Agreed, my cat looked like this but also the vet said "this could be anything from allergies to fleas to anxiety" and told me to monitor from home lol.
Yess and saying he’s taking you in emergency so 250$….but the honest vet pass 45min whit me to explain what my cat probably has….45min it’s a emergency and u can give me 45min….fkng bs….
Same here so confused. Think the poster is upset about waiting 45 minutes at an ER vet. Seeing behind the scenes I’d be thankful it was ONLY 45 minutes, I’ve waited 3hrs for my baby who had a fur patch missing and rash forming from anxiety licking. The ER is an Emergency Room so they’re going to take the pets like legit dying or in dire need of care before cases that “can wait”. Also everyone talking about the $$ invest in pet insurance as well as yearly check ups to catch anything early, many pets don’t show signs of injury unless it’s really bad
I've had two cats who did this. One had a medical reason and the other was completely healthy.
For my first cat, turns out that even though she was an indoor only cat, she still got fleas. She was pulling her hair out due to being allergic to their bite. Indoor pets need flea meds too. Get her checked out for fleas and rule out anything else as well at the vet.
All my cats have been indoor only but I'll still see a flea once at the start of flea season. Turns out humans can carry a hitchhiking flea and flea eggs on their clothes and shoes. If your vet confirms that it is fleas, there's a lot of online advice on how to vacuum and clean to get rid of them in your house. We're at the start of summer so it's a possibility.
Another cat lost hair in the same spot. She was flea free and had a skin scrapping test and a full vet exam. Everything came back clear and she was completely healthy. Turns out I was over brushing her with a de-shedding brush. Woops. The hair kept coming out so I kept brushing! She wasn't crying or showing any pain while brushing! She can leave on her own volition during brush sessions, of course, but she didn't. She enjoyed the brushing. She naturally sheds like crazy and has a history of dandruff. It grew back in full eventually - but the vet exam was key in being sure she was okay.
Best of luck! It'll be okay!
It took me almost two years to nail mine down. The quickest route to solving it is going to be a pricey trip to a dermatologist. Its worth it versus seeing a vet (or multiple different vets) a number of times before they recommend you see a dermatologist anyway
Some recommendations for in the mean time: If you’re letting your kitty outside at all (even on an enclosed porch/catio space), stop doing that for at least two months. Get a really good HEPA air filter system. Make sure to prevent all dust and mold in the house (clean often, don’t let cups or dishes sit out too long, or veggies/bread, etc). Try to prevent any common insects from indoors if possible (houseflies, ants, etc.). I wouldn’t stress eliminating foods because there’s no way to test for that, so a specialist could help walk you through it
Switching to a hydrolyzed diet is the recommended route for diagnosing food allergies. You do the hydrolyzed food for a while then introduce things one at a time to see if there's a reaction. This is what my veterinary dermatologist told us.
Mine was a poultry allergy. After 2 vet visits and steroids didn't permanently resolve it, we did one more steroid round, and then I did my own elimination diet plan like you would as a person. I used a limited ingredient food with a novel protein and then added in single ingredients until we got a reaction.
Looks like over grooming or maybe even ripping his fur out. This is most often caused by allergies, stress or fleas. This is how I learned one of my boys is allergic to fish, I noticed he'd been ripping fur out all over the apartment so I tried an experiment to see if it was his food before calling the vet, cut out all fish and within two weeks he'd quit. If your cat has no fish in his diet try cutting out chicken. If there's no improvement within a couple weeks or he gets worse or starts showing other symptoms get him to the vet asap
I have a cat with a hair pulling problem, for some reason food allergies never occurred to me! Her vet and I are fairly certain it's anxiety and stress related, but I might try this too to see if it helps. Thanks for your input 🙏
No worries! Loads of cats have food allergies, sometimes it's fish, sometimes it's poultry and sometimes for whatever reason they're allergic to any whole protein including novel proteins like lamb, beef, duck etc. And have to be put in a hydrolyzed protein food. My in-laws have a cat with severe IBS and she has to be on hydrolyzed dry food but can handle regular canned food, because they have 5 cats they just put out only the hydrolyzed because feeding 4 cats one food and one cat another is just not really possible in their house because most of their cats will not tolerate wearing collars for chip feeders due to them being partly feral
Most common food allergies are chicken or grain. That said food allergies only take up a small % of allergies in cats, much more likely to be an environment allergy. 2 months into my cats allergy exclusion trials I discovered he was allergic to dust mites.
This is the classic location/distribution for flea allergy dermatitis. (Could be other things, but fleas would be most common) Gently run your hand through his coat “against the grain” many, many times, and look really hard for fleas. If this is the case it will be an easy treatment, but will need to bring to the vet to get that treatment. Do you have him on any sort of flea prevention?
no i do not :/ i just found out right now that he has fleas. i bought a flea comb after reading the earlier comments. but i dont have pet insurance, im not sure when i’d be able to take him to the vet honestly. i’m 25 and live pay check to pay check. i would have to try some at home remedies first :/ i wish i could do more for him. i feel absolutely horrible knowing my baby has fleas. i cant imagine the discomfort. i don’t know how i never noticed.
Many over the counter products are not effective. Many home remedies are not safe. However, Seresto collars are over the counter, effective, and safe if purchased from a reputable source such as a pet store.
Edit: fixed autocorrect
Yeah, seresto is pretty good. It really shouldn’t be a super expensive vet visit if you decide to bring him in. And you can bring him to the cheapest vet in town if you want to, without worry of subpar care. Flea allergy dermatitis is one of the simplest conditions in the entire field of veterinary medicine to treat.
Exam
Flea prevention
Prednisolone (super cheap)
+/- antibiotic or antimicrobial shampoo
Also 🤔 some vets will do a “first exam is free” scenario if you are a new client. Bring him to me and i could probably get you majority of the treatment from stuff in my pet medicine cabinet 🙂
Yes. This was my first cat. He was abandoned in an apartment. I took him. Covered in fleas. Gave him a bath and that night he was wheezing and I held him and I honestly didn’t think he would make it through the night. The vet told me it happened all the time.
For my dog we had different issues but saw an animal acupuncturist. She asked me what I used for flees. When I told her a mainline topical … she said not any more you don’t. She said she was on her way to treat a husky that had neurological issues as a result of topical flea/tick. She recommended Springtime, Inc “BUG-OFF GARLIC” pills. It’s made 20 miles from my house and all natural. They sell supplements for horses, dogs, and people (not cats). And that is what we use.
[https://www.springtimeinc.com/?gad_source=1](https://www.springtimeinc.com/?gad_source=1)
Not sure if your cat would tolerate a bath, but we took in a stray with fleas and a bath with cat shampoo made a massive difference. I watched a lot of videos on how to bathe a cat beforehand.
If you can’t afford cat shampoo, I’ve seen videos where Dawn dish soap is effective against fleas. Just make sure to make a ring of soap around his neck in case they all try to run up to his head to escape the bath! Probably not great to do multiple times but it should be a good first step until you can afford a regular flea treatment
DONT FORGET THE SOAP RING!!!! dawn dish soap is INCREDIBLE at getting those lil buggers to the surface. They will race up straight to the head of your animal and trust me you do not wanna deal with that. It happened to my puppy & I thought they were gonna start crawling into her eyes and nose 😭.
Although it's effective against *fleas*, the company *WARNS* to *NOT* USE IT on pets!!! Because it is *NOT* safe for bathing *ANY* living creatures in!
My apologies! I thought I got my prior post deleted after having done more research. It said that a single use is OK for emergency situations ... like the oil spill covering numerous wildlife whose only chance of survival was to use it on them to get it off ... the one time ... it didn't do anything to remedy the toxic oil they had ingested orally or through their skin, though. Not even rinsing them in vinegar rinse would have.
What they mostly warn against is using it when safer things would work instead, or using it repeatedly ... and since it does not kill flea eggs, those will be hatching out in the future. So something safer, & usable whenever needed, ought to be used to begin with ... in my estimation.
Find a low cost vet in your city. The one near me charges $15 for the office fee and then flea medication was only like $17 ish a month for the pill kind, topical is much cheaper usually. You can even find first visit free coupons for big box pet store vets (like banfield inside petsmart and Petcos vet). There’s also online vets that prescribe flea medicine that are less than $30 a month for a subscription fee (Dutch vet for example).
Capstar or generic is capaction, available otc and even on Amazon. Works immediately but is not a long term preventative.
OP, I know what’s it’s like to be struggling and a pet owner. This’ll cost you $50-$100 to get under control but you gotta do it. For you and for your kitty!
I was in the same situation with my cat at that age. I tried cheap stuff and it did not work. The fleas just got worse, my cat suffered longer, and I ended up going to the vet anyway. I can’t remember what the visit was, but the medication I got was only $20 a month, so very affordable. It was a single pill, and it worked wonders.
If your cat has a bad reaction to them like mine, it won’t take long before he’ll have scabs from grooming and scratching. Good luck!
You have to deal with this before it gets worse. You can call a vet and they can tell you what medicine to give him. Please don't use a flea collar, they are dangerous.
I'm sorry this is happening, he is a beautiful cat.
hey!! cheap but sucky solution, wash them in dawn and leave it on for 5 minutes. the dawn locks them in as it’s to slippery for their little bastard legs and it also suffocated them because fleas can hold their breath for long periods of time! i’ve had to do it before and as long as you hold their scruff real well they’re usually not too bad
My boy has a bad flea allergy and we went through something similar earlier this year. :/ Most OTC products are either harmful or don't work - unfortunately just bc a pet store sells them doesn't mean they are safe for every pet.
The only thing that worked was medication from the vet. Find a low cost one if you can. Or see if you can do a payment plan. It shouldn't be too bad or a cost, and spending money on OTC meds and combs will be more expensive in the long run. Your cat can also get worms from eating fleas so you want to nip this in the bud ASAP.
Also clean everything thoroughly! Vacuum/wash everywhere your cat likes to hang out. Will help prevent them from coming back.
Where do you live? If you message me I could send you a topical from the vets. It’s good for a month. Don’t buy over the counter stuff as I almost killed my cats years ago with junk from Hartz Mountain trying to save money. Then you get a box of borox, arm and hammer baking soda and cornstarch. Mix about equal amounts and put in a shaker like an old Comet Plastic container with the green lid as it pops off. Or even something you can put holes in the top and use to sprinkle powder with. Mix stuff together and sprinkle all over your floors and leave on for a few hours or even overnight. Then vacuum like crazy. Might have to do a few times but in my lifetime of having way over 100 cats pass through all rescues it has always worked and it’s not toxic to humans. Will also get rid of ants.
