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My kitten is balding on its head and neck, but seems normal. Why?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | 1 month and 18 days old | 1lb

I saved 2 kittens ,they are now 5 weeks old.one is losing hair around his head and neck but seems totally normal other than balding.they both eat kitten wet food 3x a day and dry at will.no fleas or mites,no rings,just balding.no scratching or over cleaning.help!! Middle photo was after a dawn dish liquid ba

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Ana M, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 19th, 2018

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your kittens. They will need to see a veterinarian for skin testing. They will likely need a fungal culture to check for ringworm and skin scrapes to look for mites under the microscope. There is a common mite in kittens that lives within the hair follicles. An overgrowth can result in bald spots that do not typically itch. These mites are microscopic and cannot be seen by looking at the cats. I hope this information helps and you are able to get their skin cleared up!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on November 10th, 2018
Hello, thank you for your question about Bandit.

Treating the flea infestation is definitely important. If you haven’t already I would apply a topical flea medication such as frontline or advtange multi. Please make sure these products are designed for cats.

The bald spot on his head could be secondary to a sever flea infestation. However, based on the photos this spot could also be consistent with ringworm. Ringworm is a fungal infection that is not uncommon in kittens. I would recommend having Bandit seen by your veterinarian so that they can evaluate the spot and perform skin testing if warranted. In the meantime I would try to avoid touching the spot as ringworm is contagious to humans.

Hope this helps, good luck!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on May 29th, 2019
This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Lucy regularly every month with a high quality spot on (ex. Advantage) as fleas are by far the most common reason for these reactions. If the fleas are not the problem, it could be an allergic reaction to food or an environmental factor. this is more complicated to treat and will sometimes require medications such as Steroids, anti histamines or cyclosporin in order to stop the allergy.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on January 18th, 2018
It's normal for some cats to have thin hair over this area. If it's similar looking on the other side, then this would confirm that it's a normal change. They can also lose hair due to itching. The skin doesn't appear irritated here, so I doubt itching is the problem.

Dark, flat areas indicate an increase in pigment. They are not concerning for a serious problem like melanoma unless the skin is raised, crusty, growing rapidly, irregular shaped, or bleeding. It would also be very rare for a kitten of this age to get a tumor.

If any concern after reading these comments, then it's best to have Totoro evaluated by a veterinarian, so they can better inspect this.

I hope that helps and all is well with Totoro.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Why are my kittens losing hair in patches? Is it treatable?

The boldness may be treatable based upon the cause. Skin mites and ringworm are common causes of hair loss in kittens and may spread to humans. I recommend to have the kittens tested. Testing is easy and straightforward. I also recommend to have the mother cat spayed when the kittens are 12 weeks old since this is the second litter that has had problems. Additionally, spaying has many health benefits as well as helps to control the problem of pet overpopulation. I hope this helps and best of luck.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My new kitten has bald spots and skin patches. What should I do?

This is very suspicious of ringworm (a fungal infection of the skin). This could also be due to a yeast or bacteria infection, but it's much more likely to be ringworm. . It's best to get it diagnosed by a veterinarian, because ringworm can spread to different parts of the body and can spread to other animals and people. Also, the more involved the infection, the longer it will take to clear. Ace will need prescription antifungal medication in order to clear this and will also need medicated baths. For now, I recommend separating Ace from your other animals and washing your hands anytime you touch him. Your veterinarian will be able to get you some more info at the time of exam. I hope that helps and Ace gets better soon.

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Why is my 7-week-old kitten's fur thinning and showing pink skin?

I would bring Kitten 4 to the vet for a checkup if you haven't already. Not getting enough nutrition, an underlying illness or metabolic issue, or even something such as parasites/fungal/skin infections could be causing hair loss. Excessive grooming by the kitten or mom may also cause hair loss in the areas where it is scratched or licked too much. If kitten is bothered by it, using an e-collar or tiny t-shirt to prevent scratching and chewing may help until your vet can take a look to determine the cause.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

Why does my 2-month-old kitten have dry white spots and hair loss?

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an infection, likely to be cause by mites or a fungus. First of all I would recommend to ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. Once diagnosis has been established appropriate treatment may be needed. 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!

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My kitten's belly is bald and her fur is falling out. What's wrong?

Based on the picture it appears that she may have had a lot of clumping debris on her fur? If her skin was irritated from debris encrusting the underside of her belly then it could cause enough irritation to cause hair loss. Also skin infection and ringworm are also possible causes. I would encourage you to monitor her closely for any other changes. If You feel the shelter vet if too busy then I would encourage you to consider having a second opinion. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

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My rescued kitten has severe hair loss. What's causing this?

I recommend to have your kitten examined by the veterinarian. The hair loss could be related to ringworm which can spread to humans. Other causes include poor nutrition or heavy internal parasites (some of which can also spread to humans). You veterinarian will treat for any parasites or ringworm and get your new kitten started off on the right foot. Make sure to feed a high quality kitten food such as Royal Canin or Science Diet. I hope this helps.

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Health & Wellness

Is my kitten's itchy skin, lesions, and hair loss a fungal infection?

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. 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!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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