Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 4/5/2005

Question
hi. we have 2 cats. i was wondering.... one of our cats seems to be loosing hair by his eyelids, i know with our other cat, her fur around her ears is fine but her eyelids have fur. is there a problem with him? also with our other cat, her fur seems to matt alot,her hair is fairly short and we brush her all the time. is matting a symptom for something more serious?

Answer
Loss of fur on the head indicates that the cat is rubbing the head.  This is also true for matting; the cat is scratching, knotting the hair in the process.  Both of these are the result of itchiness.  It could be allergic skin disease or it could be ear mites.  Have the vet check the cats to see why they are itchy.