White Tabby Losing Hair on Belly and Legs

by Cheryl
(Syracuse, NY)

Cat With Hair Loss

Approximately six weeks ago my cat started losing hair. It started in a symmetrical shape (like a half moon) on her side. It has since spread to her belly as well as her legs. She does not seem to be uncomfortable or in distress. She is not biting, scratching, or grooming excessively. Her skin appears to be a light pink with no lesions. There are very short hairs like an undercoat. I have not found any clumps of hair around the house. Five months ago, we moved to a new apartment. The only environmental changes are carpeting and baseboard pipe heating. The carpets had been chemically cleaned as well as me using "Carpet Fresh". It has started spreading more rapidly. What is it and what should I do? My brother suggested benadryl. Please help!!

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White Tabby Losing Hair on Belly and Legs

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Mar 05, 2011
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cat pulling hair out
by: marguerite

i have a long haired cat that i/s pulling out his hair and bitting which causes scabs.this started after he had aflea both and new flea collar.i also c hanged his food to an all nae,and got scoopfree achine where it uses crystal,litter.what could of caused his behavior.i then washed him with dawn but he's still doing it.i also have a tabby that is pulling he's hair out just like your white tabby.please help'thanks marguerite.

Jul 04, 2010
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Cat Hair Loss
by: Pat

I have a 6 year old cat who has had this same problem for several years. I originally got him at the animal shelter when he was probably 8 months old, and he was a mess at that time. Supposedly he had been a feral cat who was trapped with some other feral cats. After several weeks he became fairly social with people, and they put him up for adoption. I took him to my vet and after $600 in tests, I was told he is allergic to corn, wheat, chicken, beef, lamb -- all things that you find in most cat foods. There are only a few fish and sweet potato based foods on the market, which is what he should ideally be eating for his condition. And he won't eat any of them. So I have a cat with no hair on his belly and hind legs. He is otherwise very healthy.

Apr 25, 2010
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Cat losing hair on underside and legs
by: Anonymous

My 10 year old cat has been losing hair on her underside and on all 4 legs since last year. My vet told me it is stress related. I come around some website blog with people have the same problem and one of them said it is the scented kitty litter that is causing the problem. I recalled the company I bought the kitty litter from had changed to a different brand last year. It is a very heavy scent clay litter. I went to WalMart and bought some natural Clumping kitty litter made from corn. My cat's hair is slowing growing back on her legs and underside. I am so grateful to those who post that message. I hope this post will help those that has the same problem

Feb 12, 2010
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Possible Reasons for Cat Hair Loss
by: Anonymous

Sorry to hear about your cat's hair loss.

Hair loss in cats can have many different causes, like endocrine problems, fungal infection, anal gland infections, etc.

Most owners do not notice excessive grooming, but if the hair loss is symmetrical, it is likely due to grooming. This is often called: Feline Symmetric Alopecia.

To narrow down the possible causes your vet will likely do a good physical exam and possibly a skin scraping to rule out parasites.

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