Mancat Monday Question: Anyone Have Experience with Fur Loss?


HELP SCUTTLES

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Hello everyone, I hope you had a good weekend. Ours was a bit nutty, but that’s pretty normal for us.  As you can see, I’m looking out the front window today.  What am I looking for?  Answers, of course.  I thought I’d ask you today and see if you have any words of wisdom for us.

The question, of course, is have any of you dealt with fur loss?  Sister Zoe is losing her lush furs.  She is losing it in two ways, first it seems to be falling out, and second, she is pulling it out.  Take a look at this.

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You can see where Zoe is laying now, and the clumps of fur are from where she rolled over.

Brian's Home.  Adopt cats, we deserve it!
This is from where she was snoozing and then got up and walked away.  Then last night Dad caught her pulling out her fur.

Yes, she has been to the Vet.  She got hauled off on Friday and had a full panel of blood tests and urine tests.  All came back as normal.  So it appears that we have ruled out something medical.  So, is it a food allergy.  Nothing has changed.  Is it stress?  Any ideas?

It’s a mystery we’re determined to solve.  Remember, adopt cats, we deserve it!!!!!  More Forever Homes More Often!  Purrrrr! Zip! Later!

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Whisppy
8 years ago

It sounds like a kind of allergy. Food allergy can develop over time, so maybe switch the protein in her food and see if it helps? Or could it be flea allergy dermatitis? All that’s needed is one flea…

Is she on any kind of Omega 3 supplement?

Ann Staub
8 years ago

I’ve seen some cats neurotically lick themselves, usually in a specific location, until they are bald in that area. In one case, the doctor’s determined that maybe it was related to the spay sutures inside of her belly causing a reaction. Maybe it could be boredom, but I know you guys play with them all the time. Who knows, some of us humans do things that are bad for us for no good reason. Kind of like biting our nails.

Sparkle
8 years ago

What Whisppy said – although I do think it could also be stress. Is Zoe bothered by Precious watching her more than the other cats? Or is she having issues with one of the other family members? I hope you get it figured out! The last time my human saw something like this happen was when her mother had lung cancer and was in the last stages of her life – one of her parents’ cats pulled out her fur and overgroomed. After her mother died, it took a while, but she got back to normal.

Bev Green
8 years ago

Could be an allergy indeed as they can occur at any time..a change to the ingredients in their food which manufacturers may not mention..a new toy ..new detergent used to wash bedding..a change in season..stress yes can cause persistent licking..has there been any revent flea treatment or worming treatment ..sometimes a bad batch can cause a reaction…we send our hugs and hope that soon you have an answer 🙁 loves Fozziemum xx

easy rider
8 years ago

I sadly have no idea what it could be, but I hope you will find it out and you find a way to help Zoe.

Faz the Cat
8 years ago

We have had this problem with excessive grooming here too when our Persian Bebington wasn’t well, I seem to remember it may have been stress related after I moved in to the house. Hope Zoe gets better soon. FAZ

Hilary
8 years ago

Oh no.. poor Zoe…
Sending good thoughts her way!

Katie Isabella
Katie Isabella
8 years ago

Hers seems to be falling out more than Zoe is pulling it out. Because that picture shows a lot of fur when she got up. So something is making her fur loosen. She is pulling too but maybe she is doing as usual but the furs are looser and so they come out. I take it the Vet had nothing to tell you. Ask if he she is on the V.I.N. Vet Information Network. They pay to belong but they can pose questions and get answers if other Vets have seen the same thing. Worth asking. Zoe….kissies. Also,(well, I’ll send… Read more »

Marg
8 years ago

Sure sounds like an allergy of some sort. I have two cats that do this and the vet here says it is allergies. I don’t know what they are allergic to but my case may be fleas which of course you don’t have I am sure. The Person is going to write you an email.

hannahandlucy
8 years ago

We wish we could help with this – we are finding more of Hannah’s long fur on the floor than usual at the moment but we think it is just the prolonged hot weather here as that is the cause.
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx

Fuzzy Tales
8 years ago

First thought was allergies — I know cats can be tested via blood work and also a skin sample, have no idea the cost that would be, though. Does her food have any corn, soy or wheat? Those are common allergens…but so are chicken, beef, turkey, etc. Seems everything can cause allergies. :-/ Annie once had a skin problem, she had one steroid shot at the vet for the itching, and then I pulled up the carpet on the lower floor, laid laminate. She never had the problem after that, so I’ll never be sure what it was in her… Read more »

Sage
8 years ago

Oh, no! Poor Zoe. Our long-haired cat is shedding a lot right now, but this seems to be a bit more than that. I hope you get some answers soon!

Coccolino
8 years ago

Hmm that is a mystery and hopefully one that can be solved quickly and pain-free. We hope it’s just a simple explanation and all is okay with Zoe!

Traveling Cats
8 years ago

Ooops, that’s a lot of furr loss. Might be mites or an allergy. A new food bowl maybe? Or a new brand of food?

