Cat Hair Thinning Around Eyes

Common causes of cat hair loss and related symptoms.

Cat hair thinning around eyes.

Kittens exhibit reddish areas on the face ears and paw pads sometimes accompanied by a white or gray crust. However feline hair loss can also be genetic or due to fungal infections mites fleas and stress. Feline scabies causes hair loss on the ears face eyelids and neck. Cat alopecia is common in older cats that are diagnosed with some types of cancer.

Alopecia areata is not completely understood but researchers suspect the condition is auto immune related and may also be complicated by a cat s diet. It appears to cause the most hair loss around the head neck and back due to excessive scratching. Hormonal imbalances specifically too much thyroid or increased levels of steroids in the body may lead to cat hair loss. There will be itching and scratching.

Cat flea allergy occurs when a cat is allergic to the flea s saliva. Preauricular alopecia the preauricular meaning before the ear area alopecia or facial alopecia is when the cat loses hair and has bald patches between the eyes and the ears or above the eyes. Some cats have visible balding around the eyes while others have a slight thinning of the fur above the eyes but you need to know why. This hair loss is a normal process and may occur in cats of all ages male and females.

Nervous disorders e g over grooming can also cause hair loss in cats. Another less common factor is heredity. The location s where a cat is losing hair can indicate the cause as described below. Hair loss above a cat s eyes facial alopecia commonly occurs as cats grow in size and the fur thins out.

Ringworm which is easily spread through contact with infected animals causes the hair in adult cats to become brittle and break off in patches. This is due to the notoedres catimite. Cat hair loss or thinning hair down the middle of the back to the rump indicates a flea problem. Your vet can tell you for sure and prescribe antifungal creams or ointments medicated baths or even oral meds.

Osborne continues age and ringworm as well as ear mites and flea allergies. Another type of normal hair loss is pinnal alopecia hair loss on the outside of the ear pinnae which is common in siamese cats but usually resolves on its own. And a scaly ring of missing hair is a sign. Bald patches above your cat s eyes can be caused by a few things says world renowned integrative veterinarian carol osborne dvm at chagrin falls pet clinic and creator of paaws.

Another common cause of feline hair loss is a fungal infection known as ringworm. Vets mainly attempt to treat the condition by testing for food allergies and then eliminating those allergens from the cat s diet.