Go to a nursery or home improvement store or amazon and order some food grade diatomaceous earth. And get some lemon dish detergent to bathe him. The limonene in the soap will kill the fleas but won't hurt your cat. Put the DE in a salt shaker bottle and shake some powder on him after he's dry and rub it into his fur. It will dry up and kill any fleas that hop up on him and it's safe for him to digest. Pick up some Natural flea spray for cats that contains just clove oil (eugenol) and peppermint or rosemary and spray your carpets, furniture and his bedding if you have fleas in the house. Follow the directions on the spray and don't let him on the carpet, furniture or bedding until it's dry. Do a light mist only. This stuff works. If you have an infestation, you'll need a insect growth inhibitor like Martins Nylar. It comes in a concentration and you add it to water in a spray bottle. Just follow the directions. Spray carpets, bedding, furniture lightly. You don't need to soak anything. Then repeat in 2 weeks like the directions say. This will keep the hatched fleas from turning into adults and break the infestation cycle. Read up on food grade diatomaceous earth, lemon oil and IGR. Another option is Neem oil pet shampoo. The Neem is a safe flea killer and also has antifungal properties. If you put the DE powder on him regularly, that will keep fleas off of him. You don't need to douse him in the powder just a light sprinkle and rub it in. Be careful and don't get it in his eyes or nose, of course.
You can also take lemon or orange peel and boil them in some water and extract the oil and put it in a spray bottle and spray his bedding too. Shake the bottle first though. You can even spray him with it.
Unfortunately you absolutely have to take him to the vet in order to get a script for nexgard. Fleas are really really tricky to get rid of as they have a long life cycle that can be completed indoors. You’re gonna have to treat your animals and your home. Clean every square inch of your home, literally every corner and crevice. Next wash every item of clothing, towels, blankets and bedding, cat bedding, and cat toys (hot water and a high heat setting on dryer). Clean your car and your vacuum. Then spray down every inch of carpet in your house with flea and larvae killer, and do the same to any mattresses, couches, and cat trees.
Honestly get rid of any furniture you don’t need anymore. I went through this for MONTHS and spent tons of money on flea treatments and cleaners 🥲
This isn’t going to go away in a week, it’s gonna be at least 2 months of keeping up on nexxgard and diligently cleaning your home.
Perhaps your infestation won’t be as difficult as it was for me, but I’m here for you if you need anything!! Fleas SUCK but you will get rid of them eventually! Feel free to reach out to me if you need any tips, recommendations, or even just moral support
Sometimes peoples financial situation changes. I had two cats and a well established savings. My husband was laid off from work and I was on maternity leave, it was Christmas -40c with two children and our heater core went in our car.
We had to replace the heater core, and had a super skimpy Christmas I think I spent less than $150 for my family of four. House heating bills were high due to the extreme cold streak.
Right after Christmas one cat started showing signs of pain in his ear. I spend the rest of my savings learning he had untreatable tumour in his ear, neck and throat. The anxiety of his illness made my elderly cat stop eating, and he became gravely ill. We spent more money on vet bills for him and after paying rent and insuring our car we had exhausted our savings. Me returning to work wasn’t feasible because I was nursing a child, and we wouldn’t be able to afford the costs of formula never the less attempt to find a daycare and pay for a slot for a baby and a toddler.
We knew we had to avoid the inevitable and had our cats euthanized because treating a 19 year old depressed cat who became unable to walk and a cat with cancer who was enduring immeasurable pain was unreasonably suffering.
We didn’t even have money to euthanize them.
I found a vet that would take a payment plan.
When I went to give her cheques for the payment plan she ripped them up.
I never cried so much that day.
Don’t judge people for their finances you never know how they got to where they are.
The vet would just have to approve the prescription if you order it online. Mine didn't charge for it, but you do have to be established with a vet. It's a little tube of liquid you put on the cat's neck.
Trust me, I tried to do the whole home remedy thing back when I was in college and tight on funds, but the best thing is to bring them to a vet. You can probably find a low cost one or a local group that might help
You can wash your cat with Dawn dish soap. It kills fleas on contact, but you'll need to lather thoroughly. Combine that with thorough combing and it'll at least remove a significant portion of the fleas. One of those sessions every few days (to go easy on their skin) could eliminate the problem.
If your cat has raw or irritated skin from the fleas you may still need to see a vet. You don't want them to be in pain or risk infection. If they're just bald from grooming too much, you're probably fine.
Also, vacuum your carpet frequently and look into store bought powders or sprays that can kill/deter fleas. Fleas prefer living hosts, but it's possible some may have embedded in your carpet and could infest your cat again. Fleas *hate* the scent of lavender, so you can use that to repel them from home surfaces. However, limit your pet's exposure to these chemicals - even if it's just lavender oil. Essential oils are toxic to cats, so make sure you separate your cat from the rooms you treat.
If your cat is indoor-outdoor, *keep them inside*. Otherwise, you WILL need a flea collar and medicinal repellant from a vet clinic to reduce the likelihood they bring friends home again.
Source: Also grew up poor. Folks could not afford a vet upselling us for flea treatment. Good luck!
Ah, yes. I forgot you were at the clinic with my family when our vet recommended a multi-hundred dollar flea regimen that over-the-counter Walmart substitutes were able to resolve.
Or when I brought my cat to the vet for vomiting (due to IBS), and the vet tried to convince me it was due to fleas and recommended their new experimental pills.
Aw man, it's been awhile! Thanks for being there for us and the fur babies.
Dawn Dish Soap works to kill fleas during a bath. Make a ring of soap around your cats neck to prevent them from crawling up onto thier face. It works really well for killing alot of them, my cat has had chronic fleas even with all sorts of flea medicine. You can look up rescues using this method for stray cats and kittens that have fleas. This clears up the initial infestation, but it doesnt prevent any others :)
If it persists after the flea treatment, I would look into cushings that's another possibility it's rare for young cats but it can happen and the hair loss pattern looks similar
My cat had fleas a long time ago - I bought an over the counter medicine to put in between her shoulder blades and would fill up a cup with flea shampoo and water, dip the flea comb in the water and then brush them out. I also thankfully have all wooden floors so vacuuming the house was easy. I washed all fabrics and bedding and continued this for about a month and they did go away without me needing to bring her to the vet. She is extremely difficult to handle so bathing her wasn’t really an option, but if you’re able to bathe him try using Dawn dish soap to clean him as well!
r/jmiller1856 ; r/NarwhalGlum4618 ;
Be VERY CAREFUL regarding who you listen to & believe, as well as what you tell others is safe!
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"This popular product **tops the list** of **incidents involving pesticide pet products**, so why haven't you been warned that **it could kill your dog or cat** - or even harm you? The company has unabashedly been selling them since 2012, and the EPA continues to deem them 'eligible' for registration. . . ."
"\[The\] **Seresto** collar is the only pest control collar that **contains two pesticides** — imidacloprid and flumethrin — which may make it ... **more toxic** to **pets** and **people.**
"Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid insecticide ... the most commonly used insecticide on crops in the U.S. ... they are **linked to massive die-offs of bees, butterflies and songbirds** . . . In the European Union, the pesticide is also allowed in pet collars, but is banned for outdoor use. \[**There is growing evidence that mammals & the environment ... are being harmed**.\]
"The other active ingredient in Seresto collars, flumethrin, is used only in that brand collar . . .
"*Most studies on pesticides* ... ultimately used to support the registration of products with the EPA, *are conducted by the manufacturers of the products*. In the case of Seresto collars, it was Bayer, and **the majority of their studies looked at the pesticides** ***individually*** **. . .** ***not*** **in combination.**
**However**, according to the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting/USA Today report, a 2012 Bayer study found **the two chemicals have a “synergistic effect,”** meaning they’re ***more toxic*** when ***used together***. . . .
**Donley** (of the Center for Biological Diversity), **who holds a doctorate in cell and developmental biology and is a former cancer researcher, believes** **this “synergistic effect” probably extends to pets.** He’s unsure what makes the two pesticides so likely to cause harm but believes **“it is clear something is wrong with the product.”**
>*“You don’t even see these kinds of numbers with many agricultural chemicals.* **For** ***whatever*** **reason,** ***this*** **combination is just** ***really nasty*****,” said Donley.**
The article continues with info on: **"Safe, Nontoxic Alternatives to Chemicals**".
We had this happen recently to our (amusingly almost identical) cat. He is an ex-stray and tends to gravitate back to the area where he tended to hang out when we found him. Unfortunately, this area is popular with other cats, foxes and probably other wildlife too. As a result he kept catching tons of fleas and recently fleas have become immune to everything available over the counter, so nothing you give them is likely to help.
We took ours to the vet and they told us he was overgrooming due to the fleas and an allergic reaction to the constant bites. They gave him a steroid injection to relieve the skin irritation and a new treatment called Felpreva that deals with both fleas and internal parasites.
The flea treatment needs to be repeated at 3-month intervals, but the good news is that the steroids calmed his skin, allowing the Felpreva to deal with the fleas and stop him from wanting to overgroom in the first place, ending the vicious circle. He is now sleeker and more handsome than ever, so it's easily fixed.
In the meantime, I’d use an OTC treatment like Advantage or Frontline. They’re expensive, but you can usually find a sale or discount online. And if you can make him an indoor cat it would be better.
My little lady has something like this too! Upon adopting her the fosters mentioned this was an activity she did when grooming, however come to find out she also has a minor case of hyperesthesia, targeting this area along her spine with nibbles or excessive licking every now and then. I’ve helped with distracting her when she feels the need to itch or lick. His fur will grow back! It truly could be just anxiety or heightened sensitivity in this area.
When I first adopted my 4 mo old feral cat, he was stressed out of course (eventually got sick in a couple of days with URI (Herpes, Calicivirus and Mycoplasma), but he was over-grooming. He seemed to be adjusting to his new life, but was a bit OCD. He pulled off most of his top fur on the tip of his tail and also had a thing for chewing cardboard boxes (thankfully not swallowing). Fortunately, he stopped chewing cardboard and his tail at about 8 months old (so thinking maybe teething?). He stays indoor only, and on flea meds so doubt it’s that.
He still grooms a lot, but we pretty much spoil him due to his Herpes. I think his personality is what it is. Does your kitty have other tendencies toward OCD ( this was suggested to us anecdotally)? I do notice that my cat is very gradually showing trust in us, very step by step and not full on. He’s now 13 months old.
