Expert: Tina - 6/29/2007

Question
I just got a kitten 2 weeks ago.   The kitten plays and eats and acts like a healthy kitten.   The problem is she is losing her fur.. I cant figure this one out!  Everything looks fine Just seen a vet 10 days ago.  The weather has been extremely hot and I keep her indoors   Could she be shedding?   never had this happen before!

Answer
Hi Lori,

Don't worry many kittens shed the "kitten fur" and with long haired kittens it can seem like a lot of hair is falling out. If she seems to be itchy, gets bald patches or shows signs of not feeling well (such as low energy or poor appetite) then take her to the vet. Long haired cats do shed a lot and need frequent grooming to keep their coat healthy.

Also you are right to keep her indoors - kittens are especially vulnerable to the danger outside. It sounds like you may only be keeping her in due to the weather, however - I recommend keeping her indoors at all times or building a cat enclosure:

http://catnet.stanford.edu/articles/enclosures.html


Here are some articles on grooming long haired cats:

http://www.semilonghaircats.co.uk/info/groomsemi.htm

http://www.petplanet.co.uk/grooming_cats.asp

And here are some articles on cat nutrition. A high quality canned food or raw meat diet will keep your kitten healthiest including her coat. I often recommend Wellness, Nature's Variety or Innova Evo canned foods.

http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.htm

http://www.catinfo.org

Good luck with your new kitten!