Why is my 5-month-old cat scratching constantly and damaging his skin?

Hi there! The most common cause of excessive itching like this in cats is allergies - either food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment. You may want to talk with your veterinarian about allergy testing to help identify the source of the problem so that you can put together a treatment plan based on this information. If he's allergic to something in his food, he may need to be on a prescription diet like Hills z/d or Purina HA to help resolve the itching. If he has environmental allergies, you could consider hyposensitization injections or long-term daily medication like prednisolone or Atopica.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. The treatment would depend on the underlying cause. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Poor Inky! There are a number of different things that can cause excessive itching and hair loss like this in cats. The most common possibilities would include allergies (food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment), fleas, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). Even if your other cat is not affected, Inky may be more sensitive to certain things than he is. Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so I would recommend taking Inky to the vet for an exam when you are able to. He/she can do some simple skin tests to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate medication to treat it.

Kittens can scratch from an allergy or fleas or ear mites commonly. The only way to get her to stop is finding out what the cause is. Your vet can check for fleas and ear mites easily with an exam as they have an easy fix. Allergies can be more complicated whether environmental or food. There is nothing safe over the counter for cats to give for this so consulting your vet would be best.

You will need to take your kitty to a veterinarian for a skin exam. Summer could be suffering from an allergy, mites, fleas, a bacterial or fungal infection. Each of these requires a different treatment, so it is important to find out what is causing the itch. Your vet will do a thorough exam and maybe a a skin scrape. He will then discuss the options with you and then prescribe medications, possibly give an injection to stop the itching.

Congrats on your new cat, but I'm sorry Puma isn't doing well! This scratching can be caused by fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If she isn't up to date on her flea treatment, she will need a spot on treatment such as Advantage or Revolution. You will need to disinfect the environment as well. If she is up to date on her flea treatment, I recommend taking her into the vet for an exam tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment.

There could be a couple of things causing these scabs such as mites, allergies, ringworm, or fleas. I think Miran should see a vet before Friday. The vet can diagnose what is causing this skin problem, and can treat him. Best of luck.