Is This Normal?

[Merlin77]

My kitten Thor has some bald patches on him, mainly around his legs, belly and armpits.


You can't really tell in these photos, but you can kind of see where the skin is more pink.

Is this normal? I haven't seen it on any other cats. I should mention that once he nearly died, and the wasps kind of got to him. (This was when he lived outside at the barn, and was the reason we took him in). Maybe the wasps stung him and the wounds caused there area to be bald?

Any insights?

 

[Wile]

I can't really see from the photos, but are they his nipples? Those are usually hairless. My two cats also have a bare patch of skin on their back legs. They both have it, so I assume it is genetic.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I can't really see either, and as Wile says, it's normal for them to be "bald" right around their nipples, but no where else, so I would say it is NOT normal. Could be from the wasp bites, but we have no way of knowing. It that where he was stung? Do those places seem to bother him? Is the skin rough or anything? Any king of rash or flaky skin or ANYTHING out of the ordinary, or just smooth skin?

BTW, he's simply adorable

 

[Merlin77]

Haha, he does have less fur around his nipples, but it's more around his legs that concern me. Sort of around the shoulders, but lower down. The skin feels smooth though, and he doesn't scratch it.

We don't know exactly where he was stung, and he doesn't have a rash.

His parents were both super fluffy.

(He also has some thinner fur by his ears, but he's not "bald" there)

 

[Genesis123]

Hi, Merlin77,

It's possible that this is caused by Thor resting in a position that "smothers" these areas. If these areas are moist -- from his cleaning himself, or sweating, for example -- the body heat that is generated from his thighs lying against his stomach, plus the moisture, can cause hair loss. It seems to me, these are areas that could be "suffocated" if he crouches on a window sill, or some other perch, for long periods of time, repeatedly. (Thor, merely being warm, could cause him to sweat in these areas, causing moisture, and eventual hair loss.) If he didn't have this condition while in the barn, it's likely he was active enough, such that he wasn't in a resting position long enough for this to occur. That is, these areas got enough air and was, as a result, dry (could breathe).

You could try coaxing him in to positions that allow these areas to get air, dry, not build up body heat -- such as rubbing his belly, or, even, just getting him to walk, play, be active. If you do this, and what I've said is the cause, he should regain his hair within a few weeks (give or take).

I'm basing this "possibility" on my own experience with cats.

Thor is a beautiful cat, BTW!!!

 

[Wile]

Haha, he does have less fur around his nipples, but it's more around his legs that concern me. Sort of around the shoulders, but lower down. The skin feels smooth though, and he doesn't scratch it.

We don't know exactly where he was stung, and he doesn't have a rash.

His parents were both super fluffy.

(He also has some thinner fur by his ears, but he's not "bald" there)

If that's the case it doesn't sound like a usual spot where cats are bald. It could be because of some kind of scar like you think. Maybe the hair will grow in. Even if it doesn't he's going to be so fluffy once he's older that you'll never notice the bald spots!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. If he is acting otherwise normally, I would just watch for changes. My cat, Feeby, has bald spots on at least one back leg and one front one - has had them for years. As far as I can tell, she just licks those areas more than the rest of her body, and literally licks the hair down to the nubs, so to speak. Never been raw spots or anything like that - just bald.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

My cat Petee ( a sweet lovable rescue) was abandon in a town square at about 1 wk). Is an odd looker since he has long hair but no undercoat and is bilaterally bald. He also has no no real back teeth just a couple of points. Vet thinks he was a breeding mistake- a try at breeding a no hair with a long hair to get a long hair hypoallergenic breed. Because he looked so bad, they abandoned him. Since he has no undercoat, he can not regulate his body temperature so he tends to be really cold to the touch most of the time. So cold when he walks on your back you and feel his ice cold feet. He loves to snuggle under any blanket. I have found he loves to wear sweaters. He now has over 14. My question is- Is it OK for a cat to wear a sweater for 12 - 16 hours a day? I remove it from time to time during the day so he can groom.

I would say in Petee's case, he absolutely NEEDS to wear his cute sweaters, don't you think? Any cat who can't regulate his temperature and feels that cold should be wearing a sweater most of the time. I know that hairless cats need to wear them unless they are kept in a place where the temperature is pretty warm. And if you've been doing this for 14 years, seems like the right thing to do!

 

[Merlin77]

Thank you everyone for your replies! I'm glad it's nothing to worry about.