I have 3 indoor cats. Recently my 2 male cats have started to lick off their fur and leave little sores. On one cat, he has spots missing on his back, sides, belly, base of tail, and leg. The other is missing it from his lower belly. It's like a BIG patch missing off his. I'm thinking fleas, but I'm not sure. Any ideas what it could be? And do you think giving them flea baths & collars will help?
2007-02-23 13:55:38 · 15 answers · asked by Katie 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
Could be fleas, or hotspots, or even an allergy to something. Your best bet would be to get them to a vet. If it is fleas, the stuff you can get in the store really doesn't work to well. It is best to get something from the vet. Also, if they have sores on them it may be painful for them to be bathed.
Good Luck
2007-02-23 14:01:30 · answer #1 · answered by Fish Lover 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My cat gets this problem off and on... it was never fleas.
Each time we brought her in we were told that she pulled out and licked OFF her fur (usually in patches) beacause of stress.... Odd huh?
We were given some sedatives for a long drive but told to calm her as much as we could and lover her a lot until she stops.. something may be bothering her.. .cats get psychology problems too... is there another in the house?
A male?
A competing female?
Kittens?
My cat is White (to cats white is the dominant color and usually they get their way all the time) BUT my other will not give her any respect.. lol... the other is my baby who has been her WAY way longer.. so they don't get along... they both love to sleep by me but one by one they take turns .... when angel (the white one with the fur problems) does not get to sleep by me she will get nervous at night and by morning sometimes she looks pretty freaky.
I tell her NO NO gently and point at her spots... she seeeeeems to understand. I also love her up tons each day... you've got to take time and do that..
maybe you are gone frequently?
Has there been any changes in your life that the cat can sense?
Have YOU been nervous?
They pick up on that.....
All I know is that the vet checked her for fleas... and when there were none all of the vets explained to me about the STRESS and all that.
So fleas or Stress. :)
Both can be solved.
I would still take her in just in case.
2007-02-23 22:13:18 · answer #2 · answered by Miz Phoenix 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could be a number of things. You should definitely treat them for fleas, just in case that is the problem. I recommend using Frontline Plus or Revolution topical. You will have to treat all of your cats for 3 consecutive months if you want to get rid of all of the fleas and their eggs. Avoid buying flea collars or cheap flea topical products, as they do not work very well and some of them can actually be toxic to cats and cause seizures.
If you want to confirm fleas, you can look for flea dirt on your cats--it appears as small black specks, and when you wet them on a paper towel they turn reddish-brownish. If you see flea dirt, you may also want to ask your vet about deworming them as cats can get tapeworms from fleas.
It could also be stress or allergy related, or related to another type of mite. You should take her to the vet to rule out any other more potentially serious problems, and also to check the sores to make sure they are not infected. Sometimes they require topical antibiotic ointment +/- oral antibiotics.
I also would not recommend giving your cat a flea bath, as some of the flea shampoo chemicals can be harmful, and it also REALLY stresses them out; cats HATE baths, and she might try to really scratch or bite you. It also will only be effective in the short term--it would kill the fleas that are on her currently, but it won't take care of the fleas that will jump on her afterwards.
Good luck!
2007-02-23 22:12:07 · answer #3 · answered by Biz 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If it's fleas you can usually find them on your cat's back between his shoulders. That is where the fleas feed the most.
Actually, your best bet is to take those cats to a VET!!!
If you treasure them, get them the help they need. If it is fleas, a simple prescription and some house cleaning, and a little time will rectify the problem.
It could be some sort of skin problem that one has passed on to the other.
Get some help. Yahoo Answers is not the best place for the help you need.
Please take them to a vet!
2007-02-23 22:07:53 · answer #4 · answered by Dick 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is probably a harmless problem. My cat licks the hair off her belly all the time. The vet said it is a nervous habit, and might even be caused by allergies. I've given her prednisone when she gets sores on it, they clear up, and it usually just comes back.
The vet told me not to worry about it, as long as she doesn't get a lot of sores. My daughter has a littermate to my cat, and hers does the exact same thing in the exact same place.
2007-02-23 22:50:04 · answer #5 · answered by kiki 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There Shedding When They Lick There Fur The Tongue Has Little Spikkes That Yank It Off
2007-02-23 23:08:24 · answer #6 · answered by Jon Civil 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it's not fleas. Fleas don't cause them to lick off their fur, but infections and parasites do. Baths and collars won't work... take them to the vet ASAP!
2007-02-23 22:04:18 · answer #7 · answered by rosemary 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I also have a male cat who over grooms..he is 7 years old and constantly is missing part of his fur..the dr. says he is obsessive-compulsive and that causes him to over groom..we had him on anti depressants but they zonked him out..he also has a skin disease that is a long name and has to have depo shots...I try not to get them that often because they are not good for my cats kidneys...he also has an allergy to fleas...he is a very moody and stressed out cat...anything we change he re-acts to!!!gotta love him tho!!
2007-02-23 22:11:26 · answer #8 · answered by fotolady0557 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Fleas.
2007-02-23 22:00:15 · answer #9 · answered by zoey101514 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
could most certainly be fleas which is causing them to overgroom... give them a quick comb and run check the fur for dried blood...
2007-02-27 10:50:29 · answer #10 · answered by nothing 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