Discovering a bald spot on your precious cat’s neck can be a stressful experience. Thankfully, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have something to worry about.
Cats can develop bald patches on their necks, if their collar is too tight, if they’re going through a flea treatment, or if another pet is licking the fur off the cat. More ‘serious’ reasons for hair loss include infections, allergies, hormonal imbalance, and even cancer.
Why Does My Cat Have a Bald Spot on His Neck?
- The cat’s collar might be rubbing its fur off
- If you have another cat or a dog in the house, then the animal might be licking the cat’s neck so much that it became bald
- If you’re applying the flea treatment on the kitty’s neck area, then the baldness might be a reaction to the treatment
Other common reasons for cat hair loss include allergies, hormonal imbalance, stress, bacterial or fungal infections, ringworm, mange, pyoderma, and Cushing’s disease.
Why Is My Cat Losing Hair Around Neck?
Hair loss on the back of the cat’s neck can be an early sign of hormonal imbalance. You would have to pay a visit to a vet and pick the right hormone therapy, in such a case.
Cat Hair Loss on Neck from Collar
There are two main reasons why collars can make your cat start losing hair around its neck:
- The collar is way too tight and it rubs the kitty’s neck every time it turns its head
- The collar has harsh chemicals that are harming the cat’s sensitive skin (this might happen, if you have a flea collar, for example)
Bald Spot on Cat Neck After Flea Treatment
Flea medications can cause hair loss in cats. Whether it’s a flea collar or a liquid medication that you are applying to the neck – all these treatments feature harsh ingredients that can stiffen the hairs and make them break off.
Pay extra attention to the skin. As long as it looks healthy, there is nothing to worry about (the fur will grow back).
Read: Why Cat on Diet Won’t Stop Meowing?
Bald Spot on Cat Neck Treatment
- Make sure that the cat’s collar is not too tight
- Try changing the kitty’s diet (hair loss can become a problem if the cat is eating only dry food or is allergic to one of the ingredients)
- Ensure that the pet is on high-quality flea control – some really good treatments might cause hair loss, but there is nothing to worry about as long as the cat’s skin is not irritated
- Ask your vet to run allergy tests and help your kitty stay away from the things that it’s allergic to
- If the bald spot is itching, you can put apple cider vinegar on a cotton ball and apply it to the spot for instant relief
Read: Why Does My Cat Smell Bad All of a Sudden?
Why Does My Cat Have a Bald Spot on His Head?
Round bald patches on the kitty’s head (mainly, behind the ears) can mean that the little guy is suffering from a fungal infection.
Such infections require immediate treatment as they are highly contagious.
Bald Spot on Cat Between Shoulders
Some owners prefer to apply the flea treatment between the kitty’s shoulders as the cat is not able to lick that place.
If that’s your case, then the bald spot might be caused by this flea med and it will soon disappear (make sure that your cat is not experiencing any discomfort though).
Cat Bald Spot Overnight
Some bald spots can develop incredibly fast. Fast hair loss can be caused by a would or fleas.
Ringworm Bald Spot Cat
Ringworm is a fungal infection that feeds on the cat’s skin and hair. If your pet is infected, you will most certainly find small, medium, or large bald patches on the poor guy.
These patches are usually circular. Bear in mind that you might spot a few round sores on the skin in the areas where the bald spots are.
Read: Why Does My Cat Grunt When I Pet Him?
Bald Spot on Cat Back
The most common reasons for a bald patch on the kitty’s back include fleas and other external parasites. If the little guy is infested, the chances are high that you’re going to see a few bald spots on the cat’s lower back and close to the tail.
Usually, the thing that causes hair loss is an allergic reaction to the parasite’s saliva.
Is It Normal for Cats to Have Bald Spots?
It is quite common for cats to develop bald patches. In a lot of cases, the issue will end up resolving itself.
However, analyzing the bald spot and the skin’s condition and observing the cat’s behavior is a must.
Stress and excessive licking can sometimes lead to bald spots and the problem would go away as soon as the stress factor has been eliminated.
Unfortunately, bald patches can also be a sign of an underlying health condition, so if there is something abnormal about your cat’s behavior, taking a trip to the vet is recommended.
Can Cats Get Bald Spots from Stress?
Stressed cats can develop obsessive behaviors and excessive licking is one of them.
A kitty that is suffering from anxiety can end up licking its fur so much that the fur will become thinner or fall out in certain places.
Why Do Black Cats Have Bald Spots?
Black cats do not get more bald spots than other kitties, it’s just an optical illusion – you are more likely to notice the furless area if the cat is black.
How Do You Treat a Bald Spot on a Cat?
Ideally, you should consult the vet to determine the root cause of the bald patches.
If external parasites are to blame, the veterinarian will, most likely, prescribe a ‘spot-on’ treatment. In case the pet is suffering from ringworm, you would have to use special shampoo on the kitty, and so on.
Read: Why Does My Cat Hiss at Me When I Pick Her Up?
Will a Bald Spot Grow Back?
The hair will grow back as soon as you eliminate the cause of the problem.
Do bear in mind, however, that some cats (like the Himalayans and Bengals, for example) are more likely to have genes that will cause hair loss. In such a case, the hair won’t grow back, but the good news is that the cat is completely healthy, it’s just genetics.
How Can I Help My Cats Hair Grow Back?
- First things first – treat the underlying condition
- Consider a dietary change
- Add supplements (omega fatty acids and zinc, for example)
- Keep brushing your cat regularly
- Bathing can also help remove dead skin and hairs, but you should do that only if the procedure won’t cause the kitty too much stress
How Can U Tell If a Cat Has Ringworm?
- Circular bald patches
- Broken and stubbly hair
- Crusty or scaling skin
- Inflamed areas of skin
- Dandruff
- Excessive scratching and grooming
- Alternations in the skin and/or hair color
How Do I Tell If My Cat Has Fleas?
- Excessive grooming and consequent hair loss
- Intense scratching and/or biting
- Scab-like bumps or red skin lesions
- Pale gums
- Muscle loss
- Lethargy
- Pepper-like specs on the kitty’s fur
- Tiny insects crawling on the cat’s fur
Read: Does My Cat Have Fleas?
How Can You Tell If Your Cat Has Mites?
- Bald patches
- Itching
- Excessive licking
- Head shaking
- Flaky skin
- Excessive ear wax