Expert: Jessica - 3/16/2010

Question
my cat is constently itching an biting her fur. She is losing her fur. She a hymalaian . We have a dog an another cat. NOne of them are losing there fur. I see no fleas on her. I did give her a bath with shampoo that had cortizone it help but she is back at it agian. Her belly has no fur. can you help me.

Answer
Hi Marcella.  You should have your kitty checked out by a vet.  Himalayans are more prone than other cats to a fungal infection called ringworm (despite the name, there is no worm).  This causes ithcy, flaky skin and fur loss.  Your vet may want to send a fur sample off to a lab for a culture to determine if ringworm is present.  Ringworm is highly contagious, and dogs, cats and people can all catch it.  Medicated shampoos, creams and oral medications can help get rid of the infection.

Your cat may also have mange, which may be contagious to other cats and occasionally to dogs (temporarily to people).  Mange usually begins on the face or feet, however, and the pattern of fur loss you're describing may be more consistent with an allergy or auto immune disease, or psychogenic alopecia - the term for hair loss caused by obsessive grooming.  The treatment for these things will be very different.  Allergies and auto immune disease will usually respond to an injection of cortisone, while psychogenic alopecia can be treated with calming agents such as pheromone products or flower essences.  Search the internet for items like the Good Behavior Pheromone Collar for cats and the Comfort Zone diffuser by Feliway.  Also check out the Obsession Remedy for cats at www.spiritessences.com.  If these things don't help, you should talk to your vet about using a prescription antidepressant for a while.  Most cats only need help for a few months while their obsessive behavior gets under control, and then the vet can taper them off of the medication.

Good luck!

Jessica