Hair Thinning In Persian Kitten?

preciouskits · Dec 6, 2008

I am in Ontario, Canada and recently purchased a persian kitten and had her shipped from the USA (I couldn't find the color I wanted, lilac, here in Ontario). She had been vet checked by the breeders vet and declared healthy before leaving and was also checked by the airport vet before shipment took place. She has also been at my own vet twice since I got her 5 weeks ago (for regular check ups and vaccinations) and was found to be healthy. She was very small when I got her (13oz at 9 weeks) and I was very suprised that they would even ship her at this weight but regardless, she was healthy and the vet figured just "mini". She now weighs 1lb 10oz (at 13 weeks) but still looks so tiny!

However, it isn't her small size that really concerns me as she is gaining weight and eating/drinking normally.

In the last two to three weeks I have noticed that her hair is thinning and she has lost most of the hair on her back feet. There is no redness or sores... her coat just seems very thin and the hair on her back feet is just gone (some seems to be growing back). No fleas or mites/parasites that we can see and no signs of ring worm. She seems healthy in every other way and has the most energy I have ever seen in a kitten! She plays and eats (begs for wet food) and meows like crazy when following us around. She seems to some times be overly hyper and can climb the baby gates and jump over them in less then two seconds (no lies!). Her eyes are clear, her nose is clear, no sneezeing and her mouth is free of any ulcers/sores/redness.

When I asked my vet she said that it's possible that she had an infection as few weeks ago and a side effect is hair loss or she may be slightly anemic and to give her a vitamin crushed in her morning wet food to see if that helps.

Im thinking about bringing her to the vets on Monday but was wondering if any one might have any idea what is going on?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

neely · Dec 6, 2008

Although we have had cats for many years we've only had one persian cat. I can't honestly say we ever had the same health problem as you but it does not sound right for him to be losing his hair as you've described. If you are not satisfied with the answers your vet is giving you I would highly recommend getting a second opinion from another vet, preferably one who specializes in felines. It is good that the kitten is playful and alert as you mentioned but it would definitely bother me about the loss of hair. Sorry I could not be of more help but I hope you get the problem resolved. Best of luck!

the_food_lady · Dec 6, 2008

Hi there,

Seems a little "out there" that your vet would suggest the fur thinning could be due to kitten being a little anemic and without even varying this, suggesting you give vitamins. For how long? What if kitten isn't anemic at all and then ends up getting "too much" vitamins? you could then have problems with vitamin toxicity. What type of vitamin did he prescribe; what's the name of it?

Have you considered talking to the breeder to see what they think?

You might also consider getting the opinion of a different Vet..particularly one who specializes only in cats (Cat Vet), if there is such a vet in your area.

Sounds like kitty is healthy and full of energy otherwise..but I too would wonder about what you're seeing.

missymotus · Dec 6, 2008

I'm a bit concerned you got her at such a young age and weighing so little, most breeders don't let them go before 12 weeks.
By 9 weeks you'd expect a weigh of 2lbs.

I would take her to a vet for another opinion, could be a fungal infection

preciouskits · Dec 7, 2008

Thanks...

My vet is very knowledgable and as I mentioned, did see her twice in the last couple of weeks. She is completely healthy, eats well (although prefers wet food) and is definately not acting "sick". She does not scratch herself or seem "uncomfortable". She does however tend to lick herself quite a bit which to me almost sounds like stress or over cleaning.

I am taking her to the vets tomorrow afternoon to get her checked again.

Her weight was low when she was shipped which I was not too happy about. She is not a skinny cat by any means (pleasently plump) but she is just small. My guess is that she may be "mini". She looks like a normal, healthy kitten just little. Again, this is something that I will ask my vet.

I appreciate all of your help. I guess it is a mystery seeing as though there really is not any indication of her having any thing wrong... just slight hair thinning.

Thanks

the_food_lady · Dec 7, 2008

This is way out there, but I wonder if it's possible that the fur loss to the back of the back feet could be somehow due to sensitivity to the particular cat litter you use? (scented?)

goldenkitty45 · Dec 8, 2008

Several things are very wrong here. First of all I cannot see a good breeder that is producing undersize kittens/cats from the standard. Was this kitten advertised as a mini Persian? If so, you have a backyard breeder producing unhealthy, undersize, and probably inbred runts to produce a smaller then normal cat.

