Expert: Ali - 2/20/2009

Question
QUESTION: My cat is experiencing hair loss just above the eyes & it goes to his ears.  Also, behind his ears & in his lower neck.  It's thinning out & I'm not sure why or what to do....

ANSWER: Darcy,

This is an issue that requires veterinary care. This is a medical problem that may be one of several things including allergies to fleas or food or even thyroid dysfunction. Your vet will likely need to take a complete history and maybe some blood work to determine the treatment that your cat will require. I would recommend that this kitty sees a vet within the next 48 hours or so.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Yes, I understand it is a veterinary question. However, I was inquiring to see if you have heard of such a thing because I was wondering if its possibly from the other cat licking & grooming him also they play & kick with their back feet in the same areas as where the hair loss is; that is why I was asking you if you have ever heard of this kind of hair loss related to possibly the other cat doing it??

Answer
Darcy,

As I told you in the first answer I suspect that the likely culprit is allergies to fleas or food. I doubt very much that the other cat is contributing to the hair loss. Cats react differently to allergies than people do, people tend to sneeze, cough, and have a runny nose, cats get itchy, so itchy that their continual scratching can cause damage to their fur coat and even cause baldness in some areas. The other possibility is that your cat's thyroid isn't functioning correctly and this requires a blood test to confirm and once confirmed the cat will likely require daily medication for the rest of his life. There are other medical causes that could be related to this sudden hair loss, I've simply provided you with two of the most common reasons for hair loss in cats. Allergies can be difficult to isolate and treat in cats so your vet may recommend allergy testing to determine the best course of treatment if that's the suspected cause of your cat's hair loss, and there's a possibility that your kitty may require a special diet and possibly medication to treat the symptoms of his allergies so that his hair coat can grow back. Another fairly common issue in cats is hair loss due to over grooming. This can be a difficult problem to completely solve as it can sometimes have a psychological component to it with the cat where s/he becomes obsessed with grooming a particular part of their body. Your cat could also have a skin infection that's causing him to be sore or itchy and pay more attention to the areas of his body that you're seeing hair loss. I really can't offer any more specifics than I have, I'm not a vet and I can't make medical diagnoses, I'm simply providing you with a guess based on my experience. Your vet should see this kitty fairly promptly to find out what's going on and since it's quite possible that the condition causing the hair loss is uncomfortable for him.