As an owner, it’s normal for you to worry when a cat starts excessive shedding. Hair loss, or alopecia, is a condition in which a cat’s hair falls out or stops growing, and it can occur in cats of any age.
Partial loss can be removed over a period of time in certain ways. In some cases, the hair loss is localized to one or more specific areas known as hot spots. Medical diagnosis is necessary to identify why hair loss is occurring and treat the underlying cause.
There are many different things that can cause your cat to lose hair, including parasites, food, psychological factors, infections, allergies, or something more serious. Your cat may scratch excessively and damage the hair due to fleas or mites and fungal infestations such as ringworm.
Hair loss can be normal due to stress. A less than adequate diet or a change in diet can lead to hair loss. Alopecia can also be a manifestation of other conditions or diseases.
Hair loss in cats, also known as alopecia, can be caused by a number of common causes. Once you understand the cause of your cat’s fur loss, you can try the right treatment to get them back to their former state. Reasons for their hair loss include:
Cat skin conditions
It is possible that your cat may have an infection such as ringworm (a fungal infection), an infestation of parasites such as mites or fleas, or other cat skin conditions caused by allergies. As they irritate the skin, it can cause intense itching on the body, sometimes clumping together.
Stress or painful skin
You’ve heard the term “tearing your hair out” when stressed, and the same can be true for stressed cats, as sometimes a stressed cat will start pulling out their fur. More uncommonly, but it’s also possible, if cats are causing their pain, such as a sore joint. But it can mitigate that.
Feline hormones
In your cat, hormonal imbalances can also cause hair loss. Certain hormones are responsible for the growth of your cat’s hair and can also cause your cat to lose hair. Excess or deficiency of this hormone can cause hair loss. You may also find that your pregnant or lactating cat loses her hair during this time due to her hormonal changes, but don’t worry too much, as the fur will eventually grow back over time.
General poor health, nutrition or underlying disease
An unhealthy diet, poor health or an unwanted illness can all cause your cat to lose hair. Since these are quite a wide range of causes, it is important to visit your veterinarian to identify the underlying cause.
Treatment for excessive shedding in cats
The treatment prescribed for your cat’s hair loss will depend on the cause the veterinarian is able to diagnose. The success of treatment will largely depend on the correct diagnosis of the cause of alopecia. In some cases, such as those involving congenital or hereditary hair loss, no treatment is available. However, some common treatments include:
Temporary treatment
A topical cream is often used during treatment when excessive shedding in cats. In some cases, topical creams can treat the cause of the hair loss, but it’s also common to use it to treat symptoms such as skin irritation. When hair loss is caused by flea or similar problems, fungal infections, certain skin conditions and skin trauma, it is a popular option.
Antidepressants or antianxiety medications
In cases of hair loss due to psychogenic alopecia or an emotional condition such as stress, medication may be prescribed to help the cat cope with the problem. This treatment has worked successfully in many cases, eliminating over-medication while taking medication. This treatment carries some risk of side effects from the medication, but they are usually not serious. Behavior modification and removal of environmental stressors are often used in conjunction with this type of therapy.
Antihistamines
When an allergic reaction causes skin discomfort and hair loss, this class of medication will be used to reduce the body’s response to the allergen. This treatment is considered low risk and can be combined with other therapies used to treat alopecia even if an allergic reaction is not diagnosed.
Treatment of specific causes
Many other treatments can be used for the underlying condition causing your pet’s hair loss. Talk to your veterinarian to understand how treatment for infections, cancers, imbalances and certain conditions may affect your pet and what risks are associated with recommended therapies.
Conclusion
Remember that a cat’s fur can shed all year round, but they tend to shed more during the summer and fall, known as the cat molting season. If they have hair all over their body, but no bald spots, then it is completely normal and will go away soon.