The rule of thumb is approximately a pound per month of age. So the kitten is very undersize for her age. The fact that the kitten is loosing fur is another red flag.

I suspect this kitten is very inbred and has a host of medical problems that will be showing up in a short time. I have no idea where you got her (breeder) or what your contract states as far as healthy and genetic health, but you may have gotten ripped off by this "breeder".

I understand about the problem in visiting a cattery, but sounds like you did not do enough research on this breeder. I hope your kitten turns out ok, but next time research a lot more before you buy.

twokatz · Dec 8, 2008

There may be a lot of reasons for the kittens small size, the fur is more bothersome to me. I have seen runts in perfectly normal litters with the best of genetics and health, sometimes they catch up and even surpass litter mates. Research and vistiting the cattery is something that makes sense but it is not a guarantee of a "good breeder", there are many ways to hide problems. With the kittys I have now I researched for months, all over the country. I finally focused on a local cattery that has been around for a long time, I visited her and the kittens several times, I checked out all the cats she has and asked a lot of questions. She asked the right questions of me and had all the right answers to my questions, I felt good. Bottom line, these girls have health issues that she may or may not be aware of and I will deal with it for the rest of my life. She offered money back but that won't happen, they are mine and I love them. I went through all the "right" steps and still ended up getting unhealthy cats. Preciouskits may have done the same, she now has a little one that she may need help with but I bet she loves the heck out of her. I hope she posts a follow up.

the_food_lady · Dec 8, 2008

Maybe this is a controversial comment, and I really don't mean to offend but it's something I feel strongly about. With so many hundreds of thousands of homeless kitties (many on 'death row') in shelters and pounds and humane societies, that desperately need "forever homes", I think it's sad that people purposely breed and profit from the sale of animals. For every person who buys from a breeder (and prices ain't cheap), that's potentially one less life that's saved as the person could have adopted and provided a 'forever home' to a shelter kitty. The cost alone, for a purebred -- just think how much money could have instead gone to organizations that directly help homeless cats, organizations that foster, etc. I have just never been able to wrap my mind around this whole subject. It's like messing with nature to "make the perfect cat", there's just something so unnatural about it. There's just something so fundamentally and ethically wrong, to me, with bringing more pets into the world and profiting from it......when thousands are put to sleep each day because nobody would adopt them. Sorry.

goldenkitty45 · Dec 8, 2008

I understand what you mean. However, its not the ethical breeders that are contributing to the shelters - they spay/neuter the kittens before you get them.

Its a lot of the backyard breeders that cause most of the problems. I hear your comments ALL the time. I've adopted from shelters in the past and rescued strays too. But I also like showing cats and do well with my pedigrees - so if I choose to buy a purebred to show, then I will do so. I've got one Ocicat, am buying another because both are show and when retired, they will be our fancy housepets.

I also showed and bred cornish rexes because I loved the breed and wanted to produce quality cats. If it were not for some breeds like the rexes (my ex was allergic to regular cats) then people could not have any cats - shelter or otherwise.

There is a place for both purebreds and mixes. I don't critisize one or the other. And I really do not believe that just cause I bought 2 Ocicats that 2 shelter cats died.

twokatz · Dec 8, 2008

I understand what you are saying and see no offense, you have a right to your opinion but I don't agree. I have rescued more "Heinz cats" than I have had purebred and have in fact had the rescues cause illness in my purebreds, one lost her life for it. There are problems across the board. I have dealt with strays, back yard breeders and so called "reputable" breeders. I have 2 purebred Cockers and 2 Purebred Persians and am so thankful for the breeders who work diligently to produce healthy animals that hold to the standards. I chose the animals I have for specific traits and qualities that I enjoy and I should not have to feel guilty for doing so. It would be a tragedy if there were no more purebred animals. I have shown cats in the past and truly enoy it, my dogs are show dogs also. I don't believe that 2 cats died because of my choice, my cats very well may ended up in the shelter and died if someone else had've got them rather than me. Either way 2 cats now have a very loving home and are spoiled rotten. Please don't condemn someone for where or how they got thier cats, a forever home is much more important. There are more DSH cats and feral cats in shelters than purebred.

emmylou · Dec 9, 2008

Addressing the poster's actual question, it does sound like some kind of skin allergy could be the problem. The location, on the bottom of the feet, is unusual.