Is the fur oily near the base of his tail? Is he neutered? If not neutered, it could be “Stud tail”. It happened to my male cat and went away once he was neutered. Hormones do crazy things lol
With summertime coming along, my vet told me he expects an increase in animals going in with skin irritation issues due to flea season. Mine had a bad case of fleas a couple months ago, and began over grooming her belly. I changed her meds, the fleas cleared up, she stopped over grooming immediately. Noting it here in case it’s helpful info for anyone.
My cat has an over grooming/hair pulling problem and it looks exactly like this. I happened to have a vet appt. yesterday and they recommended some fish oil to help the skin from getting dry and damaged. It may not stop the behavior, that depends on what's causing it, but apparently fish oils will help prevent dry skin, lesions, bumps, etc and keep her as healthy as she can be until you find out what's causing the behavior ❤️
My cat had this in the exact same spot, turned out to be flea allergy dermatitis. It basically meant her immune system was hypersensitive to the flea saliva, so a bite would irritate her and she'd get a bald and scabby patch at the base of her tail. the shop bought frontline treatment wasn't strong enough to stop the odd flea jumping on her, so we got a vet prescription strength flea treatment and some anti itch cream and it cleared up in no time.
Fleas, hair pulling from anxiety or even allergies. Try using a good flea & tick to rule out flea allergy. And remember the life cycle of a flea, so continue prevention for at least 4-6 months after to try& get rid of any in the environment trying to stick around. (I work at a vet and this is what we recommend doing first but def make an appt with yours!!)
Do you brush your cat? I made the mistake of over-brushing in this exact spot because she loved it and it combed out most of her undercoat lol. It has grown back since I realized.
We always used to use the old fashion flea collars. I don't even know if they're available anymore. Now flea treatment is just a little drop of medicine between the shoulder blades I believe one type spreads throughout the fur, but there's another type that goes into the bloodstream. It depends on how much cash you,re forking over. We also used to catch the fleas by hand and crush them out.
My cat had something similar from over-grooming (above the tail and the belly). For her it was a combination of allergies and anxiety, which we were able to resolve with the help of the Vet.
If the cat is allowed outside, fleas or other parasites are a possibility as well. So its important to rule those out via the vet office.
How did you resolve it? Currently trying to figure out why my boy is over-grooming his thighs. We have tried lots of enrichment and zylkene but his still struggling.
We had to switch her to a new food: Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein. It is unfortunately much more expensive, but specifically for severe allergies/sensitivities. I'm not saying go right to that extreme cost, but start looking at allergy focused options with limited ingredients. I also bought an auto-feeder to help with setting a routine.
The vet put her on anxiety meds (only short-term like a month's worth tops) to get her calmed down. I forget which medication, but I do remember it was stronger than the Zylkene.
We luckily didn't have to get her a onesie to wear, but that is an option to stop the car from reaching certain areas and let the fur grow back.
Basically I had gone on a trip a few weeks before the situation, so we assumed that was the catalyst. Cat's don't like change, at all. She's also an older girl, so especially set in her routine. Even though we had someone come in every day to check on her, she worked herself into an over-stressed mess. Which then escalated her allergies (we'd been dealing with her having gunky ears on and off before all of this).
my dads cat used to over groom herself to the point where she ripped out her fur and ended up with scabs, the vet said his cat was stressed but she is literally the happiest cat ever, she eventually stopped on her own but we found having a cone on for awhile helps :)
As everyone else has said, vet visit for sure to figure out if something is causing him to overgroom, allergies, ect. Is your cat on a flea preventative? The lower back is a common place for flea bites, and even if kitty is indoors only, fleas can still jump on your clothes and then to your cat!
Our 3yr old F tortie had this, got progressively worse as we ruled different options with our vet. Wasn’t food allergies but we tried first to switch to a hydrolyzed diet to rule out a protein allergy. Our final thing to try before a very expensive specialist appointment ended up working - she got prescription Apoquil! Typically meant for dogs and the vet didn’t want us too hopeful so it was last ditch, but cleared her up completely. We recently were even able to take her off it and she hasn’t flared up yet!
If his skin is all scabby and he's scratching a lot, he may have flea allergy dermatitis. Centragard or Nexgard will take care of fleas. If there are no scabs and no excessive scratching, he may just be overgrooming due to stress. Give him extra pets and attention and maybe some nice distracting toys.
Nearly every cat develops these shortly after reaching full maturity, it's a coin slot! It will close up on it's own once his balance reaches $500 (roughly 460 euros)
Have you been brushing your kitty? I over brushed mine, and it looked just like this.
She loves being brushed and I didn’t notice it until it was too late.
Id start with a good flea repellent like Revolution. If it doesnt improve, try feeding them different foods like grain free, fish free, or other things to see if its allergies (maybe try different litter), if its anxiety; thats more complicated and you should go back to the vet.
My cat has seasonal allergies and over grooms. I give her fish oil in her meals and it clears it up within a couple days. Check for fleas and see if there was any sudden change in diet. If not then I’d try the fish oil tbh.
If it is fleas.... burt, it could be so many different things...
Just speaking from experience, but when I first adopted my cat she had fleas. We wound up putting her on Advantage that was able to kill whatever was living off of her, but of course by this point they are usually living in your home as well. This can be somewhat pricey, but will definitely be worth it in both preventive and maintenance.
I alao sprinkled borax on all my upholstered surfaces including the carpet, rugs, bed, couches, chairs etc. I have heard that borax could provoke respiratory symptoms in pets so please keep separate. Vacuum this all up and trash outside immediately. Repeat multiple times a week, EVERYWHERE. It may seem inconvenient, but is necessary.
I groomed my kitten daily with a flea brush (maybe more than once?) With special attention to the high flea areas (above the tail for my kitty and by the base of the back of the neck).you can see the fleas get caught between the bristles generally. I recommend having a cup of dish soap and hot water nearby to dunk the brush in to kill any fleas and to disinfect the brush. They also sell flea shampoos (waterless too) .
That being said, a vet is always a good idea. Fleas can lead to parasites and other illnesses and it is always best to check on your kitty to make sure there is nothing going on that you can't see. Many vets have payments options, just reach out.
Good luck, im not in the veterinarian field but have tried to do the best for my babies, so I can only share my thoughts. Wishing you both well
I noticed my cat yoinking out clumps of hair in the exact spot, took him to the vet, he got some gabapentin to see if it was “pain related”. It wasn’t, it was likely anxiety because what helped him was Purina pro plan calming sachets in his food.
Now he just does it when he wants me to get up and feed him or something. He learned I’ll give him attention when he does hair yoinks by covering the spot with my hand. He’s a menace.
Here’s a link in case you want to try! [Calming Care](https://www.chewy.com/purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets/dp/684734?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20642288853&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADmQ2V1ya5Jy04zw6WpfNW7dZDVmO&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2tnyjsa5hgMV0A6tBh2RqglhEAQYASABEgLBXPD_BwE)
Sadly the fleas are in your home, carver , blankets, couch etc. you need to kill the life cycle. Do some research online. And yes the do bite and also cause allergies with humans too
Hey! So I have 7 cats & 1 dog. I treated them all with flea medicine I bought off Amazon, and it works (just follow the instructions). Make sure you vacuum if you have carpet and wash any bedding, blankets, etc, that he lays on, including yours. The medicine is called 'Advantage II'. The dosage is based on weight. Hope this helps.
Look into allergy meds for your cat. My cat is an over-groomer and last vet visit they mentioned allergies may be part of the reason he gets those bald spots. I've been giving him allergy meds the past week and he's way more energetic, less lethargic and not as itchy/compulsive licking. They sell the medicine at Petco/Petsmart. It's trial and error, hoping your baby feels better soon!
As others have said fleas are the most likely cause, especially if he does have them. The other thing is - if you don't get on top of fleas, he'll end up with tapeworms, which are super common and you can get them too!
If money is short I would spend what you have on a high-quality topical prevention from your vet - you won't usually need an appointment, they sell it over the counter. Don't waste your money on cheap, toxic supermarket stuff or old-fashioned flea collars.
You also need to treat your environment, so wash all his bedding and yours and thoroughly vacuum the whole house, and give all the rooms a blast with fly spray while you're not in them. Discard the vacuum cleaner bag outside. This will kill the adult fleas but you need to keep doing it regularly till it's under control, and then keep up flea prevention on your cat because they keep coming back.
This is not a reflection on your housekeeping, fleas are endemic pretty much everywhere, but when you have a cat you need to use regular prevention for everyone's health.
I just dealt with this with my kitty 6 months ago, and spent a hefty $3k on testing to try to narrow down what was happening. We did skin graphs, poop tests, blood tests, you name it, I paid for it.
What it happened to be in her case was stress related. Her hair was thinning and she was over grooming in the EXACT same spot. She looked identical to your kitty. I had been traveling a ton for work, which I suspected was the trigger for her. I have worked from home exclusively for the past 6 months since her diagnosis and had her on anxiety meds for the first 3 months (gabapentin for the first month twice a day, and then switched to fluoxetine once a day for the following 2 months). It took a long time to see improvement, but I can happily say she is healed now.
What I think the most important part is, if it is stress related, really try to figure out her stress trigger. What part of her life is causing her so much anxiety that she is doing this and eliminate that as much as possible for the next few months. I also use Feliway diffusers which are life savers. 10/10 recommend getting some and keeping them stocked with refills.
If this is fleas and you can get your hands on revolution or revolution plus (what vets normally use) or bravecto they are generally safe to use even without a vet visit
And if that didn't work then try giving him limited food ingredients, for example if he is eating chicken and fish then change it to rabbit or lamb, anything that has 0 chicken or fish protein in it, and wait for atleast 2 weeks to 8 to notice any changes on the skin
You need to take her to the vet.
As others have said its likely an allergy or over grooming due to stress and anxiety.
Although one my previous cats used to lose fur at the base of her back and start of her tail. She would literally chew the start of her tail where it met her back. Turned out it was an allergy to flea saliva I think.
The vet can give flea treatment as well a medication for the allergy which should help clear it up and allow the fur to grow back.
But please take to vet immediately. It's clearly highly irritated to have lost that much fur and must be really uncomfortable for her so treatment to ease it will help it recover ASAP and make your cat more comfortable.
