stressed kitty?

by Toni K
(LaSalle, IL)

I know its spring, but my 2 yr old indoor, long haired, cat has been shedding like CRAZY. I noticed him licking at one spot in particular alot, and found that now he has a bald spot there! I didnt find any fleas on him, and the bare skin doesnt look irritated. Whats going on with him?

Answer by Kate
first of all i must say what a wonderful picture. he reminds me of my first cat Tigger.
Firstly as you know it is importnat to brush a long cats fur at least a couple of times a week especailly during the shedding period as it will help prevent hairballs forming as well as reducing the amount of hair left around your home.
Regarding the bald patch, well this could be down to stress as you say and over grooming is oftena sign of this but it may also be something like an allergic reaction to something that spring has broght along, like mites or evem pollen. It is best to get a vet to look at the area and they may even take some skin cells to look at under a scope. If it appears that there is no physical reason for the bald patches then stress can be the only answer. See my pages about stressed cats and also the page about cat hairloss under behavior and health respectivly.

---