I would look at what the cat is walking on around the house. Litter is a very likely culprit... could you try switching to a natural- or newspaper-based litter for a while? Alternatively, is there something sticky around the house that could be catching the cat's fur? Whatever it is, a possibility is that the kitten is overgrooming that area because of allergy/irritation... or it could be the stress of a new home.

Is the skin red or unusual looking in those areas?

kara_leigh · Dec 9, 2008

I agree that it could be an allergy of some sort. My parents had a dsh cat when I was younger, and she had horrible allergies. She itched so bad that she licked all of the fur off of her legs. They were completely bare and would occasionally get stubble on them but she'd usually soon lick that off.

Have you noticed your kitten licking excessively?

preciouskits · Dec 9, 2008

Thank you everyone for the replies.

I also agree that I must have gotten her from a not so reputable breeder. The vet figures she has ringworm but did not test for it because she said the skin biopsy can be painful and that treatment needed to be started ASAP and it takes time for the results to even come back. So we talked it over and since she was fairly certain that is what she has she has prescribed oral medication and antifungal shampoo for her to begin treatment.

I contacted the breeder to let her know and she insists that it is not from her cattery. I figured she would but really, there is not much I can do about it.

I was a wreck when I got home because I did keep this kitten seperated from my own cats for two weeks when she first got here because I didn't want to expose my other cats to any disease. Well, I ended up letting her out with them after she was given two clean bills of health by my vet and now I am not only worrying about ONE kitten and ringworm but two other cats who may have contracted it (but are showing no signs).

When I got home yesterday from the vets I immediately cleaned and tore apart my entire house! I rented a steam cleaner to clean my furniture and carpets, bought three cans of Lysol and wiped down all of my walls and furniture and hard floors with a 1/10 bleach and water mixture. I did about seven loads of laundry (bedding/couch blankets/etc) I also bathed ALL of my cats with the antifungal shampoo. It took me seven hours to do all of this. Being almost 33 weeks pregnant made this quite hard but luckily my sister and mom both helped me do this and watched my two children so they were not exposed to the chemicals.

Needless to say, this was a bad experience and I have learned a very valuable lesson. Don't trust ANY breeder too easily! Just because they may seem reputable, knowledgeable and responsible and even though they may seem as though they care deeply about their cats and are doing everything "right" does NOT mean they are!

If any one has had experience with ringworm I would be grateful if you could shed some light on the situation. I realize that no matter how much cleaning I do that the fungus is probably still around and that my cats could be carriers even though they are showing no signs of it. Any advice on the most effective cleaners to get rid of it? How long does the fungus live when it is not on the cat? If my cats have been exposed to it does this mean they will always be carriers?

twokatz · Dec 9, 2008

Sorry about the Ringworm, been there done that with my two Persians. There are a couple of things you can do that will really help. Have your vet shave the areas where the ringworm is, this helps to keep it from spreading. There is a product you can get from Revival Animal Health called Health guard Laundry Additive and Disinfectant. I added this to my lanudry every time I washed. You can mix it up and spray it on your fabric uphostery, put it in the carpet cleaner and clean your carpets. This stuff works, it lasts for 30 days so you don't have to keep doing a major cleaning job on everything. I wiped stuff down with it that couldn't be bleached, it is safe to use. You can also get what is called a blacklight or florescent UV light (Revival has them) and if you take the cats in a totally dark room and shine this light on the cat you should be able to see the ringworm, it glows bright green. Not all does but most. This way you can keep an eye on the healing and spreading. I also sprayed my heat vents often with bleach or the additive. With little kids it is probably a good idea to quarantine the cats, this makes it easier on you to. Good luck.

mollymay · Jun 18, 2009

Originally Posted by preciouskits

I am in Ontario, Canada and recently purchased a persian kitten and had her shipped from the USA (I couldn't find the color I wanted, lilac, here in Ontario). She had been vet checked by the breeders vet and declared healthy before leaving and was also checked by the airport vet before shipment took place. She has also been at my own vet twice since I got her 5 weeks ago (for regular check ups and vaccinations) and was found to be healthy. She was very small when I got her (13oz at 9 weeks) and I was very suprised that they would even ship her at this weight but regardless, she was healthy and the vet figured just "mini". She now weighs 1lb 10oz (at 13 weeks) but still looks so tiny!

