Pulling out hair

msmew

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Dec 9, 2002
Messages
5
Purraise
0
My 2 1/2 y/o tabby has been pulling out tufts of hair from the base of her tail. There doesn't seem to be any mites or other parasites present, and she is strictly an indoor cat. Any ideas why she's doing this? Bored, frustrated??
 

lotsocats

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
May 30, 2001
Messages
5,481
Purraise
17
Location
Out Yonder in Kentucky
There are several things that may be going on. Your cat may have developed allergies and is pulling out hair because her skin itches. Also, there may be mites present that you cannot see. Your vet can do a skin scraping to see whether mites are present. Also, even though your cat is kept indoors, she may have fleas. Look for little black dots in her fur. This is flea "dirt" (droppings). Finally, this may be due to boredom or anxiety. Have there been any changes in her life or her environment? Does she have plenty of toys? Do you spend at least 15 minutes each day playing with her?

I think the wisest thing for you to do is to take her to the vet so he/she can determine whether there is something going on physically or whether it is a psychological issue.

Good luck!
 

carrie640

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Dec 14, 2001
Messages
1,040
Purraise
203
Location
Michigan
Angel used to do that! The hair she pulled, though, seemed to be the parts that were matted. She would ALWAYS get mats as she got older and just fought with you when you tried to get them out.
 
Top