“half-naked” kitty
I adopted a two-year-old female cat three months ago and when I got her, she had over-groomed herself to the point where she had no fur from the waist down. I add fish oil to her food, but the hair is growing back very slowly and she still has occasional
Ahealthy cat should not have bald patches on the body. Over-grooming can be due to various reasons, including psychological reasons, food allergies, parasite infestation, fungal infection or hormonal imbalances. A normal feline spends a lot of time—approximately a quarter of their day—grooming itself, but not until the skin becomes bald. A cat usually over-licks an area of the body in response to itch, pain or stress.
Check if the cat is displaying other signs such as overeating, rapid weight gain, inappetence, anxiety, restlessness, lethargy, crusts or skin flakes, spots or small black flecks on the hair, vomiting, diarrhoea, difficulties going to the toilet, or passing out abnormal urine.
Has there been a change to the diet, environment or routine of the cat? Cats usually do not like abrupt changes. They like a regular routine in their day such as being fed at the same time with the same food. Felines take time to get accustomed to a new environment, or new people or animals.
As your cat was only recently adopted, there may be some psychological stress. Try spending some time playing with, talking to, cuddling or massaging it. An Elizabethan collar can be placed over her head to rule out if the hair loss is due to over-licking or self-inflicted.
The hair can be checked for fleas using a flea comb. A fungal culture can be performed to confirm fungal infection. An elimination dietary trial can be performed to rule out food allergies. Intradermal testing can be done to eliminate environmental allergens. Blood tests can confirm if there are allergies, metabolic disease or hormonal imbalances. Skin biopsies may be performed to check if the skin affected is normal. Once you have a clear picture of the cause of your cat’s balding, you can better plan a mode of treatment.