thin fur on Istra’s face

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  • 4 April, 2009 at 5:26 am #26524
    astrid
    Participant

    Could thin fur starting at the ears and going to the eyes be the result of food allergies? My cats weren’t fond of the Wellness that I was feeding them (they sniffed and walked away and ate it only when REALLY hungry), so I switched them to Go!, which was recommended because it’s grain-free. Well, Istra couldn’t really tolerate it–she started developing very soft stool. So . . . when I finally realized what was going on and went to switch again, the fancy pet store was closed and I was stuck with PetCo . . . so I ended up with Nutro Natural Choice. I realize that it’s not the best food (corn gluten in the first four ingredients), but it relieved Istra’s tummy problems. They’ve been on the Nutro for five days now and her poops are WAY better.

    But I noticed that her fur is a bit thin on her face. This is not something brand new–it definitely was there a couple of weeks ago when a photographer friend took pictures of the babies (and when they were eating the Go! food and I hadn’t made the connection between the food and Istra’s tummy issues). You can see it really well in this picture:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/heidi.haas/IstraAndMarzipan#5313539405277770258

    The skin is not broken or red. It doesn’t seem to be itchy to her–she’s not scratching it. Her ears look fine (no evidence of mites). She does have a little bit of acne under her chin, which I just noticed. But I wonder if it could be an allergic reaction to the Go! food, which caused her stomach upset. Honestly, it’s not like she’s bald on her face, but the fur just seems a bit thinner in that area than it used to be.

    Her spa visit is coming up next week, and I want to make sure she’s perfectly healthy when she goes in. Has anyone ever seen something like this?

    4 April, 2009 at 5:47 am #409646
    feral
    Participant

    I’m not sure whether food allergies can be connected to hair loss or not. I’ve only known the ugly good-for-nothing fleas can cause that. lol. Sorry I can’t help you with your question. But, I did want to tell you your furbabies are so beautiful!! I hope someone with more knowledge will come on to answer it. Good Luck.

    4 April, 2009 at 5:57 am #409647
    astrid
    Participant

    Thank you, Feral! I hope Istra grows to be as lovely as the black and white beauty that’s your avatar!

    4 April, 2009 at 6:09 am #409648
    feral
    Participant

    That big boy’s name is Naughtyboy,one of my outdoor ferals. He’s one of the few ferals that grew huge. It seems to be a Tuxie thing,I think. It seems around our park here,every Tuxie born grew quite large. I do hope that Istra’s hair loss is only temporary.

    5 April, 2009 at 1:11 am #409649
    Lilac
    Participant

    My black and white cat who is 14 also has this problem. She eats Iams hairball formula. How old is your cat? Your cat is just lovely.

    5 April, 2009 at 1:37 am #409650
    Kitten Whisperer in Oregon (8/27)
    Participant

    I don’t know if this is a problem or not, Astrid. I think all cats mark objects by rubbing them with that area of their foreheads. There are scent glands there. This marking behavior is normal and I notice that my two kits have a thinner layer of fur in those spots. I wouldn’t worry as long as there is no obvious irritation, especially if there isn’t hair loss in any other area. Istra is a beautiful kitty. I love the photos you had taken of her. 🙂

    Hi, Lilac. Welcome to TDK! Please tell us more about your cat. From what I can see in your avatar, she looks like she might be a tuxie. To see more photos of my two kits, Digit and Furl, click on my avatar. 😀

    5 April, 2009 at 3:17 am #409651
    CheetahBoysmommy
    Participant

    She could have something in her ears that is causing her to rub or scratch. Don’t poke too deeply into them, but pull the furnishings (ear hair) out of the way and peer down into the depths. If you see black oily stuff, she could have ear mites. The vet can run a quick test on her and give you some meds if that’s what she has.

    6 April, 2009 at 6:51 pm #409652
    astrid
    Participant

    Thank you all! Istra is 7 months old today! She doesn’t really scratch her face or ears all that often, but she does rub her head against me a lot when she snuggles. She also does seem to get kind of dirty ears, though not black or granulated (one of the websites I’ve seen described mites looking like coffee grinds). She’s never shaken her head or scratched her ears like they itch . . . plus, Marzipan (who grooms her a LOT)has never had dirty ears. But, she’s going in tomorrow morning for her spa day–I’ll have the vets take a look then!

    Thank you all for your suggestions! Lilac, I’m still on the quest for the perfect cat food (and perfect flushable litter). I’ll let you know if I come across the Platonic Form of cat foods (delicious, complete, perfectly healthy, and cheap).

    6 April, 2009 at 6:55 pm #409653
    2bpurring
    Participant

    OMG…looks alot like my Blackbeard!!! He also has the the same spots from the eyes to the ears…He has been like that and the bigger he gets the more it shows…It may have something to do with the breed!!

    6 April, 2009 at 7:04 pm #409654
    Emma
    Participant

    All of my shorthair cats have had that condition, and many of the longhairs, too. I think it’s normal. Check out the third picture from the bottom on this link

    http://www.catster.com/cats/534164

    and you’ll see what I mean.

    6 April, 2009 at 8:26 pm #409655
    astrid
    Participant

    Ohhh, she DOES look like Blackbeard! And Emma, your babies are adorable–and I’m *SO RELIEVED* to hear that other cats have this too!! Thank you all!!

    6 April, 2009 at 8:40 pm #409656
    gini
    Participant

    Astrid, my Feeny has this condition too. Here is a close up of it. I actually asked the vet about it before and he said it’s nothing to worry about so I bet your furbaby is just fine too.

    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v51/ginirosaru/P1030877.jpg

    6 April, 2009 at 8:46 pm #409657
    wilard05
    Participant

    Have you considered mange? Its not common in cats, but is a pritty good reason as to why her hair particularly around the eyes and ears is thin or gone. You should defintaly bring her to the vet and they will test her for mange.

    http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/mange-in-cats-help-is-on-the-way-275312.html

    good luck!

    2 November, 2012 at 5:07 am #409658
    areineri
    Participant

    This area between the brow area and the ear has thin hair in all cats, to allow now better hearing as well as better flattening area in dire circumstances. It is more visible on cats with thinner hair or dark hair and light skin, but it is normal to the species.

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