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#1
Somehow my cat pulled out an entire section of his fur on his back about the size of a penny. I don't know what to do. I think it is because he has long back claws (he won't let me cut them).
It has gotten bigger since this morning. I don't know what to do about it. |
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#2
Is he an indoor cat? Maybe he's rubbing it off by squeezing through btight spaces. Is there any sign of skin irritation? When I had outdoor cats, it was common for them to lose chunks of hair, but it's rare with indoor cats.
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#3
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My thought at the moment is some sort of anxiety induced scratching -- combined with too long back nails. |
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#4
Actually, their claws don't really pull out hair. I never trimmed my cat's claws because they shed the older layers on their own by scratching fabric or tree bark.
Cat's can lick themselves bald sometimes or itch a spot too long with their teeth. Is the spot still growing? I think rubbing against something is the most likely cause indoors. I've had pets rub bald spots on themselves from squeezing under furniture. |
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winter4me
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#5
You would think if your cat is scratching then you would be able to see claw marks. Hope this is an easy solve.
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#6
Cats sometimes lick bald spots due to anxiety. I had a cat that was a rescue from an abusive situation and he'd lick his belly bare. I'd just monitor it.
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#7
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It seems to have stopped but I cut the claws back on his back paws. Given its location -- directly behind the head. I can't see how licking could have done it. No way he could get back there to lick. |
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#8
Do you have a scratching post for your cat?
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#9
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#10
It is definitely him scratching. I just caught him doing a ninja move of tilting his head an leg in a way that he could get back there. I think he has dry skin due to it being dry in here... and potentially not getting sufficient nutrition. I am not sure I am giving him enough fatty acids and I think perhaps now that he is 14 he may need some supplementation. I have ordered a supplement that gets high marks.
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MrsA
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#11
Sounds like you've definitely figured out the cause. Hope the supplement helps.
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#12
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Good to hear that you worked out the cause. Fingers crossed that the supplements help. |
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#13
Is the hair growing back yet?
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#14
No, not enough to notice. I expect it to take at least 6 months. My cat had a spot on his face at one point and that took about 3 months with constant supplementation to grow in. But it hasn't gotten any worse.
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possum220
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#15
I am glad that you have stopped the problem before it got worse. Do the supplements cost much? Would it be worth your while to keep the cat on supplements permanently to avoid this happening in the future?
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#16
Now I am not so sure. My cat seems to be losing some hair on his ear. No way I combed that. Grrr...
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#17
Emily, since trimming his nails helped how about a putting caps on his rear nails? I had a cat that kept clawing his face, making a sore. I bought Purdy Paws and put them on his back feet. It helped.
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possum220
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#18
Will give that a shot. I am wondering why he is scratching so much OR why his hair seems easy to remove...
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#19
Little excited today. His baby fine skin this morning seems to a bit darker... looks like it might be growing back. The area looks darker so it appears like he has like "stubble"
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possum220
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