Cats keep losing hair, why are they not bald?

There are about 10,000 hairs per square centimeter on the back of the cat!

There are about 20,000 hairs per square centimeter of chest! !

The cat has almost 4,000,000 hairs! ! !

The ears touched my sparse hair and couldn't help but shed tears of sadness...

Therefore, even if the hair is changing all year round, the cat will not be bald.

However, in some cases, cats may also become bald...

Unlike humans, which are mostly caused by endocrine disorders, cats have psychological hair loss, which is usually believed to be caused by cats' own excessive licking.

Why does stress cause hair loss/hair?

In human medical research, stress stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, causing increased secretion of the stress hormone cortisol, resulting in a decrease in the synthesis of skin elements (hyaluronic acid and proteoglycan), and accelerates its degradation, leading to atrophy of hair follicles.

Considering the differences in mental anxiety caused by environmental stress, family of multiple cats, etc., there will be different whether each cat can improve or completely cure hair removal.

What is the degree of excessive hair licking?

1. Observe the number of hair licking times

Although the time period for cats to lick their hair is relatively scattered, most of the time period for each cat to comb their hair is relatively fixed.

If some cats like to lick their hair after each meal, they can follow the "time schedule" of eating to observe the frequency of licking their hair.

Over-licking cats can even lick their hair more than 2,000 times a day. However, healthy cats can lick their hair more than 800 times a day. This makes it easy for parents to ignore "over-ultrasound" hair licking.

Therefore, it is necessary to judge based on the following situations:

2. Whether excessive licking of a certain part

According to research by animal behaviorists, each cat has its own fixed combing order, and most cats are the same. This order is generally:

Starting from licking your mouth → After selecting your left or right claws, start facial cleansing (chim, beard, ears) → shoulders → front legs → sides → hind legs → private parts → tail heel to tail tip

When you find that your cat is constantly staring at a certain part for a long time, you should pay attention. If it is not covered with foreign objects or suffering from parasites... you should consider excessive licking (licking your younger brother in estrus is not counted).

3. Check whether there is "allopia areata" exists

When combing the cat's hair, it is the most direct way to observe whether there is "allopia areata" in the skin.

But it is often difficult to observe in the early stages of the disease.

You can conduct a key investigation based on the following situations:

What diseases or abnormalities will cat stress cause?

Cats are very emotionally sensitive animals, and changing their environment can easily cause stress. For stress, different cats may show different symptoms, such as:

➤ Hair loss

➤ Symptoms of the lower urinary tract (such as urinary atresia, frequent urination, etc.)

➤ Diluteness

➤  Coronavirus mutations, causing infectious peritonitis

Regarding stress, how can parents help cats relieve stress?

To help the cat get through stress smoothly, the owner may need to pay more attention to the cat, such as:

➤  to accompany the cat more and play with the cat more; to provide sufficient food and water; to give some food you like to eat (but avoid changing the food you have not been fed)

➤  to keep the cat litter box clean as much as possible

➤  to avoid excessive noise and odor in the living environment

➤  In addition, when the cat shows abnormal performance, you should observe carefully. It is best to take some videos and photos to record it. If you find that the symptoms do not improve, you should consult a professional veterinarian in time.

What else can parents do about hair removal?

➤ Regular deworming

to prevent skin problems caused by parasites;

➤ Anti-licking, giving more attention to cats with excessive licking. After eliminating infectious factors, cats can wear soft neck rings and play with them to divert attention;

➤ Supplement nutrients

Omega-3 is a nutritional supplement that has been proven effective in maintaining skin barrier functions in both clinical and laboratory, especially suitable for taking during skin disease treatment;

➤ Control the frequency of bathing

Cats will clean and lick their bodies every day, and there is no odor.

Therefore, unless in special circumstances, it is not recommended that the owner take a bath too frequently, and try to take a bath at least once every 2 months.