Pat Hatt
8 years ago

Food allergy most likely, as Cassie has the exact same thing. Stress only amps it up and she’d chew her friggin toe right off, no joke, if she didn’t get to the vet. She gets a steroid shot and sometimes abx shot when she has it, going on 6 months without incident though and all I did was take away her treats and installed emf filters throughout my place. High stressed cats can sense a lot, if your house has way too high emf levels, that just stresses them out more as they are always sensing it, some areas may… Read more »

Sailor Edgar
8 years ago

Hugs and purrs for Zoe! Allergies or stress for some reason seem like the most likely reasons.

Kitties Blue
8 years ago

We have dealt with this a couple of times with two of our angel cats. With Steamer, a short-haired tabby, it seemed be contact allergies. One thing she was allergic to was anything pine. With long-haired Daphne, I am not sure we even discovered what things she had an allergy to. Both of them used to need regular shots at the vet. Is it is possible that it is heat related? Good luck finding out what is going on with Zoe and getting her to keep her furs. XO, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista… Read more »

Laila and Minchie
8 years ago

Poor girl! We don’t know what could be causing it, but do hope you find an answer soon before all her beautiful furs fall out.

da tabbies o trout towne
da tabbies o trout towne
8 years ago

dood…tell yur dad if thiz haz KNOT happened bee fore it may be a change in environment…by thiz we meen a new soap, fabric softener, kleening stuff that Zoe bee layin on ore it could bee frum a seasonal change….everee summer like clock werk, eye lick me belly raw…N de minit de first frost hits….eye quit…just like that…been this way for all me life…???? sorree we canna be oh any mor help……if yur dad haz sum coconut oil, him can put it on ewe aza sort oh salve…..it will help ♥

boomer

da tabbies o trout towne
da tabbies o trout towne
8 years ago

ooopz…we meened him can put it on Zoe…

Oui Oui
8 years ago

We wish we could help! The only fur loss we have experience with is MMM’s and that is because she licks and scratches herself so much. For some reason, the mom seems to think if it’s symetrical it’s psychosomatic but if there is no pattern it might be allergies. Have you changed foods or used a new cleaner lately?

Amber DaWeenie
8 years ago

My pup sissy, Sarah, used to lose her furs in the spring. The dogter said she had environmental allergies. Don’t go bald, Zoe!

speedyrabbit
8 years ago

Have you tried Coconut oil?its surposed to be good for this sort of thing I think you give them a tea spoon a day then once things settle you can back it off to a couple time a week if I remember correctly,xx Rachel

Tamago
8 years ago

Oh poor Zoe. It’s hard as there are many possible causes. I think it helps to track back and see if there were anything different from usual, such as new treat, new cleaning supply, new toy, etc etc. I hope she gets better.

Angel AbbyGrace
8 years ago

Oh dear poor Zoe. We don’t have any experience with this but it does sound like seasonal (??)or allergies of some sort. If all the blood work came back normal I’m sure the Vet is as perplexed as you are. Does she appear to be balding in any spot? The picture of where she had been sleeping makes it appear as if it’s all over.

HH and The Boys
8 years ago

So sorry…. we don’t know anything about losing furs…. We hope you find an answer quick…

Have a great day.

hugs, Bugsy and Knuckles

Sue Brandes
Sue Brandes
8 years ago

Sorry I do not know either. I hope some of the suggestions. help.

Cat's Cats
8 years ago

Poor Zoe, I am so sad to hear she is pulling out her beautiful fur!!! Sounds like she is experiencing some kind of stress. I have heard an evening primrose tablet broken up into food can help with anxiety but of course check with the vet first. Hoping you find answers soon.

Emma
8 years ago

Mom had a friend whose cat went bald, but it was stress related. They had their first baby and the cat was totally stressed. Is there anything new and stressful in the house?

Deztinee High
8 years ago

Meez sis Lexi has dat purrawlem sumtimes. Hers gets nervous and hers fur falls out. Shes also had it happen once when hers developed an allewgy tu a food hers ha been eatin’ fur a long time. Wees wil be purrayin’ fuw yous sisfuw Zoey dat yous find out fuw suwe what it is and get it stopped. Meez occasionally loses clumps, but is cuz it wus loose fuw and needed tu fall out.

Luv ya’

Dezi

Caren Gittleman
8 years ago

could part of it be due to the weather change? Has it gotten unusually warm, fast?

Maxwell, Faraday & Allie

Caren’s right – extreme shifts (more than 30 degrees) can cause shedding.

Another possibility: hyperthyroidism. Have they included this in the blood panel?

CindyLu
8 years ago

Flea allergy, or even some other kind of bug bites, might be first thing to rule out. Sometimes cats will groom/bite/chew because of stress…took a long time to figure it out, including changing all food, litter, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, even carpet cleaner – and it was because a younger cat in our home was secretly bullying her. One of our fosters had been adopted, came back for other reasons – but the adopter stated she’d lose her fur 3-4 times a year. For months she was fine with us, then started getting bald patches. First thing vet recommended was… Read more »

CindyLu
8 years ago
Reply to  CindyLu

Oops! Accidentally deleted part of the sentence about our Ali having had bald tummy patches, where it turned out the young cat was bullying her.