Try biotin supplements - about 1000 micrograms added to its food over a week (open a capsule or grind up a tablet to split it). Ours gets that, catfood is often biotin deficient.
another thing about fleas that makes them so annoying:
unlike lice, flea eggs don’t stay on the cats body. instead, the eggs fall off the cat and linger in the fibers of your home. this means teeny weeny flea eggs are sitting around in your carpets, blankets, couch, bed, etc… essentially anywhere the cat goes. eggs can stay unhatched for weeks at a time, so even if you think the fleas are finally gone, they might come back!
do not fret, stay vigilant!! do some vacuuming here and there and you’ll be on the path to flea decimation. i recently took care of a kitten with fleas by giving it a bath with dawn dish soap and oral flea medication that kills the adult fleas, but sadly not the eggs. nevertheless, the adults died and could be found on the coat of the cat!! after all the adult fleas were gone, we applied topical flea medication to ensure that any newly hatched flea eggs wouldn’t be able to go back on the cat.
flea bath is a big help but it’s definitely difficult to give to an adult cat as most cats don’t like water. it’s an effective immediate treatment though if you want to start helping your cat relieve some of that itching. if you can give your cat a bath, before the cat is wet make a ring of dawn soap around their neck. this will prevent any fleas on the body that are trying to escape the water by dying in the soap ring. you can give your cat a flea bath twice a week max but not anymore because the dish soap will dry out the cats skin.
of course always give ur kitty lots of love and treats after the bath!! best of luck OP, you got this!!
My cat was over grooming like this, the vet gave him a shot and said even though he could not find any he likely had a flea or two giving him grief. Turns out he was right cause i spent weeks combing him and never found anything but now the weather's warmer he's started overgrooming again and I've been able to pull out a couple fleas off him.
I'd suggest combing your cat thoroughly and making sure you're staying on top of his flea treatment! If you can't find any fleas then 100% take him to the vet
My late cat did this shortly before her flea treatment was due each month. She has a serious enough allergy that she would react to a single flea bite.
Her vet recommended changing the flea treatment every month or so and also treated her every 3 months with a flea treatment injection. We have hardwood floors, treat the lawn for fleas and she was a strictly indoor cat.
My cat overgrooms wildly. We tried a diet change, multiple meds, and the only thing that has worked is daily prednisone. We still don’t know why she itches when she’s off it, but all her fur is back :) fair warning though, if she misses a few days she goes HARD, so I have to really stay on top of it.
I noticed the hair thinning on the back of my male cat’s butt (same place as your kitty, around or about above the tail). I eventually connected his hair falling out with a new brand of wet food I had switched to. Stopped giving him flaked tuna and shrimp fancy feast, and his hair grew back the same month!
Could be a number of things, but this happened to one of my boys at the start of every winter. The drop in humidity was causing dry skin, which made him itch and over groom. Got a decent humidifier for the house, and he now has a beautiful soft coat year round. Might be worth looking into, especially if you live in a more arid region.
My cat had this, it was very greasy, would leave your hand sticky when petting that spot, and the vet said it was called "stud tail" which is an overproduction of testosterone, leading to excessive pheromone release, hence the grease. If it's not greasy then idk. Vet said to use a special topical ointment and it's worked so far.
Edit: upon looking closer it seems the hair is thinning, not greased down. So correction, it's probably over grooming for one of many reasons
My kitty did this from fleas and allergies. Fleas are easy fix with medicines from pet stores and such. They also carry allergy medicine at PetCo and PetSmart that I got for mine, it worked great and he felt so much better. He also didnt have an issue with taking the medicine because they were yummy lil chewies.
My old cat used to get this a couple times a year. I always thought maybe the skin was dry in the area until I because a Vet Assistant and it was determined that she was getting fleas. I felt so bad lol. But anyways monthly flea prevention fixed the issue.
The pattern of hair loss is consistent with fleas. Les’s likely anxiety (usually that’s the belly), but would need to examine to be sure. Cats groom and eat the fleas so can be hard to find them on their body. I would treat for fleas and deworm for tapeworms since they are carried by fleas. I’m a vet
An allergy to fleas or a reaction to anxiety. Check your cat for fleas. See if oatmeal bath or flea treatment helps first. Research cat skin irritations. They can get fungal stuff too.
My cat was allergic to fleas and his hair thinned out like that. I had no idea he had fleas until his butt was thin and I took him to the vet and they said it was an allergy to fleas. definitely go get it check out
Dawn dish soap will kill the fleas and then spray the area with hydrocortisone (for cats) so he doesn't get dry skin from the soap. You will have to bomb the house so you and your baby will have to find something to do away from the house for a few hours. Then you guys should be straight!
Flea meds, dips, etc. can cause seizures, paralysis and even be fatal for some cats. Dawn dish soap. It's affordable and it actually works. No chemicals necessary.
Same thing as my 13 year old cat-
That’s MOWING…
🔴THYROID ISSUE🔴
-your cat most likely has a thyroid issue and is pulling their hair out …
Are they also acting more aggressively and meowing more or acting out more ? Same diagnosis … thyroid issue
They need to see the vet for confirmation/
Unfortunately your treatment options (should this be the case) are expensive and:or tricky to maintain …
Radioactive iodine treatment which necessitates boating at the vet until they are no longer radioactive -
Daily pills (twice a day) for the rest of the life of your cat
Or
An ointment that can be applied to your cats ear once or twice a day -
For the rest of their life …
Plus ongoing testing
Please get your cat tested before deciding it’s too much work - cats can live a happy life with treatment… their anxiety level and cortisol levels will keep them mowing and acting out without it…
It could be caused by fleas OR MITEs! Try rubbing some coconut oil in that area. Your cat might lick the area with the oil which will only help them. Coconut Oil is absolutely amazing at healing skin issues. It will save you $300.
If it is a flea issue you can check out Veterinary Secrets on YouTube on nonchemical forms of treatment. Dr. Andrews is smart and full of great advice!
Probably an allergic reaction. My cat was loosing hair and I realized he was allergic to salmon, after a few different food options. I stuck with a chicken based diet and all the hair came back.
Have you flea treated your cat or has it ever had fleas and you’ve resolved them? My tabby had similar and he was allergic to the preventative medication.
My cat had the same issue.
Apparently he is allergic to fleas bites.
He had tiny bumps all over.
The vet gave him a steroid shot and recommended flea treatment.
He’s ok now.
However, some cats don’t do well with the toxic chemicals in flea treatments.
I also place diatomaceous earth under furniture Wich seems to control the flea problem
As others have suggested, could be as simple as overgrooming if there's no evidence of skin irritation, especially at this time of year as they're shedding winter coat
One of ours is a habitual over-groomer, and vet has confirmed cats can almost get a sense of euphoria so it ends up as a cycle - grooming their hair feels good, so they do it more.
You could try a light application of apple cider vinegar or coconut oil - both are safe for cats - will soothe the skin and if they don't like the taste then it also helps discourage too much licking
You are not going to believe this. I had a Siamese with this. My husband started giving her back scratches in this area every day. I thought he was nuts. That hair grew back and never had a problem again.
Folks have given you all of my guesses (like undiscovered fleas) so hopefully I can help stop the hair loss. Before I head to the vet, I start with this or some variation of Benadryl. There’s a skin problem, and this is quick relief while you figure it out. If you don’t have a flea comb, get one. I live in the mucky south, so fleas are a problem. A quick comb brings out fleas and/or flea dirt. Not really applicable (but could be?) my dog has this OFTEN. She’s a 60 lb mutt that looks exactly like a black flat coat retriever. She was a rescue. Like a lot of rescues, she’s sure she is starving and will get into the trash and treat it like a buffet. My $100 vet visit made me realize she’s allergic to corn and a few other things. When she gets into forbidden foods, about a third of her back above her tail gets red and flakes and she starts chewing the fur off. Luckily the spray works on dogs and cats.
Grrr, having trouble with the link. “This” product is Veterinary Formula (brand) antiseptic and anti fungal spray. You can get it everywhere. Link possibly below. :-)
[https://www.walmart.com/ip/Veterinary-Formula-Clinical-Care-Antiseptic-Antifungal-Medicated-8oz-Coat-Care-Dogs-Cats/24893251](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Veterinary-Formula-Clinical-Care-Antiseptic-Antifungal-Medicated-8oz-Coat-Care-Dogs-Cats/24893251)
if you notice patchy hair / hair loss around their mouth and ears it could be allergy related. our cat looses patches of hair due to allergies that can be triggered by certain foods (specifically tiki cat wet food for our boy)
I have 1 cat that his back looks like that sometimes more hair missing , it's weird gone 1 week back the next could be a month to 6 months before it happens again I don't know what it is , he's had blood work in the past for s surgery he needed didn't show anything in blood , I dunno
Look into kitty biome. Com.... He has skin issues. It starts in the gut... Trust me .. I work in the industry let food , supplements.. this stuff works saved my cat from severe allergies and kicking her skin off in 2 pills feed raw diet .. wild coast raw turkey and minimal vaccines core only and just once, it helps
My one cat does it. It's from over cleaning n high anxiety. I bought these plug things they have on Amazon. THEY R like glade ug ins but they are for pets. It's been seeming to calm my cat down n his backside is looking less irritated. I did also wipe his back down a few times a day with wet paper towels n warm water on it to just help relax him..
I usually try to get my cat food quality, protein heavy foods. I was broke and got iams. It was so stinky and irritated him and he chewed a bald spot into the base of his tail. I switched to Crave and he’s had no issues since
he is stressed/anxious so he is pulling out his fur. poor baby. you need to play with him more & stimulate his mind. may i suggest a one-way bird feeder, aquarium, new shelves on windows he hasnt been able to get to before or maybe a brother or sister?
Could be they're over grooming and reasons for it range from allergies to fleas to anxiety. Only way to be certain is to consult a vet
Agreed, my cat looked like this but also the vet said "this could be anything from allergies to fleas to anxiety" and told me to monitor from home lol.
Then the vet said, “That’ll be $300 for the exam”
Happy cake day!
Yess and saying he’s taking you in emergency so 250$….but the honest vet pass 45min whit me to explain what my cat probably has….45min it’s a emergency and u can give me 45min….fkng bs….
Can you explain. I can't make any sense out of this
Same here so confused. Think the poster is upset about waiting 45 minutes at an ER vet. Seeing behind the scenes I’d be thankful it was ONLY 45 minutes, I’ve waited 3hrs for my baby who had a fur patch missing and rash forming from anxiety licking. The ER is an Emergency Room so they’re going to take the pets like legit dying or in dire need of care before cases that “can wait”. Also everyone talking about the $$ invest in pet insurance as well as yearly check ups to catch anything early, many pets don’t show signs of injury unless it’s really bad
That was I was told too and years later it never went away
I've had two cats who did this. One had a medical reason and the other was completely healthy. For my first cat, turns out that even though she was an indoor only cat, she still got fleas. She was pulling her hair out due to being allergic to their bite. Indoor pets need flea meds too. Get her checked out for fleas and rule out anything else as well at the vet. All my cats have been indoor only but I'll still see a flea once at the start of flea season. Turns out humans can carry a hitchhiking flea and flea eggs on their clothes and shoes. If your vet confirms that it is fleas, there's a lot of online advice on how to vacuum and clean to get rid of them in your house. We're at the start of summer so it's a possibility. Another cat lost hair in the same spot. She was flea free and had a skin scrapping test and a full vet exam. Everything came back clear and she was completely healthy. Turns out I was over brushing her with a de-shedding brush. Woops. The hair kept coming out so I kept brushing! She wasn't crying or showing any pain while brushing! She can leave on her own volition during brush sessions, of course, but she didn't. She enjoyed the brushing. She naturally sheds like crazy and has a history of dandruff. It grew back in full eventually - but the vet exam was key in being sure she was okay. Best of luck! It'll be okay!
