Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 4/8/2005

Question
My 10 year old American short hair female cat (indoor only) has recently been losing her hair on her hind quarters almost identically on each side of her hind legs (they appear as two verticle strips along what would be a human's upper thigh/buttocks area).  They do not seem to be sensitive to the touch or painful to her(Name: Flash), nor are there any lesions on the exposed area.  Could this be an allergy or something else?  She is extremely difficult at the vet, so since it isn't appearing to hurt her, I am looking for other information and possible treatment options.  I would appreciate any information you could provide.  Thank you!

Answer
Cats that lose hair in the rear end area are often chewing it out.  That indicates that something is itchy.  Occasionally an antihistamine called chlorpheniramine will help some cats to stop itching.  I would recommend that you have ytour vet check the cat to make sure of what it is.  If the cat doesn't like the trip, call and ask for a tranquilizer that you can give before driving the cat to the vet's office.