Cats are affectionate animals that are the ideal companion for many people, thanks to their grooming habits and their independence, which sometimes leads one to believe that they have the ability to "take care of themselves" with very few attentions.
However, if there is something that every person who has a cat at home should understand from the beginning, it is that they are animals of habit, so at the first sign of changes in their behavior it is necessary to be attentive to what is triggering that behavior.
That's why at Animal Expert we bring you this article to prevent my cat from starting the hair, with advice to detect the possible causes of this in the feline and know what measures to take to reverse this situation.
Meet your cat
Anyone who has had the opportunity to spend some time around a cat, the first thing you will have noticed is how careful they are with their personal hygiene, because, in addition to sleeping, they spend a large part of their lives grooming themselves.
The cat is not only a clean animal by nature, but also veterinarians agree that its personal hygiene is so important that, when the cat becomes seriously ill or reaches old age, the impossibility of perform your bathroom routine as before and the feeling of dirt can make you fall into depression.
However, it is important to distinguish between cleanliness habits and behavior that denotes a problem in your animal, such as plucking hair.
When the cat pulls out its hair, you can notice it in the strong pulls that it gives while bathing, which cause hairs, irritation in the area and sometimes wounds and redness on the skin.
That is why the most important thing in the face of this behavior is to detect what situations generate this reaction in your cat, so that you can attack the root of the problem. The reasons for a cat to pull out its fur are broken down as follows:
- Environmental factors
- Food allergy
- Parasites
- Stress
- Diseases
Environmental factors
Just like people, your cat may be allergic to certain things in his environment. He may be affected by an allergy if you see him constantly licking and pulling his hair in an area, because it itches.
Usually cats are allergic to elements present in the environment such as pollen from flowers and trees (which is why loa malaise attacks more in summer and spring) and dust mites. Likewise, an allergy caused by human products, such as aerosols, perfumes and other substances that are used near the animal, should not be ruled out.
These environmental allergies are difficult to diagnose even through laboratory tests, so you should:
- Avoid the use of aerosols, candles and derivatives near the animal.
- Vacuum the house weekly to get rid of dust and mites.
- Go to the vet to prescribe necessary medications to relieve irritation and itching.
- Distract your cat with games so that it doesn't try to pluck the hair from the affected area.
- In case of skin infection, wash the area twice a day with saline solution.
Food allergy
Some cats may develop allergies to the food they are given, or be allergic to a specific food. This allergy causes skin irritation, so to alleviate the discomfort the cat licks the area and ends up pulling out the hair.
There are no laboratory tests for this type of allergy, so you and your vet will have to apply a diet to detect which food is causing the problem.
Parasites
The presence of external parasites, such as fleas and ticks, will cause the animal to itch, causing it to seek to scratch, lick or pull out hair if necessary to relieve discomfort.
Why is this happening?
When the parasite sucks your cat's blood, its saliva enters the feline's body as a powerful allergen, causing itching.
The presence of fleas is easy to notice not only because of the frequency with which the animal scratches or because of the quite remarkable size of the parasite (not to mention ticks), but also because of the accumulation of black residue on the animal's fur. They are extremely dangerous, as they can cause feline anemia.
In the presence of fleas you should:
- Go to a vet to recommend the necessary product, which you should apply to all the animals in the house for prevention.
- Buy an environmental spray that kills eggs and fleas to spray it in the house, as they lodge in furniture, cushions and carpets.
Stress
Cats are prone to stress when faced with some change in their environment, and one of the ways to demonstrate it may be start pulling out hair.
When the cat licks its fur, it releases endorphins, hormones that make it feel comfortable and well, so it is common that in situations that are stressful, the frequency of baths increases, causing bare areas where the cat licks itself most frequently,
What things can cause stress in the cat?
Usually, that his master or the person to whom he is most emotionally attached is on vacation, the arrival of another pet in the house or a baby, some other cat prowling around, the removals, changes in routine and sometimes even changes of place of certain objects within the home.
If it's just a vacation, the cat will get better as soon as his master returns. Faced with new pets or babies, it is necessary to give the cat its space in the house and fill it with pampering, so that it understands that it has not been relegated by the new member of the family.
The boredom can also cause your cat to try to distract himself by pulling out his hair, so you should try to let him play with him and entertain him. If you usually spend a lot of time away from home during the day, leave toys and scratching posts so that your kitty can entertain himself.
Diseases
Your cat can show that he has an ailment due to a disease through the action of pulling out his hair. ringworm, a fungal infection, is one of these possible diseases, as it causes burning and itching of the skin.
Also, some internal ailment, such as kidney stones or urinary infections, cause the cat to pull out its hair to try to eliminate the pain. This behavior can also be seen with hormonal or immune system problems, so it is necessary to consult a veterinarian
Latest Tips
- Never assume that your cat is pulling its fur on a whim, because There is always a reason behind this behavior.
- In the face of any unusual behavior, Go to your veterinarian so that they can guide you in the search for possible symptoms that help determine the root of the problem. issue.
- When bringing a new animal into the home, introduce them calmly: you can put the new pet in a kennel and put it near your cat to sniff it and become familiar with its scent, or rub the newly arrived animal with a blanket that belongs to your cat. The adaptation process is not easy for some cats, but with patience you will achieve it. If they do get into a fight, avoid leaving them alone until you're sure they won't hurt each other.
- Play with your cat. Never interrupt his sleep cycles, but take advantage of the waking hours of the day to amuse him for a few minutes. This will relieve your stress.
- Consult your veterinarian about the possibility of placing pheromone diffusers in your home, as they calm cats.
- When you notice your cat grooming itself without hurting itself, offer rewards and praise so that it associates this with a desired behavior.
- If you notice him pulling at his fur and hurting himself, stop him immediately and distract him.
- During the treatment prescribed by the veterinarian (if any), you may need to place your cat with an Elizabethan collar to make it more difficult for him to access to the areas affected by their licks. See how she feels about this new object, because if it's annoying, you'll only increase her stress levels.