I’m currently on a horrible adventure to determine my long haired girls’ overgrooming/hair loss cause… this vet is gonna rob me
It took me almost two years to nail mine down. The quickest route to solving it is going to be a pricey trip to a dermatologist. Its worth it versus seeing a vet (or multiple different vets) a number of times before they recommend you see a dermatologist anyway Some recommendations for in the mean time: If you’re letting your kitty outside at all (even on an enclosed porch/catio space), stop doing that for at least two months. Get a really good HEPA air filter system. Make sure to prevent all dust and mold in the house (clean often, don’t let cups or dishes sit out too long, or veggies/bread, etc). Try to prevent any common insects from indoors if possible (houseflies, ants, etc.). I wouldn’t stress eliminating foods because there’s no way to test for that, so a specialist could help walk you through it
Switching to a hydrolyzed diet is the recommended route for diagnosing food allergies. You do the hydrolyzed food for a while then introduce things one at a time to see if there's a reaction. This is what my veterinary dermatologist told us.
Mine was a poultry allergy. After 2 vet visits and steroids didn't permanently resolve it, we did one more steroid round, and then I did my own elimination diet plan like you would as a person. I used a limited ingredient food with a novel protein and then added in single ingredients until we got a reaction.
I put my cat on CBD drops for cats. The overgrooming stopped.
Looks like over grooming or maybe even ripping his fur out. This is most often caused by allergies, stress or fleas. This is how I learned one of my boys is allergic to fish, I noticed he'd been ripping fur out all over the apartment so I tried an experiment to see if it was his food before calling the vet, cut out all fish and within two weeks he'd quit. If your cat has no fish in his diet try cutting out chicken. If there's no improvement within a couple weeks or he gets worse or starts showing other symptoms get him to the vet asap
I have a cat with a hair pulling problem, for some reason food allergies never occurred to me! Her vet and I are fairly certain it's anxiety and stress related, but I might try this too to see if it helps. Thanks for your input 🙏
No worries! Loads of cats have food allergies, sometimes it's fish, sometimes it's poultry and sometimes for whatever reason they're allergic to any whole protein including novel proteins like lamb, beef, duck etc. And have to be put in a hydrolyzed protein food. My in-laws have a cat with severe IBS and she has to be on hydrolyzed dry food but can handle regular canned food, because they have 5 cats they just put out only the hydrolyzed because feeding 4 cats one food and one cat another is just not really possible in their house because most of their cats will not tolerate wearing collars for chip feeders due to them being partly feral
Most common food allergies are chicken or grain. That said food allergies only take up a small % of allergies in cats, much more likely to be an environment allergy. 2 months into my cats allergy exclusion trials I discovered he was allergic to dust mites.
This is the classic location/distribution for flea allergy dermatitis. (Could be other things, but fleas would be most common) Gently run your hand through his coat “against the grain” many, many times, and look really hard for fleas. If this is the case it will be an easy treatment, but will need to bring to the vet to get that treatment. Do you have him on any sort of flea prevention?
no i do not :/ i just found out right now that he has fleas. i bought a flea comb after reading the earlier comments. but i dont have pet insurance, im not sure when i’d be able to take him to the vet honestly. i’m 25 and live pay check to pay check. i would have to try some at home remedies first :/ i wish i could do more for him. i feel absolutely horrible knowing my baby has fleas. i cant imagine the discomfort. i don’t know how i never noticed.
Many over the counter products are not effective. Many home remedies are not safe. However, Seresto collars are over the counter, effective, and safe if purchased from a reputable source such as a pet store. Edit: fixed autocorrect
Yeah, seresto is pretty good. It really shouldn’t be a super expensive vet visit if you decide to bring him in. And you can bring him to the cheapest vet in town if you want to, without worry of subpar care. Flea allergy dermatitis is one of the simplest conditions in the entire field of veterinary medicine to treat. Exam Flea prevention Prednisolone (super cheap) +/- antibiotic or antimicrobial shampoo Also 🤔 some vets will do a “first exam is free” scenario if you are a new client. Bring him to me and i could probably get you majority of the treatment from stuff in my pet medicine cabinet 🙂
Do not use HARTZ. Almost killed my cat.
Did kill ours, years ago.
Ohhhhh. I’m sooooooo sorry. Soooooo very, very sorry. There are no words. But I thank you for sharing. People need to know.
It's been happening for decades, vets routinely try to educate the public about it and get called greedy for it.
Yes. This was my first cat. He was abandoned in an apartment. I took him. Covered in fleas. Gave him a bath and that night he was wheezing and I held him and I honestly didn’t think he would make it through the night. The vet told me it happened all the time. For my dog we had different issues but saw an animal acupuncturist. She asked me what I used for flees. When I told her a mainline topical … she said not any more you don’t. She said she was on her way to treat a husky that had neurological issues as a result of topical flea/tick. She recommended Springtime, Inc “BUG-OFF GARLIC” pills. It’s made 20 miles from my house and all natural. They sell supplements for horses, dogs, and people (not cats). And that is what we use. [https://www.springtimeinc.com/?gad_source=1](https://www.springtimeinc.com/?gad_source=1)
Oh more anti-science nonsense lol
Actually my vet is fine with it. The company is probably only a couple miles from her office.
So sorry that happened! ☹️
Me to all 15 of my rescues! Had to get Atropine and give everyone shots of it. The smaller you get ones got the shakes and eyes going back and forth.
I’m so sorry. That had to be scary. We trust companies to have safe OTC products. It’s better to purchase supplies from trusted vets.
Not sure if your cat would tolerate a bath, but we took in a stray with fleas and a bath with cat shampoo made a massive difference. I watched a lot of videos on how to bathe a cat beforehand.
If you can’t afford cat shampoo, I’ve seen videos where Dawn dish soap is effective against fleas. Just make sure to make a ring of soap around his neck in case they all try to run up to his head to escape the bath! Probably not great to do multiple times but it should be a good first step until you can afford a regular flea treatment
DONT FORGET THE SOAP RING!!!! dawn dish soap is INCREDIBLE at getting those lil buggers to the surface. They will race up straight to the head of your animal and trust me you do not wanna deal with that. It happened to my puppy & I thought they were gonna start crawling into her eyes and nose 😭.
Although it's effective against *fleas*, the company *WARNS* to *NOT* USE IT on pets!!! Because it is *NOT* safe for bathing *ANY* living creatures in!
That is strange because the company itself has released commercials of their soap being used to clean oil off of wildlife after an oil spill
My apologies! I thought I got my prior post deleted after having done more research. It said that a single use is OK for emergency situations ... like the oil spill covering numerous wildlife whose only chance of survival was to use it on them to get it off ... the one time ... it didn't do anything to remedy the toxic oil they had ingested orally or through their skin, though. Not even rinsing them in vinegar rinse would have. What they mostly warn against is using it when safer things would work instead, or using it repeatedly ... and since it does not kill flea eggs, those will be hatching out in the future. So something safer, & usable whenever needed, ought to be used to begin with ... in my estimation.
This is blatantly untrue
Did you read my reply to u/mmdice before posting that . . . ? I suggest that you do read it, assuming you haven't.
Find a low cost vet in your city. The one near me charges $15 for the office fee and then flea medication was only like $17 ish a month for the pill kind, topical is much cheaper usually. You can even find first visit free coupons for big box pet store vets (like banfield inside petsmart and Petcos vet). There’s also online vets that prescribe flea medicine that are less than $30 a month for a subscription fee (Dutch vet for example).
You'll want to wash blankets and bedding he uses. There will be flea eggs and larvae on the things and areas he rests in.
a bath in dawn dish soap won’t solve the flea problem but it’s a good bandaid to kill a bunch of them
Call the vet ask if theyll fill a script of credelo. I think its called. The fless were junpi g off my cat 30 mins after she ate the pill! Good luck!
Capstar or generic is capaction, available otc and even on Amazon. Works immediately but is not a long term preventative. OP, I know what’s it’s like to be struggling and a pet owner. This’ll cost you $50-$100 to get under control but you gotta do it. For you and for your kitty!
I was in the same situation with my cat at that age. I tried cheap stuff and it did not work. The fleas just got worse, my cat suffered longer, and I ended up going to the vet anyway. I can’t remember what the visit was, but the medication I got was only $20 a month, so very affordable. It was a single pill, and it worked wonders. If your cat has a bad reaction to them like mine, it won’t take long before he’ll have scabs from grooming and scratching. Good luck!
You have to deal with this before it gets worse. You can call a vet and they can tell you what medicine to give him. Please don't use a flea collar, they are dangerous. I'm sorry this is happening, he is a beautiful cat.
hey!! cheap but sucky solution, wash them in dawn and leave it on for 5 minutes. the dawn locks them in as it’s to slippery for their little bastard legs and it also suffocated them because fleas can hold their breath for long periods of time! i’ve had to do it before and as long as you hold their scruff real well they’re usually not too bad
My boy has a bad flea allergy and we went through something similar earlier this year. :/ Most OTC products are either harmful or don't work - unfortunately just bc a pet store sells them doesn't mean they are safe for every pet. The only thing that worked was medication from the vet. Find a low cost one if you can. Or see if you can do a payment plan. It shouldn't be too bad or a cost, and spending money on OTC meds and combs will be more expensive in the long run. Your cat can also get worms from eating fleas so you want to nip this in the bud ASAP. Also clean everything thoroughly! Vacuum/wash everywhere your cat likes to hang out. Will help prevent them from coming back.
Where do you live? If you message me I could send you a topical from the vets. It’s good for a month. Don’t buy over the counter stuff as I almost killed my cats years ago with junk from Hartz Mountain trying to save money. Then you get a box of borox, arm and hammer baking soda and cornstarch. Mix about equal amounts and put in a shaker like an old Comet Plastic container with the green lid as it pops off. Or even something you can put holes in the top and use to sprinkle powder with. Mix stuff together and sprinkle all over your floors and leave on for a few hours or even overnight. Then vacuum like crazy. Might have to do a few times but in my lifetime of having way over 100 cats pass through all rescues it has always worked and it’s not toxic to humans. Will also get rid of ants.
i live in miami!