Madi and Mom
8 years ago

Oh no…we have no ideas other than stress, Bless her heart. I hope she quits soon…her furs are so pretty
Hugs
Madi your bffff

Miss Kitty
8 years ago

Hey Brian, remember when Miss Kitty had this problem? It started after she witnessed my hard fall and my lying on the floor so long. I could not get help from anyone for her! So, I went to Drs. Foster & Smith to order something to calm her…she was visibly shaking. I also ordered their Lifestage Select…Premium Multivitamin & Mineral Supplement for Cats. It took a while but her fur is starting to grow in. I still see her pulling it out like Zoe, and I’ll redirect her attention with a toy or walk around with her in my arms… Read more »

Flynn
8 years ago

Sorry I have no other ideas than those already suggested. I hope you can figure it out and Zoe stops losing/pulling out her fur.

Fraidy Cats!
8 years ago

gosh, Brian, we are sorry about Zoe. Our Pip over-grooms herself due to stress, but her hair doesn’t fall out the way Zoe’s is. We hope through everybuddy’s comments you can get some additional insights.

Scuttles sure is a sweet little kitty. We are purring for her. Would a transport to California be considered, or possible? …or is that too crazy?
purrs,

Pip, Smidgen, Minnie, Hollie

The Island Cats
8 years ago

Zoey looses clumps of furs like that but she’s got long furs so we figured it’s just normal. We’ve never seen her pull her fur out. But if Zoe is actually pulling it out, and she’s been checked by a vet and there isn’t anything medically going on, it could be stress related.

Sherri-Ellen T-D
8 years ago

Well this is a real head scratcher. As the blood work was all right (no physical illnesses) & nothing has changed int he household to bring on stress I am thinking allergy also.
If you changed the flea treatment that could cause fur loss also…
good idea to check for ringworm or mites…not sure what kind of bitey insects you have there!
I wish you all the best trying to solce this mystery of Sister Zoey’s fur loss…
Will keep an eye on your blog to find out more.
Sincerely Sherri-Ellen & Nylablue too x0x0x0x0x0

Sharon K Mayhew
8 years ago

Wow, poor Zoe! You’ve gotten lots of advice. I hope that one of them gives you the answer for her. 🙁

Katnip Lounge
8 years ago

Gosh, we don’t know what to say! But we are sure your peeps will figure it out–they are some of the best we know.

Kitty Cat Chronicles
8 years ago

Uh oh, poor Zoe! I have dealt with this in one of my cats – Caster. When we first found him, he was fine, but slowly we realized that he was losing the hair right behind his ears. He went almost completely bald behind both ears, and that was the only place. We took him to the vet, but nothing was determined. I think it might have been stress related, as it is now growing back. I’m not sure though, it is sort of just a mystery. I know this doesn’t answer your question, but Caster’s problem seemed to correct… Read more »

Spitty the Kitty
8 years ago

Oh, poor sweetie! I hope you can figure it out–I don’t have any ideas different from all the many suggestions here. At least the weather is warm so she won’t feel all freezy! XOXOXOX

Ms Stella O Houligan
8 years ago

Hi guys! My best guess would be the flea allergy too. Miss Jack our tuxie gets all defurred like that all you have to do is touch her and she’s all twitchy. One dose of advantage after a coconut bath and in a few days shes better. The radical temp changes have been creating havoc here in the buggy area.
Best fishesxoxo
Ms Stella O Houligan

Basil
8 years ago

Sorry to hear about the hair loss. My first thought was probably stress, could it be a mite/flea allergy or something? Sorry can’t shed any light. Thinking of you

Scylla, Socks, Tuiren & Fenris

Maybe it’s the heat. That is the only thing we can think of. Does she have bald patches are or you just worried because of the amount of fur on the floor? If she doesn’t have bald patches we wouldn’t worry to much.

Scylla says she wishes she had some of the fur on her tail.

Connie
8 years ago

things like this can be oh so frustrating.. I would be inclined to think it is a food allergy as those things can develop out of no where..

Quill & Greyson
8 years ago

Oh noes! Leave that fur on your skins please.

Cathy Keisha
8 years ago

Whoa, sorry to be late to the pawty. Poor Zoe! I’m shedding like crazy too this year. Pop FURminates me every day and I still leave a lot of fur (although not clumps like you got) on TW’s bed. Monday I frew up a hairball for only the second time in my life. I’m thinking weather change or allergies. I like the cleaning products idea.

Clooney
8 years ago

Oh sweet Zoe, we feel for you and send you purrs. We wonder if you have tried coconut oil internally (get a virgin one from a healthfood store because if it is virgin it from the coconut meat rather than the dried copra which is bleached and deodorized), also Krill Oil from Dr. Mercola Healthy Pets (it is a good source of Omega 3 and it is just a tiny amount that is needed to be given) or HomeoPet Skin & Itch homeopathic drops (homeopet.com or in pet stores too). We have been trying different things with Neytiri with regards… Read more »