The main reasons that can explain why a cat does not grow hair are: the presence of parasites, the development of skin diseases, allergies, stress or shedding of the coat. To determine the exact cause, it is essential to pay attention to the rest of the symptoms and go to the veterinarian. And it is that if there is something that we find attractive about felines, it is their beautiful fur. Whether short or long, plain, spotted or striped, cat fur is so beautiful that it seems incredible that it is mostly groomed with its own saliva.
Sometimes, trimming the cat's hair is necessary, due to high temperatures or to carry out some medical treatment; on other occasions, a disease is to blame for hair loss. Overcoming these events, comes the looming question " Why doesn't my cat grow hair?". In the following article we talk a little about this process. Keep reading!
Can you cut a cat's hair?
Before talking about how your cat's hair should grow, or if it really grows, it is first necessary to know under what circumstances your cat will lose said hair. Apart from the usual shedding, which everyone with a cat recognizes in the strands left on the furniture at home, there are reasons why the cat will also lose part of its fur. These include the times when the cat's hair should be trimmed What are these times? When it is necessary to perform a medical exam or place a line for some treatment, among other he alth reasons. In these cases, only the area to be examined or treated is shaved.
It is also possible that, due to the high temperatures, it is necessary to trim the fur a bit to cool down the feline. If you find yourself in the need to do this, remember not to leave the skin exposed, as it is as sensitive to the sun's rays as human skin and could burn. Only the torso is shaved, keeping the fur on the extremities, the tail and of course the head; the feline groomer will advise you on how much to trim.
Another reason to shave certain areas is that when combing it you come across a impossible-to-undo knot; these knots, if neglected, can cause very painful skin wounds, infections, etc.
Whether it is due to temperature, a treatment or a knot, it is best to have the fur trimmed by a veterinarian or, as we have already mentioned, a specialized feline groomer.
Why does my cat's hair fall out and not grow back?
There are many reasons that justify the loss of hair in the cat and its non-regeneration, and here we mention the most common.
Shedding
Like other mammals, house cats mould their fur seasonally, to stay cooler in spring and summer, and warmer when winter arrives. This type of shedding is completely normal; so that your house does not fill with loose hair, we recommend that you get your cat used to being brushed from a very young age.
Dermatophytosis
This is where the trouble starts. When hair loss is not due to shedding, there is a problem. Dermatophytosis, commonly known as ringworm, is a type of mycosis that affects the cat's epidermis due to fungal infection.
When the cat suffers from ringworm, the itching on the body is very intense, especially on the face, ears and limbs. This pruritus exasperates the animal and leads it to scratch and even bite itself frequently, which leads to loss of fur and skin wounds.
External parasites
fleas and ticks are the main external parasites of the cat. As with dermatophytosis, the discomfort of itching causes the cat to scratch and lick itself violently, which leads to alopecia. In addition, in this case there may also be an allergy to flea bites, as they inject an anticoagulant with their bite.
The presence of fleas or ticks is detected when the appearance of the coat is dirty and disheveled, apart from the fact that they concentrate their licks at the base of the tail.
Scabies
Skin disease caused by mites, mange is another common problem in house cats, and causes hair loss in different areas. Likewise, it also prevents the fur in the affected area from growing back, so this is one of the main causes that can explain why your cat does not grow hair.
Allergy
There are two types of allergies that affect felines: environmental and foodThe first has to do with allergies to different factors present in the cat's environment, be it flower pollen, dust, cleaning or hygiene products with toxic components, among others; food appears when the feline's body reacts negatively to certain ingredients contained in its usual diet. In either case, the symptoms are diverse, and one of them is hair loss and not regrowth.
Stress
Triggering many feline he alth problems, stress brings all sorts of consequences, from aggressive behavior and obsessive grooming behaviors to alopecia. Discovering the reason is the only way to avoid it and restore vitality to the animal's coat, in addition to its emotional stability, which is the most important thing.
Do cats grow hair?
If your cat has suffered from any of the above problems and lost part of his fur in the process, it is normal that when you start with the appropriate treatment you will be anxious about how long it will take for his coat to recover. However, this varies from one cat to another, and especially depending on the type of problem it has gone through.
To give you an idea of the times, in a normal situation of muda, which occurs especially between summer and spring and that it is more noticeable in felines that go outside than in those that stay indoors, the change of coat can take between 2 and 3 weeksAnd when we talk about the change, we refer to the total fall of the strands to shed and the beginning of the growth of the new strands, which, obviously, requires more time to match the rest of the coat.
In the situations described above, where not only the coat but also the skin is affected, the process takes a little longer after the cause has disappeared. When the medical and psychological recovery has been completed, the hair should grow back completely between the first and third month. That is to say, that cats actually grow their fur In this way, when asked "if I shave my cat, will his hair grow?" answer is also yes.
Now, if after this time you don't see an improvement in the coat, then you should go back to the vet. There may be a hormonal problem, or the alopecia suffered is due to another cause other than the one diagnosed.
Why doesn't my Persian cat grow hair?
The Persian cat is one of the most popular in the world due to its beautiful and abundant fur. Therefore, when adopting a puppy and seeing that its coat does not grow, it is not surprising that the guardians wonder what is happening. Well, the most common causes that explain why a Persian cat does not grow hair are the following:
The cat is a mongrel
If the Persian cat is the result of a cross with another breed with short or medium hair, it may happen that the coat has characteristics of both parents, showing the coat texture of the Persian and the length of the shorter haired cat, for example.
To check if your feline is pure Persian or mestizo, check our Persian cat breed file. And if it is finally a mestizo cat, remember to adapt the care of the hair to its type of coat, surely it is just as beautiful or more!
Is it a Persian or exotic shorthair cat?
When they are puppies, it is normal to confuse both breeds because they have very similar physical characteristics. However, as they grow, the Persian cat develops a rich coat, while the exotic shows a short and dense palate, or medium length, but not long. So, if your "Persian" cat begins to reach adulthood, is totally he althy, not a mongrel but still doesn't grow fur, could it really be an exotic shorthair?
Is he eating correctly?
A nutritional deficiency, or a diet poor in omega 3 fatty acids, can be reflected in the quality of the coat, showing a coat without brightness, poor and rough. In this way, if your Persian cat has hair with these characteristics, try changing its diet for a higher quality food, or one specially designed for this breed, and see if it improves.
Skin diseases or parasites
As it happens with the rest of the mixed breeds and cats that lose their hair and it does not grow back, the most common causes of this condition are those mentioned in the previous sections, related to problems of He alth. Thus, if your Persian cat does not grow hair in patches, check his skin carefully and go to the vet. And if the fall is general, take into account the possibility of shedding.