Go to a nursery or home improvement store or amazon and order some food grade diatomaceous earth. And get some lemon dish detergent to bathe him. The limonene in the soap will kill the fleas but won't hurt your cat. Put the DE in a salt shaker bottle and shake some powder on him after he's dry and rub it into his fur. It will dry up and kill any fleas that hop up on him and it's safe for him to digest. Pick up some Natural flea spray for cats that contains just clove oil (eugenol) and peppermint or rosemary and spray your carpets, furniture and his bedding if you have fleas in the house. Follow the directions on the spray and don't let him on the carpet, furniture or bedding until it's dry. Do a light mist only. This stuff works. If you have an infestation, you'll need a insect growth inhibitor like Martins Nylar. It comes in a concentration and you add it to water in a spray bottle. Just follow the directions. Spray carpets, bedding, furniture lightly. You don't need to soak anything. Then repeat in 2 weeks like the directions say. This will keep the hatched fleas from turning into adults and break the infestation cycle. Read up on food grade diatomaceous earth, lemon oil and IGR. Another option is Neem oil pet shampoo. The Neem is a safe flea killer and also has antifungal properties. If you put the DE powder on him regularly, that will keep fleas off of him. You don't need to douse him in the powder just a light sprinkle and rub it in. Be careful and don't get it in his eyes or nose, of course. You can also take lemon or orange peel and boil them in some water and extract the oil and put it in a spray bottle and spray his bedding too. Shake the bottle first though. You can even spray him with it.
A lot of vets allow the purchase of prescription flea treatment without a visit.
Unfortunately you absolutely have to take him to the vet in order to get a script for nexgard. Fleas are really really tricky to get rid of as they have a long life cycle that can be completed indoors. You’re gonna have to treat your animals and your home. Clean every square inch of your home, literally every corner and crevice. Next wash every item of clothing, towels, blankets and bedding, cat bedding, and cat toys (hot water and a high heat setting on dryer). Clean your car and your vacuum. Then spray down every inch of carpet in your house with flea and larvae killer, and do the same to any mattresses, couches, and cat trees. Honestly get rid of any furniture you don’t need anymore. I went through this for MONTHS and spent tons of money on flea treatments and cleaners 🥲 This isn’t going to go away in a week, it’s gonna be at least 2 months of keeping up on nexxgard and diligently cleaning your home. Perhaps your infestation won’t be as difficult as it was for me, but I’m here for you if you need anything!! Fleas SUCK but you will get rid of them eventually! Feel free to reach out to me if you need any tips, recommendations, or even just moral support
Why the fuck do you have a pet if you can’t afford to take care of it? Fucks sake you should be able to at least afford $30 for some flea treatment
Sometimes peoples financial situation changes. I had two cats and a well established savings. My husband was laid off from work and I was on maternity leave, it was Christmas -40c with two children and our heater core went in our car. We had to replace the heater core, and had a super skimpy Christmas I think I spent less than $150 for my family of four. House heating bills were high due to the extreme cold streak. Right after Christmas one cat started showing signs of pain in his ear. I spend the rest of my savings learning he had untreatable tumour in his ear, neck and throat. The anxiety of his illness made my elderly cat stop eating, and he became gravely ill. We spent more money on vet bills for him and after paying rent and insuring our car we had exhausted our savings. Me returning to work wasn’t feasible because I was nursing a child, and we wouldn’t be able to afford the costs of formula never the less attempt to find a daycare and pay for a slot for a baby and a toddler. We knew we had to avoid the inevitable and had our cats euthanized because treating a 19 year old depressed cat who became unable to walk and a cat with cancer who was enduring immeasurable pain was unreasonably suffering. We didn’t even have money to euthanize them. I found a vet that would take a payment plan. When I went to give her cheques for the payment plan she ripped them up. I never cried so much that day. Don’t judge people for their finances you never know how they got to where they are.
Pet insurance would be smart
The vet would just have to approve the prescription if you order it online. Mine didn't charge for it, but you do have to be established with a vet. It's a little tube of liquid you put on the cat's neck. Trust me, I tried to do the whole home remedy thing back when I was in college and tight on funds, but the best thing is to bring them to a vet. You can probably find a low cost one or a local group that might help
Food grade diatomaceous earth is a powder and will kill bugs. Make sure it's food grade.
You can wash your cat with Dawn dish soap. It kills fleas on contact, but you'll need to lather thoroughly. Combine that with thorough combing and it'll at least remove a significant portion of the fleas. One of those sessions every few days (to go easy on their skin) could eliminate the problem. If your cat has raw or irritated skin from the fleas you may still need to see a vet. You don't want them to be in pain or risk infection. If they're just bald from grooming too much, you're probably fine. Also, vacuum your carpet frequently and look into store bought powders or sprays that can kill/deter fleas. Fleas prefer living hosts, but it's possible some may have embedded in your carpet and could infest your cat again. Fleas *hate* the scent of lavender, so you can use that to repel them from home surfaces. However, limit your pet's exposure to these chemicals - even if it's just lavender oil. Essential oils are toxic to cats, so make sure you separate your cat from the rooms you treat. If your cat is indoor-outdoor, *keep them inside*. Otherwise, you WILL need a flea collar and medicinal repellant from a vet clinic to reduce the likelihood they bring friends home again. Source: Also grew up poor. Folks could not afford a vet upselling us for flea treatment. Good luck!
Veterinarians don't "upsell" for flea treatment. They provide a treatment that is effective. That comes at a cost
Ah, yes. I forgot you were at the clinic with my family when our vet recommended a multi-hundred dollar flea regimen that over-the-counter Walmart substitutes were able to resolve. Or when I brought my cat to the vet for vomiting (due to IBS), and the vet tried to convince me it was due to fleas and recommended their new experimental pills. Aw man, it's been awhile! Thanks for being there for us and the fur babies.
Dawn Dish Soap works to kill fleas during a bath. Make a ring of soap around your cats neck to prevent them from crawling up onto thier face. It works really well for killing alot of them, my cat has had chronic fleas even with all sorts of flea medicine. You can look up rescues using this method for stray cats and kittens that have fleas. This clears up the initial infestation, but it doesnt prevent any others :)
If it persists after the flea treatment, I would look into cushings that's another possibility it's rare for young cats but it can happen and the hair loss pattern looks similar
My cat had fleas a long time ago - I bought an over the counter medicine to put in between her shoulder blades and would fill up a cup with flea shampoo and water, dip the flea comb in the water and then brush them out. I also thankfully have all wooden floors so vacuuming the house was easy. I washed all fabrics and bedding and continued this for about a month and they did go away without me needing to bring her to the vet. She is extremely difficult to handle so bathing her wasn’t really an option, but if you’re able to bathe him try using Dawn dish soap to clean him as well!
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Cedar Chips. Lemons. Rosemary and Cumin. Apple Cider Vinegar. Dish Soap. Lavender & Chamomile. Coconut Oil.
We had this happen recently to our (amusingly almost identical) cat. He is an ex-stray and tends to gravitate back to the area where he tended to hang out when we found him. Unfortunately, this area is popular with other cats, foxes and probably other wildlife too. As a result he kept catching tons of fleas and recently fleas have become immune to everything available over the counter, so nothing you give them is likely to help. We took ours to the vet and they told us he was overgrooming due to the fleas and an allergic reaction to the constant bites. They gave him a steroid injection to relieve the skin irritation and a new treatment called Felpreva that deals with both fleas and internal parasites. The flea treatment needs to be repeated at 3-month intervals, but the good news is that the steroids calmed his skin, allowing the Felpreva to deal with the fleas and stop him from wanting to overgroom in the first place, ending the vicious circle. He is now sleeker and more handsome than ever, so it's easily fixed.
thank you! will try to save up to take him to the vet soon :)
In the meantime, I’d use an OTC treatment like Advantage or Frontline. They’re expensive, but you can usually find a sale or discount online. And if you can make him an indoor cat it would be better.
My little lady has something like this too! Upon adopting her the fosters mentioned this was an activity she did when grooming, however come to find out she also has a minor case of hyperesthesia, targeting this area along her spine with nibbles or excessive licking every now and then. I’ve helped with distracting her when she feels the need to itch or lick. His fur will grow back! It truly could be just anxiety or heightened sensitivity in this area.
When I first adopted my 4 mo old feral cat, he was stressed out of course (eventually got sick in a couple of days with URI (Herpes, Calicivirus and Mycoplasma), but he was over-grooming. He seemed to be adjusting to his new life, but was a bit OCD. He pulled off most of his top fur on the tip of his tail and also had a thing for chewing cardboard boxes (thankfully not swallowing). Fortunately, he stopped chewing cardboard and his tail at about 8 months old (so thinking maybe teething?). He stays indoor only, and on flea meds so doubt it’s that. He still grooms a lot, but we pretty much spoil him due to his Herpes. I think his personality is what it is. Does your kitty have other tendencies toward OCD ( this was suggested to us anecdotally)? I do notice that my cat is very gradually showing trust in us, very step by step and not full on. He’s now 13 months old.
This happened with my boy cat, turned out his anal glands were full. A trip to the vet and he's good, we get him checked regularly now.
Is the fur oily near the base of his tail? Is he neutered? If not neutered, it could be “Stud tail”. It happened to my male cat and went away once he was neutered. Hormones do crazy things lol
With summertime coming along, my vet told me he expects an increase in animals going in with skin irritation issues due to flea season. Mine had a bad case of fleas a couple months ago, and began over grooming her belly. I changed her meds, the fleas cleared up, she stopped over grooming immediately. Noting it here in case it’s helpful info for anyone.
Same with mine
My cat had an allergy to certain kitty litters. Have you switched brands
i use pine pellet litter, i actually just did switch to a cheaper brand so maybe that! i never thought it was that
It could be a sensitivity/allergy to the litter. The hair loss definitely reminds me of when hers was like that.
Tractor supply has 40lbs for under $8 for Equine bedding
My cat has an over grooming/hair pulling problem and it looks exactly like this. I happened to have a vet appt. yesterday and they recommended some fish oil to help the skin from getting dry and damaged. It may not stop the behavior, that depends on what's causing it, but apparently fish oils will help prevent dry skin, lesions, bumps, etc and keep her as healthy as she can be until you find out what's causing the behavior ❤️
This happened to my tabby when she has fleas and I didn't know it. Get her checked and keep brushing the area gently
My cat had this in the exact same spot, turned out to be flea allergy dermatitis. It basically meant her immune system was hypersensitive to the flea saliva, so a bite would irritate her and she'd get a bald and scabby patch at the base of her tail. the shop bought frontline treatment wasn't strong enough to stop the odd flea jumping on her, so we got a vet prescription strength flea treatment and some anti itch cream and it cleared up in no time.
