Hi. I have a kitten (named Shadow) who's 2 months old. She used to be very fluffy, but as of late she's been losing fur. We know it's not shedding for several reasons (we don't see fur all over the place, or have it on us after holding her, etc.) We thought it might have been soap from giving her a flea bath, or maybe something else that got on her. We have five other cats, one of them as young as she, and they're all fine. They eat the same food, drink the same water, and since Shadow is still pretty young, she doesn't go anywhere out of our yard when outside. Does anyone know anything that might be causing her fur to thin, but not spread to the other cats?
selectopaque answered Sunday June 18 2006, 11:05 am: It's not very likely that your kitten has Hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is seen in very old cats, and would be more than just a simple thin coat. Here is a typical picture of a cat with Hyperthyroidism: [Link](Mouse over link to see full location)
Other signs are decreased weight despite increased appetite, increased thirst, increased irritability, and intolerance to cold.
Your kitten is only 2 months old, it's very very unlikely that her thyroid is developed enough to start to get OVER developed enough to be considered a disease like this. In hyperthyroidism, the thyroid gland is secreting too much hormone. I seriously doubt your kitten has this.
And, she is obviously not shedding because she's too young to even get enough of a coat to start to shed.
It's likely that it's the flea bath. If she's two months old, I wouldn't have advised a flea bath. I would have advised frontline or advantix. Those are the ONLY flea medications I would ever advice on cats no matter how old they are. And, with any flea medication, you should wait until their 8 weeks or older. Some medications say to wait even longer than 8 weeks old.
Cats are sensitive to a lot of chemicals.
It's most likely an allergy of some sort. Perhaps to the fleas, or the bath. If you haven't already, then take her to the vet. With a kitten that young, you should never wait even a day before getting them help. [ selectopaque's advice column | Ask selectopaque A Question ]
MWR1992 answered Thursday June 15 2006, 12:46 pm: She might be losing her baby fur. Or it could be something like the flea bath, but i don'tknow cause i'mnot an expert on cats. Try calling upyour vet and asking her(or him). Hope this helps a little and good luck with your cat.
Meggy [ MWR1992's advice column | Ask MWR1992 A Question ]
Moop answered Thursday June 15 2006, 9:42 am: hey. vets are experts on animals like cats. you don't even have to take your cat to an office, just CALL the vet. it's free and you can describe your symptoms and see if he recommends bringing your cat in. then you'll know solidly what's what. [ Moop's advice column | Ask Moop A Question ]
Nallie answered Thursday June 15 2006, 12:51 am: Hi,
This happened to a cat of mine, she was also a little smaller that the other cat, and a lot more active. I took her to the vet and he diagnosed her as having hyperthyroidism. She got put on medication--which would be needed forever. Later the cat got tired of taking the pills and ran away from home! Anyway the fur was thinning like you describe and not falling out in patches or clumps. You need to take the cat to the vet and if he doesn't check the thyroid you might suggest it. [ Nallie's advice column | Ask Nallie A Question ]
Answerman answered Wednesday June 14 2006, 11:15 pm: well it depends on if its in one spot or if its losing hair all over if its in one spot then the cat has allergies and is eating its hair but if its all over i wouldnt worry about it maybe its just getting older [ Answerman's advice column | Ask Answerman A Question ]
Notso answered Wednesday June 14 2006, 7:59 pm: Cats (and all animals for that matter) coats undergo seasonal changes throughout the year. If her hair is just generally thinner than usual, it could possibly be she is just losing hair that she grew to keep her warmer in the winter. Less hair will trap less heat. It's perfectly normal, you just might not notice it as much in your other cats if they are a different breed.
pinkers answered Wednesday June 14 2006, 6:08 pm: what i would do is either go to a vet and see what the kitten has and if there is anyway to stop the fur loss. If you can't go to the vet for some reason, i would do some research on the internet, like go to google and type in "fur loss of kitten" or something. I did a search this morning to find things to put in my dog's food to keep him from shedding and there were listed many diseases that cats and dogs get, where it also discribes the symptoms of the disease. Sorry if this wasn't much help..i hope it was!! [ pinkers's advice column | Ask pinkers A Question ]
isis answered Wednesday June 14 2006, 5:46 pm: Is she losing the fur in patches or is it a general hair thinning?
If you have ruled out all other possible causes and as she is so young and small, she could be suffering from stress. This can show as excessive grooming. If she is a pedigree, they can be more sensitive than 'moggies' so are more prone to stress, but 'moggies' can still get this. If she is one of six, she may be finding it hard to establish her place in the tribe and may need extra love and encouragement until she settles.
The other possibility is that she has an allergy to something she eating.
She may need to see a vet to find out the real cause of this but that is just a couple of suggestions for you to work on for now.
Hope that helps and you are able to sort this out soon, best of luck. [ isis's advice column | Ask isis A Question ]
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