My cat is pulling out her hair. Is ringworm a possible cause?

This is a tricky question because a bacterial skin infection, ringworm, and skin mites can all appear very similar. The only way to tell them apart is by either treating for one of them or doing specific skin tests like a skin scrape, a skin cytology, and a fungal culture. I think it is ok that you are using the Malaseb shampoo for now. If the issue does not resolve over the course of a week or so then you may want to have your cat examined by your vet to determine the exact cause of hair loss. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

This could be a skin infection caused by a fungus (ringworm), or bacteria or an old injury. Since ringworm is contagious to people and other pets in the house, I suggest you have this examined by your veterinarian to rule out a fungal infection. In the meantime do wash your hands after handling your kitty. Your vet will want to take a brush sample from the spot and culture it and until the culture has grown, will probably give you some medication to treat it.

If the hair is falling off from ring worm that would explain where you got it from. Cats can have ring worms and carry it to others. Hair loss in their face can also be from an allergy and maybbe unrelated to your lesions. Getting them checked by a vet can distinguish between the two for appropriate medicine. Until then, confining them is safest and minimizing contact

[Hair loss](https://www.petcoach.co/article/causes-of-hair-loss-alopecia-in-cats/) can be caused by allergies or infection of the skin, and in severe cases by metabolic issues. Chronic stress or excessive licking of an area can also lead to hair loss in just one particular place. Preventing your cat from licking and chewing at the area with the use of a T-shirt or Elizabethan collar (cone) may help. Examine the area for redness,parasites, bleeding, bruising or discharge. If you see a target-like or red "ring" of irritation, it may indicate a fungal infection called [ringworm](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/ringworm/), which can be easily spread to other people and pets so should be handled carefully. If you do see anything suspicious, consider an exam with your veterinarian for a definitive diagnosis and treatment. Hair regrowth may take a few months depending on how much hair is lost as well as the underlying cause.

This does not look like a natural shedding and it does look suspicious for ringworm but a cut or abrasion can sometimes be this same circular shape. As you probably know, ringworm is contagious to humans as well. Ringworm can generally be diagnosed by your veterinarian and I recommend to get your kitty checked out so that you know what you were dealing with. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I would be concerned that your cat either picked up fleas from the kittens and may have a hypersensitivity to them causing a dermatitis- OR - perhaps the kittens may have had ringworm which is a contagious fungal infection. Perhaps if you posted again and included photos of the affected skin we could get a better idea. If it was behavioral or stress related, there is usually just hair loss but normal healthy skin. If there is hair loss and abnormal skin....there is most likely a medical cause such as the two I mentioned. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Bandit. IF bandit is an indoor/outdoor cat I would be concerned about parasites, allergies or even infection. If bandit is an indoor cat I think parasites and allergies are still likely causing the hair loss. I would recommend taking Bandit to a vet to make sure the hair loss is not secondary to a skin parasites and get better direction on proper treatment. I hope that helps