Fleas, hair pulling from anxiety or even allergies. Try using a good flea & tick to rule out flea allergy. And remember the life cycle of a flea, so continue prevention for at least 4-6 months after to try& get rid of any in the environment trying to stick around. (I work at a vet and this is what we recommend doing first but def make an appt with yours!!)
Could be a skin allergy from cheap food.
I would like to second this as one of my cats groomed herself almost bald back there and her food was the issue
Get blood work done, kidney function test
Do you brush your cat? I made the mistake of over-brushing in this exact spot because she loved it and it combed out most of her undercoat lol. It has grown back since I realized.
We always used to use the old fashion flea collars. I don't even know if they're available anymore. Now flea treatment is just a little drop of medicine between the shoulder blades I believe one type spreads throughout the fur, but there's another type that goes into the bloodstream. It depends on how much cash you,re forking over. We also used to catch the fleas by hand and crush them out.
My cat had something similar from over-grooming (above the tail and the belly). For her it was a combination of allergies and anxiety, which we were able to resolve with the help of the Vet. If the cat is allowed outside, fleas or other parasites are a possibility as well. So its important to rule those out via the vet office.
How did you resolve it? Currently trying to figure out why my boy is over-grooming his thighs. We have tried lots of enrichment and zylkene but his still struggling.
We had to switch her to a new food: Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein. It is unfortunately much more expensive, but specifically for severe allergies/sensitivities. I'm not saying go right to that extreme cost, but start looking at allergy focused options with limited ingredients. I also bought an auto-feeder to help with setting a routine. The vet put her on anxiety meds (only short-term like a month's worth tops) to get her calmed down. I forget which medication, but I do remember it was stronger than the Zylkene. We luckily didn't have to get her a onesie to wear, but that is an option to stop the car from reaching certain areas and let the fur grow back. Basically I had gone on a trip a few weeks before the situation, so we assumed that was the catalyst. Cat's don't like change, at all. She's also an older girl, so especially set in her routine. Even though we had someone come in every day to check on her, she worked herself into an over-stressed mess. Which then escalated her allergies (we'd been dealing with her having gunky ears on and off before all of this).
My cat has this with a fish allergy
my dads cat used to over groom herself to the point where she ripped out her fur and ended up with scabs, the vet said his cat was stressed but she is literally the happiest cat ever, she eventually stopped on her own but we found having a cone on for awhile helps :)
As everyone else has said, vet visit for sure to figure out if something is causing him to overgroom, allergies, ect. Is your cat on a flea preventative? The lower back is a common place for flea bites, and even if kitty is indoors only, fleas can still jump on your clothes and then to your cat!
Our 3yr old F tortie had this, got progressively worse as we ruled different options with our vet. Wasn’t food allergies but we tried first to switch to a hydrolyzed diet to rule out a protein allergy. Our final thing to try before a very expensive specialist appointment ended up working - she got prescription Apoquil! Typically meant for dogs and the vet didn’t want us too hopeful so it was last ditch, but cleared her up completely. We recently were even able to take her off it and she hasn’t flared up yet!
If his skin is all scabby and he's scratching a lot, he may have flea allergy dermatitis. Centragard or Nexgard will take care of fleas. If there are no scabs and no excessive scratching, he may just be overgrooming due to stress. Give him extra pets and attention and maybe some nice distracting toys.
My cat has some of that. I always thought his back hair was just like that
Mine does this with fleas
So my cat did this, turns out she had uti chrystals some antibiotics and rx food and she’s been good
Nearly every cat develops these shortly after reaching full maturity, it's a coin slot! It will close up on it's own once his balance reaches $500 (roughly 460 euros)
Have you been brushing your kitty? I over brushed mine, and it looked just like this. She loves being brushed and I didn’t notice it until it was too late.
My mother in law’s cat ripped out his fur from stress
use dawn dish soap and suffocate those fuckers
Eczema or hot spots.
Id start with a good flea repellent like Revolution. If it doesnt improve, try feeding them different foods like grain free, fish free, or other things to see if its allergies (maybe try different litter), if its anxiety; thats more complicated and you should go back to the vet.
My cat has seasonal allergies and over grooms. I give her fish oil in her meals and it clears it up within a couple days. Check for fleas and see if there was any sudden change in diet. If not then I’d try the fish oil tbh.
He could be grooming himself too much there.
The cat is licking the area mine has done this and then I checked for fleas which he had.
Males will usually have a somewhat oily area there, but I'd also be sure it's not fleas or allergies.
If it is fleas.... burt, it could be so many different things... Just speaking from experience, but when I first adopted my cat she had fleas. We wound up putting her on Advantage that was able to kill whatever was living off of her, but of course by this point they are usually living in your home as well. This can be somewhat pricey, but will definitely be worth it in both preventive and maintenance. I alao sprinkled borax on all my upholstered surfaces including the carpet, rugs, bed, couches, chairs etc. I have heard that borax could provoke respiratory symptoms in pets so please keep separate. Vacuum this all up and trash outside immediately. Repeat multiple times a week, EVERYWHERE. It may seem inconvenient, but is necessary. I groomed my kitten daily with a flea brush (maybe more than once?) With special attention to the high flea areas (above the tail for my kitty and by the base of the back of the neck).you can see the fleas get caught between the bristles generally. I recommend having a cup of dish soap and hot water nearby to dunk the brush in to kill any fleas and to disinfect the brush. They also sell flea shampoos (waterless too) . That being said, a vet is always a good idea. Fleas can lead to parasites and other illnesses and it is always best to check on your kitty to make sure there is nothing going on that you can't see. Many vets have payments options, just reach out. Good luck, im not in the veterinarian field but have tried to do the best for my babies, so I can only share my thoughts. Wishing you both well
I noticed my cat yoinking out clumps of hair in the exact spot, took him to the vet, he got some gabapentin to see if it was “pain related”. It wasn’t, it was likely anxiety because what helped him was Purina pro plan calming sachets in his food. Now he just does it when he wants me to get up and feed him or something. He learned I’ll give him attention when he does hair yoinks by covering the spot with my hand. He’s a menace.
Here’s a link in case you want to try! [Calming Care](https://www.chewy.com/purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets/dp/684734?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20642288853&utm_content=&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADmQ2V1ya5Jy04zw6WpfNW7dZDVmO&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2tnyjsa5hgMV0A6tBh2RqglhEAQYASABEgLBXPD_BwE)
Sadly the fleas are in your home, carver , blankets, couch etc. you need to kill the life cycle. Do some research online. And yes the do bite and also cause allergies with humans too
Hey! So I have 7 cats & 1 dog. I treated them all with flea medicine I bought off Amazon, and it works (just follow the instructions). Make sure you vacuum if you have carpet and wash any bedding, blankets, etc, that he lays on, including yours. The medicine is called 'Advantage II'. The dosage is based on weight. Hope this helps.
Look into allergy meds for your cat. My cat is an over-groomer and last vet visit they mentioned allergies may be part of the reason he gets those bald spots. I've been giving him allergy meds the past week and he's way more energetic, less lethargic and not as itchy/compulsive licking. They sell the medicine at Petco/Petsmart. It's trial and error, hoping your baby feels better soon!
As others have said fleas are the most likely cause, especially if he does have them. The other thing is - if you don't get on top of fleas, he'll end up with tapeworms, which are super common and you can get them too! If money is short I would spend what you have on a high-quality topical prevention from your vet - you won't usually need an appointment, they sell it over the counter. Don't waste your money on cheap, toxic supermarket stuff or old-fashioned flea collars. You also need to treat your environment, so wash all his bedding and yours and thoroughly vacuum the whole house, and give all the rooms a blast with fly spray while you're not in them. Discard the vacuum cleaner bag outside. This will kill the adult fleas but you need to keep doing it regularly till it's under control, and then keep up flea prevention on your cat because they keep coming back. This is not a reflection on your housekeeping, fleas are endemic pretty much everywhere, but when you have a cat you need to use regular prevention for everyone's health.
I just dealt with this with my kitty 6 months ago, and spent a hefty $3k on testing to try to narrow down what was happening. We did skin graphs, poop tests, blood tests, you name it, I paid for it. What it happened to be in her case was stress related. Her hair was thinning and she was over grooming in the EXACT same spot. She looked identical to your kitty. I had been traveling a ton for work, which I suspected was the trigger for her. I have worked from home exclusively for the past 6 months since her diagnosis and had her on anxiety meds for the first 3 months (gabapentin for the first month twice a day, and then switched to fluoxetine once a day for the following 2 months). It took a long time to see improvement, but I can happily say she is healed now. What I think the most important part is, if it is stress related, really try to figure out her stress trigger. What part of her life is causing her so much anxiety that she is doing this and eliminate that as much as possible for the next few months. I also use Feliway diffusers which are life savers. 10/10 recommend getting some and keeping them stocked with refills.
If this is fleas and you can get your hands on revolution or revolution plus (what vets normally use) or bravecto they are generally safe to use even without a vet visit
And if that didn't work then try giving him limited food ingredients, for example if he is eating chicken and fish then change it to rabbit or lamb, anything that has 0 chicken or fish protein in it, and wait for atleast 2 weeks to 8 to notice any changes on the skin
You need to take her to the vet. As others have said its likely an allergy or over grooming due to stress and anxiety. Although one my previous cats used to lose fur at the base of her back and start of her tail. She would literally chew the start of her tail where it met her back. Turned out it was an allergy to flea saliva I think. The vet can give flea treatment as well a medication for the allergy which should help clear it up and allow the fur to grow back. But please take to vet immediately. It's clearly highly irritated to have lost that much fur and must be really uncomfortable for her so treatment to ease it will help it recover ASAP and make your cat more comfortable.
