itching all over his body. 

This will make them lick continuously the itchy part to relieve the itching. And result in the loss of fur and cats experience baldness in certain body parts.

4. Pain

Cats with arthritis will usually lick their skin because they feel there is pain under the surface of the skin. Pain is a common cause of cat hair loss. They may constantly lick the sore spot due to the pain.

Once, when my cat had a sore leg due to being hit by a motorbike, he kept on licking his leg which hurt and the hair on the leg he was licking fell out. Fortunately, my cat was still alive even though one leg was deformed.

5. Fungal Infection

The next cause of cat hair loss is a fungal infection. The presence of missing hair and scaly skin can be a sign. Consult a veterinarian to immediately get medication or treatment so that the sore area does not spread widely and minimizes cat hair loss.

6. Stress

Psychogenic alopecia is obsessive licking and clawing behavior due to stress that causes hair loss. Stressed cats tend to scratch their stomachs, sides, and paws.

7. Endocrine Disorder

Next is endocrine disorders. Hyperthyroidism- an overactive thyroid is one thing that may be the cause of hair loss in cats as well as a cause of weight loss and other symptoms.

In addition to the thyroid, if your cat has a hormonal imbalance and high levels of steroids in the body, the cat's hair follicles can be damaged and may die. With unstable hormones, new cat hair may not grow back as in Cushing's disease.

In addition, metabolic disorders that produce too much cortisol, can cause alopecia in cats.

8. Drug Side Effects

Transdermal prednisone type drugs can be a cause of cat hair loss. And the shrinking of the earlobe. Prednisone is a drug commonly used to help relieve inflammation in allergies, autoimmune, joint and muscle pain, and skin diseases. Usually, if you stop taking the drug, the hair will grow back normally.

9. Cancer

Cancer can cause cat hair to fall out but fortunately cancer is rare in cats. However, neoplastic disease that causes abnormal growth due to uncontrolled cell division can cause cat hair to fall out.

Another serious condition that occurs due to cancer is paraneoplastic alopecia, which is cat hair loss due to itching and moist skin. But this cancer is fairly rare in cats.

10. Rare Cause

Purebreds such as Himalayan and Bengal have genes that cause hair loss. While the Sphynx type is a type of cat that does not have fur. Rare causes can cause cat hair loss.

How To Overcome Cat Hair Loss ?

Preventing Cat Hair Loss

Regularly bathe your cat with an anti-fungal, bacterial or virus shampoo and complete its nutritional needs with nutritious food. Then often interact and play with the cat to relieve stress.

Thus the article on the causes of hair loss in cats and how to deal with it. May be useful.