Many possible causes for senior cat losing its hair

My cat is almost 16 years old. She has always been a highstrung and nervous animal who hates going out of the house or being seen by anyone other than myself.

She is an indoor cat. Lately, she has started to lose her hair on the inside of her rear legs, and I find tufts of hair around the house.

She has also started vomiting a bit more than usual, usually with hair in the vomit. Her appetite is just a little less than it was but otherwise she seems OK. She hasn’t necessarily lost any weight and her water intake is the same.

What could be causing her to lose the hair? Is there anything that you can recommend me to do that will stop her hair loss? Hopefully this is just old age taking its toll.

There are several things that can cause a cat to lose its hair. Some of these include ectoparasites like fleas, ringworm, which is technically a fungal infection, stress, allergies, autoimmune issues and more. The fact that your cat is a strictly indoor cat makes the likelihood of fleas or ringworm less plausible, but still possible. How pruritic or itchy is the cat? Are the areas of hair loss red, raw or scabbed? If not, then one possibility is that the cat is stressed out and pulling her own hair out, which might also account for the increased vomiting of hairballs.

At her age, it is not uncommon for a cat to naturally eat less due to reduced energy need and activity levels, which is sometimes accompanied with mild and subtle weight loss.

One thing you might try is using a bitter topical that you can buy over the counter on the alopecic or hair loss areas and see if she leaves them alone. Should that not be successful, and despite her hating to be seen, you should probably have her examined to rule out any and all other possible causes. Appropriate treatment may include anti-parasiticals, corticosteroids, pain management, antifungals or other medications.

I do not think that the hair loss is due to old age or old cats in general would all be losing their hair. Try aversive tasting topicals and if not successful, have her seen by your veterinarian.