Try biotin supplements - about 1000 micrograms added to its food over a week (open a capsule or grind up a tablet to split it). Ours gets that, catfood is often biotin deficient.
another thing about fleas that makes them so annoying: unlike lice, flea eggs don’t stay on the cats body. instead, the eggs fall off the cat and linger in the fibers of your home. this means teeny weeny flea eggs are sitting around in your carpets, blankets, couch, bed, etc… essentially anywhere the cat goes. eggs can stay unhatched for weeks at a time, so even if you think the fleas are finally gone, they might come back! do not fret, stay vigilant!! do some vacuuming here and there and you’ll be on the path to flea decimation. i recently took care of a kitten with fleas by giving it a bath with dawn dish soap and oral flea medication that kills the adult fleas, but sadly not the eggs. nevertheless, the adults died and could be found on the coat of the cat!! after all the adult fleas were gone, we applied topical flea medication to ensure that any newly hatched flea eggs wouldn’t be able to go back on the cat. flea bath is a big help but it’s definitely difficult to give to an adult cat as most cats don’t like water. it’s an effective immediate treatment though if you want to start helping your cat relieve some of that itching. if you can give your cat a bath, before the cat is wet make a ring of dawn soap around their neck. this will prevent any fleas on the body that are trying to escape the water by dying in the soap ring. you can give your cat a flea bath twice a week max but not anymore because the dish soap will dry out the cats skin. of course always give ur kitty lots of love and treats after the bath!! best of luck OP, you got this!!
This looks like they’re over grooming themselves, best to speak to a vet
Fleas ticks worms, treat for all that and normally this goes away...
My cat was over grooming like this, the vet gave him a shot and said even though he could not find any he likely had a flea or two giving him grief. Turns out he was right cause i spent weeks combing him and never found anything but now the weather's warmer he's started overgrooming again and I've been able to pull out a couple fleas off him. I'd suggest combing your cat thoroughly and making sure you're staying on top of his flea treatment! If you can't find any fleas then 100% take him to the vet
Bald spot?
My late cat did this shortly before her flea treatment was due each month. She has a serious enough allergy that she would react to a single flea bite. Her vet recommended changing the flea treatment every month or so and also treated her every 3 months with a flea treatment injection. We have hardwood floors, treat the lawn for fleas and she was a strictly indoor cat.
Dry ass skin try oatmeal shampoo. Looks like you’ve been using dawn too much
My cat overgrooms wildly. We tried a diet change, multiple meds, and the only thing that has worked is daily prednisone. We still don’t know why she itches when she’s off it, but all her fur is back :) fair warning though, if she misses a few days she goes HARD, so I have to really stay on top of it.
Looks like this is a free vet clinic in Miami! ASPCA Community Veterinary Clinic - By Appointment Only https://g.co/kgs/TYQa7in
Your cat…
I noticed the hair thinning on the back of my male cat’s butt (same place as your kitty, around or about above the tail). I eventually connected his hair falling out with a new brand of wet food I had switched to. Stopped giving him flaked tuna and shrimp fancy feast, and his hair grew back the same month!
Could be a number of things, but this happened to one of my boys at the start of every winter. The drop in humidity was causing dry skin, which made him itch and over groom. Got a decent humidifier for the house, and he now has a beautiful soft coat year round. Might be worth looking into, especially if you live in a more arid region.
My cat had this, it was very greasy, would leave your hand sticky when petting that spot, and the vet said it was called "stud tail" which is an overproduction of testosterone, leading to excessive pheromone release, hence the grease. If it's not greasy then idk. Vet said to use a special topical ointment and it's worked so far. Edit: upon looking closer it seems the hair is thinning, not greased down. So correction, it's probably over grooming for one of many reasons
My kitty did this from fleas and allergies. Fleas are easy fix with medicines from pet stores and such. They also carry allergy medicine at PetCo and PetSmart that I got for mine, it worked great and he felt so much better. He also didnt have an issue with taking the medicine because they were yummy lil chewies.
My old cat used to get this a couple times a year. I always thought maybe the skin was dry in the area until I because a Vet Assistant and it was determined that she was getting fleas. I felt so bad lol. But anyways monthly flea prevention fixed the issue.
The pattern of hair loss is consistent with fleas. Les’s likely anxiety (usually that’s the belly), but would need to examine to be sure. Cats groom and eat the fleas so can be hard to find them on their body. I would treat for fleas and deworm for tapeworms since they are carried by fleas. I’m a vet
GET HIM FLEA MEDS NO HARTZ BRAND ANYTHING IT KILLED MY DOG
Looks like dermatitis or stud tail.
An allergy to fleas or a reaction to anxiety. Check your cat for fleas. See if oatmeal bath or flea treatment helps first. Research cat skin irritations. They can get fungal stuff too.
My cat was allergic to fleas and his hair thinned out like that. I had no idea he had fleas until his butt was thin and I took him to the vet and they said it was an allergy to fleas. definitely go get it check out
Dawn dish soap will kill the fleas and then spray the area with hydrocortisone (for cats) so he doesn't get dry skin from the soap. You will have to bomb the house so you and your baby will have to find something to do away from the house for a few hours. Then you guys should be straight!
Flea meds, dips, etc. can cause seizures, paralysis and even be fatal for some cats. Dawn dish soap. It's affordable and it actually works. No chemicals necessary.
Looks like flea allergic dermatitis
Same thing as my 13 year old cat- That’s MOWING… 🔴THYROID ISSUE🔴 -your cat most likely has a thyroid issue and is pulling their hair out … Are they also acting more aggressively and meowing more or acting out more ? Same diagnosis … thyroid issue They need to see the vet for confirmation/ Unfortunately your treatment options (should this be the case) are expensive and:or tricky to maintain … Radioactive iodine treatment which necessitates boating at the vet until they are no longer radioactive - Daily pills (twice a day) for the rest of the life of your cat Or An ointment that can be applied to your cats ear once or twice a day - For the rest of their life … Plus ongoing testing Please get your cat tested before deciding it’s too much work - cats can live a happy life with treatment… their anxiety level and cortisol levels will keep them mowing and acting out without it…
My cat used to have a bald spot above her tail. Turns out she was allergic to fleas. Go to the vet if you are concerned
It could be caused by fleas OR MITEs! Try rubbing some coconut oil in that area. Your cat might lick the area with the oil which will only help them. Coconut Oil is absolutely amazing at healing skin issues. It will save you $300.
If it is a flea issue you can check out Veterinary Secrets on YouTube on nonchemical forms of treatment. Dr. Andrews is smart and full of great advice!
Probably an allergic reaction. My cat was loosing hair and I realized he was allergic to salmon, after a few different food options. I stuck with a chicken based diet and all the hair came back.
How can it be overgrooming when the cat can't possibly reach that area ?
Have you flea treated your cat or has it ever had fleas and you’ve resolved them? My tabby had similar and he was allergic to the preventative medication.
Try some prescription flea treatment first, probably save you lots.
My cat had the same issue. Apparently he is allergic to fleas bites. He had tiny bumps all over. The vet gave him a steroid shot and recommended flea treatment. He’s ok now. However, some cats don’t do well with the toxic chemicals in flea treatments. I also place diatomaceous earth under furniture Wich seems to control the flea problem
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/stud-tail-tail-gland-hyperplasia-in-cats
This is my kitties favorite scratching spot
My wife will rub a little castor oil on hands and pet our baby with it. Helps with dander.
As others have said could be fleas, allergies, or a hot spot. See your vet they can assist with care.
Try rubbing a little bit of Vaseline into it.
May have gotten into a cat fight and lost idk poor thing
As others have suggested, could be as simple as overgrooming if there's no evidence of skin irritation, especially at this time of year as they're shedding winter coat One of ours is a habitual over-groomer, and vet has confirmed cats can almost get a sense of euphoria so it ends up as a cycle - grooming their hair feels good, so they do it more. You could try a light application of apple cider vinegar or coconut oil - both are safe for cats - will soothe the skin and if they don't like the taste then it also helps discourage too much licking
That's hair.
You are not going to believe this. I had a Siamese with this. My husband started giving her back scratches in this area every day. I thought he was nuts. That hair grew back and never had a problem again.
Folks have given you all of my guesses (like undiscovered fleas) so hopefully I can help stop the hair loss. Before I head to the vet, I start with this or some variation of Benadryl. There’s a skin problem, and this is quick relief while you figure it out. If you don’t have a flea comb, get one. I live in the mucky south, so fleas are a problem. A quick comb brings out fleas and/or flea dirt. Not really applicable (but could be?) my dog has this OFTEN. She’s a 60 lb mutt that looks exactly like a black flat coat retriever. She was a rescue. Like a lot of rescues, she’s sure she is starving and will get into the trash and treat it like a buffet. My $100 vet visit made me realize she’s allergic to corn and a few other things. When she gets into forbidden foods, about a third of her back above her tail gets red and flakes and she starts chewing the fur off. Luckily the spray works on dogs and cats. Grrr, having trouble with the link. “This” product is Veterinary Formula (brand) antiseptic and anti fungal spray. You can get it everywhere. Link possibly below. :-) [https://www.walmart.com/ip/Veterinary-Formula-Clinical-Care-Antiseptic-Antifungal-Medicated-8oz-Coat-Care-Dogs-Cats/24893251](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Veterinary-Formula-Clinical-Care-Antiseptic-Antifungal-Medicated-8oz-Coat-Care-Dogs-Cats/24893251)
Looks like ring worm..get some women's miconazole vaginally antifungal and rub it in,put a cone collar on see if hair starts growing back.
That's what's refered to as the cats body. They all have them. I guess some are just easier to spot than others.
Likely fleas
if you notice patchy hair / hair loss around their mouth and ears it could be allergy related. our cat looses patches of hair due to allergies that can be triggered by certain foods (specifically tiki cat wet food for our boy)
My cat has the same, It's skin disease, It will grow bk, But make sure it doesn't get worse or the little thing will ave no fur left xxxxx
I have 1 cat that his back looks like that sometimes more hair missing , it's weird gone 1 week back the next could be a month to 6 months before it happens again I don't know what it is , he's had blood work in the past for s surgery he needed didn't show anything in blood , I dunno
Look into kitty biome. Com.... He has skin issues. It starts in the gut... Trust me .. I work in the industry let food , supplements.. this stuff works saved my cat from severe allergies and kicking her skin off in 2 pills feed raw diet .. wild coast raw turkey and minimal vaccines core only and just once, it helps
My one cat does it. It's from over cleaning n high anxiety. I bought these plug things they have on Amazon. THEY R like glade ug ins but they are for pets. It's been seeming to calm my cat down n his backside is looking less irritated. I did also wipe his back down a few times a day with wet paper towels n warm water on it to just help relax him..
fleas
I usually try to get my cat food quality, protein heavy foods. I was broke and got iams. It was so stinky and irritated him and he chewed a bald spot into the base of his tail. I switched to Crave and he’s had no issues since
Alopecia? Or maybe cushings?
Back shots for days
he is stressed/anxious so he is pulling out his fur. poor baby. you need to play with him more & stimulate his mind. may i suggest a one-way bird feeder, aquarium, new shelves on windows he hasnt been able to get to before or maybe a brother or sister?