However, it isn't her small size that really concerns me as she is gaining weight and eating/drinking normally.

In the last two to three weeks I have noticed that her hair is thinning and she has lost most of the hair on her back feet. There is no redness or sores... her coat just seems very thin and the hair on her back feet is just gone (some seems to be growing back). No fleas or mites/parasites that we can see and no signs of ring worm. She seems healthy in every other way and has the most energy I have ever seen in a kitten! She plays and eats (begs for wet food) and meows like crazy when following us around. She seems to some times be overly hyper and can climb the baby gates and jump over them in less then two seconds (no lies!). Her eyes are clear, her nose is clear, no sneezeing and her mouth is free of any ulcers/sores/redness.

When I asked my vet she said that it's possible that she had an infection as few weeks ago and a side effect is hair loss or she may be slightly anemic and to give her a vitamin crushed in her morning wet food to see if that helps.

Im thinking about bringing her to the vets on Monday but was wondering if any one might have any idea what is going on?

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Hello, did you ever find out what was going on with your Persian Kitten? Mine is doing the exact same thing.. thanks.

mollymay · Jun 18, 2009

Originally Posted by preciouskits

Thank you everyone for the replies.

I also agree that I must have gotten her from a not so reputable breeder. The vet figures she has ringworm but did not test for it because she said the skin biopsy can be painful and that treatment needed to be started ASAP and it takes time for the results to even come back. So we talked it over and since she was fairly certain that is what she has she has prescribed oral medication and antifungal shampoo for her to begin treatment.

I contacted the breeder to let her know and she insists that it is not from her cattery. I figured she would but really, there is not much I can do about it.

I was a wreck when I got home because I did keep this kitten seperated from my own cats for two weeks when she first got here because I didn't want to expose my other cats to any disease. Well, I ended up letting her out with them after she was given two clean bills of health by my vet and now I am not only worrying about ONE kitten and ringworm but two other cats who may have contracted it (but are showing no signs).

When I got home yesterday from the vets I immediately cleaned and tore apart my entire house! I rented a steam cleaner to clean my furniture and carpets, bought three cans of Lysol and wiped down all of my walls and furniture and hard floors with a 1/10 bleach and water mixture. I did about seven loads of laundry (bedding/couch blankets/etc) I also bathed ALL of my cats with the antifungal shampoo. It took me seven hours to do all of this. Being almost 33 weeks pregnant made this quite hard but luckily my sister and mom both helped me do this and watched my two children so they were not exposed to the chemicals.

Needless to say, this was a bad experience and I have learned a very valuable lesson. Don't trust ANY breeder too easily! Just because they may seem reputable, knowledgeable and responsible and even though they may seem as though they care deeply about their cats and are doing everything "right" does NOT mean they are!

If any one has had experience with ringworm I would be grateful if you could shed some light on the situation. I realize that no matter how much cleaning I do that the fungus is probably still around and that my cats could be carriers even though they are showing no signs of it. Any advice on the most effective cleaners to get rid of it? How long does the fungus live when it is not on the cat? If my cats have been exposed to it does this mean they will always be carriers?

Oh.. i see your vet thought it was ringworm.. oh god help me. i hope not..I dont think it is that. I went throught that with a cat I had years ago in my old house.. it doesnt look like ringworm to me..there was redness and sores with the cat I had .. it doesnt look anything like that..

Hair Thinning In Persian Kitten?

preciouskits

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neely

May the purr be with you

the_food_lady

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missymotus

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preciouskits

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the_food_lady

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goldenkitty45

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twokatz

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the_food_lady

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goldenkitty45

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twokatz

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emmylou

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kara_leigh

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preciouskits

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twokatz

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mollymay

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mollymay

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