This entry was posted on Monday, April 2nd, 2007 at 7:05 pm and is filed under Cats. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
At this time of year, when doing your cat’s weekly health check, you may find that he’s starting to look a little baldy in places. Alternatively, you may find that he’s licking certain areas of his legs or stomach more than he normally does.
The main reason for this during the summer months is often because of allergies. Just as humans have an increase in allergy risk when the weather starts to warm up and the full force of nature is felt, cats also begin to have allergic reactions to certain things. The first thing that you need to do is to consult your veterinary practice and have a vet check him over. It could be that he’s allergic to fleas – many cats are – and that by completely defleaing him, and by keeping the fleas off with various sprays or other treatments, you will cure the problem. Alternatively, it could be a different kind of allergy that will require your cat to have an injection to counteract the effects of the allergy. The thought of holding your cat whilst the vet injects him may not fill you with enthusiasm but it’s a lot easier than trying to ensure he takes medication every day instead!
The good news is that once the allergy is identified and a treatment started, the fur excessive licking should stop and the fur grow quickly back. Plus, the allergy may or not may not reoccur next year – it depends on the cause – but at least if it does, you’re prepared and know exactly what to do.