Your kitten is too young to be developing bald spots! Well, cats don’t usually get age-related bald spots, so if you’re noticing spots of hair loss, it’s time to hunt for the underlying cause. For some kittens, this will end up being purely cosmetic, but for many, there is an underlying medical or behavioral cause that needs treatment.
Hair loss occurring in specific spots is called focal hair loss—multifocal if there is more than one spot. Common causes of focal hair loss in kittens include:
- Fleas, mites or other parasites
- Ringworm
- Demodex mites
- Bacterial and/or yeast infection
- Obsessive overgrooming due to anxiety
Some breeds occasionally lose fur on specific parts of their body, such as pinnal alopecia on the ears of older Siamese cats. Treatment of these conditions is for cosmetic reasons only.
Regardless of the pattern of hair loss, it’s a good idea to get it checked out by your veterinarian. Your VCA care team will help you find the underlying cause and manage your kitten’s symptoms.
Make sure to brush up on your ringworm knowledge—this cause of bald spots can pass between pets and people.
