Cats care about keeping their coat in tip-top condition.Sometimes, they go too far, pulling too much hair out.The ragged appearance to the cat's coat can be a consequence of this.To stop a cat from pulling its hair, you need to know why it's doing it.There is an answer to this that is not always obvious.
Step 1: Understand animal allergies.
If we have an allergy, we tend to get sore eyes, a bad nose, and sneeze.Cats are different in how they react.The most common symptom of an allergy in cats is itchy skin, which results in excessive grooming and pulling hair out.A cat may be allergic to one substance and be fine with another, like a person with a peanut allergy or a seafood allergy.
Step 2: It is possible that environmental allergens are explored.
If the cat is sensitive to something in the environment, it can be an allergy.Dust mite, grass, tree, and flea bites are some of the common allergens.If your cat has an allergy to pollen, it can cause their over-grooming to get worse in the summer and the spring.It is possible that the cat only gets relief in the winter when there are very few pollens around to cause a reaction.Other substances act in the same way as an allergy.The irritation might be caused by things that are used near the cat and land on its coat.
Step 3: Eliminate possible environmental causes.
It's hard to diagnose the exact allergy the cat is reacting to.The results of blood tests on dogs can be very unreliable, while the results on the cat are very random.If you eliminate other causes of skin irritation and see if the over-grooming settles with treatment, your vet will reach a diagnosis.
Step 4: Make sure you don't expose yourself to suspected allergens.
Remove all the possible causes of allergy or irritation.Don't spray aerosols near the cat, stop using scented candles, and use air fresheners and vacuum daily to decrease house dust mite numbers.Drug therapy may be required if the cat reacts to pollens.
Step 5: Anti-inflammatories can help decrease irritation.
The vet will make a decision as to whether treatment is necessary or not.The drugs used to decrease itch can have side effects and your vet should make an educated decision about whether the benefits outweigh the risks.Drug therapy can be indicated if the cat is pulling its fur out and making the skin inflammatory.It probably isn't if it's a case of a few shorter furred areas.It is up to you to decide if you want to treat or not.Anti-inflammatories are commonly used.Prednisolone is cheap and effective.An average-sized cat is usually given a 5mg tablet once daily with or after food for 5 to 10 days, and the dose is reduced to one tablet every other day for the duration of the pollen season.Over the winter, medication is stopped where possible.When compared to people or dogs, cats are less resistant to the side effects of steroids, including increased thirst and appetite, and an increased risk of developing diabetes.Discuss your cat's risk of side effects with your doctor.
Step 6: If your cat's skin becomes sick, you should give it antibiotics.
If your cat has pulled the fur out, antibiotics may be necessary.There may be a sticky discharge or moist skin in this case.If you want to help, gently bathe the area twice a day with a saltwater solution and then pat the skin dry.If you want to make a saltwater solution, you need to boil the kettle, then add a small amount of table salt to the water.If you want to soak a ball of cotton wool, keep this solution in a clean container.
Step 7: It is possible that your cat has an allergy to food.
A food allergy is one of the most common causes of skin irritation.The skin on the cat's body becomes intensely itchy when they eat a food they are allergic to.A nut allergy in people can be caused by a particularprotein in the diet.
Step 8: If your cat has a food allergy, put it on a new diet.
The good news about food allergy is that the cat can be cured if it avoids the food.There is no reliable lab test for food allergy.A diagnosis can be made by putting the cat on a low allergy diet.You can put your cat on a prescription diet by talking to your vet.Diets such as Hills ZD ultra and Hills DD are made in a way that is too small to bridge the gut wall thattriggers an allergic reaction.If you want to find a food that doesn't contain any of the previous ingredients, you can analyze the food your cat eats.It can take up to 8 weeks for the previous allergen to clear the system, so don't expect a quick result.If you're on the trial, you have to feed the diet exclusively so that you don't accidentally give a treat with an allergy.If the cat has a food allergy, you can either continue feeding the hypoallergenic diet or add in one new food every fortnight and wait to see if the itching restarts, before declaring that food is OK for your cat.
Step 9: Do you know if your cat has a flea allergy.
Fleas are a common cause of skin irritation.When a flea bites, it injects saliva into the cat's skin, which acts as a potent allergen.If your cat pulls its hair out, you need to treat it monthly against fleas and use an environmental spray to eliminate flea eggs in the house.fipronil and selamectin are both available without a prescription in the US and the UK.If you see evidence of fleas, use a treatment.It only takes one flea bite to cause a reaction, and since the flea doesn't live on the pet, he may be long gone and yet the cat is still itchy.
Step 10: Take a look at the possible causes of the behavioral problem.
A natural form of morphine is when a cat grooms its body.This makes the cat feel good and many cats over-groom because of that.The licking offers a form of stress relief if the cat is stressed out.The cat is stressed.Maybe there is a cat in the house or you have a new pet.The underlying cause is likely to be addressed.Feliway is a synthetic version of the feline pheromone which makes the cat feel safe and secure.The later option is the best because Feliway works constantly in the background.