Why is my male cat pulling out his fur? Is it stress or an illness?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

Overgrooming can be caused by a few medical problems, such as fleas, food allergies, mites, or internal medical disease. I would take Milly to a vet to rule out these issues. If the vet can't find anything physically wrong, then it could be behavioral. You can try supplements for stress like Zylkene or Comfort Zone/Feliway. Here is some more information on overgrooming in cats that includes things to discuss with your vet: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2565

That could be due to an allergic disorder (usually flea allergy dermatitis), presence of parasites, or psychogenic type of overgrooming (usually related to stress). The different causes must be ruled out treating for parasites, giving meds for allergies and eventually trying to remove stress causes. A check is then required. Please do not hesitate to contact us agli if you want to discuss it any further. We are available for one to one chat (consultation).

I'm sorry you are dealing with this with Peanut. Your first order of business is to figure out if he is pulling his hair out from a skin/itching problem or from stress. That will require a trip to your vet to evaluate for skin problems and probably a simple skin test. Your vet will need to evaluate Peanut for bacterial, yeast, fungal and external parasite infections. If everything looks normal there, your vet will likely recommend flea control for all animals in the house (even if there isn't any evidence of fleas). If the problem appears to be an allergy, your vet may discuss medications to resolve the itching. If the problem appears stress related, there are a few supplements and medications that can be tried. Again, I would recommend discussing the options with your vet. I hope that gives you a few ideas. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This behavior of pulling hair out not only could be behavioral but could very well be due to discomfort. Being an older cat, it is likely that tig has a degree of arthritis. He may be exhibiting this behavior due to arthritic pain. I would have him examined by your vet in order to receive the most appropriate treatment such as pain medications. If that does not help, it may just be behavioral or even an allergy. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

This could be either one or both. Without seeing him in person, it’s hard for me to say for sure. Since the hairloss is new and since your are pregnant, I would have your vet check him out to see to make sure nothing else is going on. Your vet will be able to start him on some medicine to help his fur. Your vet can even start an anti-anxiety medicine if he isn’t improving. I hope this helps!

The cat pulling out fur could have fleas, allergies, skin infection, mites, etc. He should be examined by a vet to determine the cause and best treatment. He may need an antibiotic, anti-histamine, corticosteroid, or other medications. Your other cat may have an upper respiratory infection and/or eye infection. She should also be seen by a vet for treatment as she may need an antibiotic and eye drops. Please have your vet take a look at both of them so treatment can be started.