Why is my cat getting bald spots?
Hi Dr. B.,
My cat Sherman is losing his hair. It started with a bald spot on his stomach, and now has grown to include the backs of his rear legs, and a little bit on his back too. Sometimes I find clumps of hair on his bed or on the floor. His skin doesn’t look red or irritated, and he eats and plays like always. Do you have any idea what is going on?
Nora
Washington, DC
I suspect that your cat is suffering from a syndrome called psychogenic alopecia. That is medical terminology for hair loss due to psychological causes.
Many cats respond to boredom or stress by over-grooming or plucking out their hair. Often this occurs only when their owners are absent, which makes it seem that the hair is falling out on its own. The pattern you describe is typical of psychogenic alopecia. Hair loss starts on the abdomen, and then progresses to the backs of the thighs, and then works its way up the back.
The most extreme case I have seen was a cat who had no hair anywhere on his body except for his face. If that cat had been better able to lick his face, I’m sure he would have been bald there, too. The good news is that, although he looked a bit ridiculous, his health was fine. And that is typical of psychogenic alopecia. In most cases, it is a cosmetic issue.
The main triggers for psychogenic alopecia are stress or boredom. This may sound preposterous, since most cats lead lives that appear to be completely free of stress. And, given how much they sleep, it would seem that they shouldn’t be prone to boredom. However, remember that the emotional lives of cats are remarkably complex. Things that seem insignificant to us, such as spotting a neighbor’s cat through the window, can cause stress for your cat. And regarding boredom: in the wild, cats spend most of their waking hours hunting for food. Since for a house cat obtaining food involves little more than walking to the bowl, most pet cats end up with plenty of spare time.
As well, some medical conditions can contribute to the problem. Bladder infections may make some cats lick their abdomens. And exposure to fleas can lead to excessive grooming and psychogenic alopecia in predisposed individuals.
So, what can you do? First, make sure your cat is healthy and provide regular flea preventative. Have a vet look at your cat’s skin to make sure that the problem truly is psychogenic alopecia, and not something more dangerous.
Then, I recommend adding enrichment to your cat’s routine. A period of active play each day, such as chasing a laser pointer, will relieve stress. It also may make your pet too tired to spend time pulling out his hair. In a recent column, I mentioned toys that gradually release food, which can help to make meal time more interesting, and relieve boredom. Also, try setting aside some extra time each day to pet and play with your cat.
For severe cases, medications can be prescribed that may help the problem. However, I recommend them only as a last resort.
Finally, please remember that psychogenic alopecia is not your fault. Many pet owners who do everything right have cats who pluck out their hair.
You have questions. 
Thank you for your very informative article on hair loss in cats. I feel better now. One of my cats has “bald spots”. I first noticed it on his belly, which is completely hairless and pink. Then one day I noticed that one of his front legs had what looked like a “chunk” of hair missing. and now he has several places where he has licked/chewed the hair away. He is one of eight cats, which just might be the problem…..he may not be getting enough attention..and your article mentioned that as a possibility. I will begin now to see that he gets a bit of extra attention. And see if that helps. It is not fleas. I checked for that first thing. Thank you so much for a very helpful article.
Lois
A friend of mine has a full size but small red cat. He got her from the pound when the cat was little but he has no idea what kind she is. The poor thing looked very scraggly from day one so no one ever worried about her. She eats good and plays when she wants but always has been a little skiddish. Anyhow, her fur keeps globbling up on her in places, mostly on her back, and occasionally he cuts the globs off, but now her globs are starting to fall out and when it does, it goes clear down to her bare skin. She is still eating and playing well and it doesn’t seem to bother her but he’s very worried. NOTE: there are three other cats and one dog (a calm jack russell terrier) in the house with the red cat. Can you tell me what might be causing this? I read the comment about bald spots but I’m not sure if this is the same thing!
[...] well, your cat may be suffering from psychogenic alopecia, a syndrome in which cats excessively groom themselves for psychological reasons. Click the link in [...]
Oh no! I love my cat but I am gone a lot. Maybe that is why she has a bald spot. I watched her on TenderTidingsPets.com taking off hair with her teeth but had no idea it could be because she is stressed. Are there kitty anti-depressants?
my boston terrior has a bald spot one her head and around her eyebrows they are not red or irritated she acts normal other then that. She plays outside and acts fine.
why does my dog have a few bald spots on her head and eyebrows
There are many potential causes. If she’s young, I suspect puppy mange. You can use the blog’s search function to learn more.
My 6 year old cat developed a bald spot on his stomach. She is a very healthy indoor cat. After reading the vet’s comments, I suspect the cause is stress. About a year ago we acquired a puppy. I think the change from a very quiet household to one with a playful stranger has caused her stress. Guess some extra attention to the cat is needed.
[...] reason that last one may be important is that this article about psychogenic alopecia sounds a lot like my own bald spot, because I still play and… I have my yearly trip to the vet next month anyway, so before I go there my mom wanted to see if [...]
my dog is getting bald spots. Could it be from stress? We have been moving around a lot. But then again he had bladder stones about 4 months ago. Would that have any thing to do with it? I need an answer and can’t afford any more vet bills at this time.
Please help me to find a solution
Two of my cats are plucking their hair. One on the belly and the other around his back end but mostly his tail… My vet said this is psychogenic alopecia, and said it really is nothing to worry about. I read about an herbal supplement that may help soften the psychological stress and thus reduce the need for plucking. It is called SpiritEssence Obsession Remedy and is for animals with chronic obsessive-compulsive behaviors (OCD’s) such as: excessive grooming, pacing and vocalization. Also for Pica, chewing, and self-mutilation.
In the product description, it reads:
Helps relieve the obsessive emotional behavior associated with allergic skin disease, including hot spots. Since parasites and allergies can cause or contribute to these behaviors, please have your animal checked by your veterinarian before assuming the problem is entirely behavioral.
SpiritEssence remedies are not like medicines or drugs and need not be swallowed; once the drops contact the animal, they are doing their job.
Has anyone heard of or tried these Spirit Essences before?
My cat has no fur on the underneath of his stomach and down his back legs. He smells really bad like he has been in the trash all day or like he is decaying. He is allergic to the flea bite, we were told to put advantage on him. The advantage helps somewhat but he still digs at himself. He for some reason likes to sleep in the dirty litter box. We dont know if its because he dont want the other cat in it or not. Both of the cats are males. The sick cat is fixed and the other one is not. He started getting sick about 2 months after we got him fixed. He for awhile quit digging but now he does it again. If you can help us please let us know. Thanks alot
So, it is worth dragging poor kitty over to
the vet, just for him to tell me (for a hundred
bucks) that she is NERVOUS…..and….BORED?
She’s got other kitty friends, and I don’t make
her work outside the home, or anything…..I hate
dragging my kitties to the vet – only to get
some stupid answer – while, I’m pulling out
my checkbook. Or, they give you a huge
bottle of ridiculous pills that they expect you
to get down your already-nervous kitty. I wish
I had a dime, for every bottle of pills I bought
at the vet, that just ending up sitting in my
kitchen cabinet. I could have paid my way to
go to veterinary school.
Will my cat’s hair grow back if he stops being so stressed/bored?
My cat has a bald spot that’s growing larger on the back of his neck i find clumps of hair around the house he doesn’t have any flees but i will be checking for ticks the next time i see him. the bald spot isn’t red or irritated looking. i thought it was psychogenic alopecia from this article but hes not balding on his belly or anywhere else just on the back on his neck. what do you think it is?