Why is my cat's belly hairless and pink, yet seems perfectly healthy?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
8 yr. Old cat has hairless deep pink belly.... Seems perfectly healthy otherwise.... Not sure how long it's been like this
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on February 19th, 2015
The hairloss and pink belly could be a sign of over grooming due to fleas or allergies which could be causing your cat to be itchy. If your cat is not on flea prevention it's highly recommended to get him started on one. You should get flea prevention through your vet because those products work much better than the over the counter products. If the hairloss and pinkness of the belly don't get better or if they worsen you should have your cat seen by a veterinarian to determine the cause so it can properly be treated.
17Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on November 9th, 2017
This type of hair loss usually occurs because of overgrooming the area. Cats will over groom if they are itchy (usually from allergies) or it may be a behavior issue called psychogenic alopecia. I would recommend taking your cat in to see the vet so the appropriate diagnosis can be made. There are medications and special diets to help with allergies and behavioral modification drugs if your vet determines this is behavioral in origin. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.
3Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
my 9 yr old spayed female tuxedo cat has a large patch on her stomach near her hind legs. This is hair loss. I can see her pink belly where there is the hair loss.
This type of hair loss usually occurs because of overgrooming the area. Cats will over groom if they are itchy (usually from allergies) or it may be a behavior issue called psychogenic alopecia. I would recommend taking your cat in to see the vet so the appropriate diagnosis can be made. There are medications and special diets to help with allergies and behavioral modification drugs if your vet determines this is behavioral in origin. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
my cat misses hair in the belly and paws the skin under appear normal she looks as though she was shaved what is the cause i dont see any itching or nothing else
Hair loss can be caused by a number of issues including parasites such as fleas, ticks, and mites, allergies to food or environment, skin infections, burns/wounds and even metabolic illnesses. Other signs and symptoms can include itching, redness, skin changes, weight changes and changes to appetite/drinking habits. if you can't find an apparent cause for the hair loss and it is spreading, worsening or you see other health symptoms, scheduling a vet exam is best. Your vet will likely recommend taking a sample from the affected area or bloodwork to determine the cause.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My car has a big bald patch on his stomach that wound heal
He could be an over-groomer or it could be caused by an allergy, skin infection, etc. If the skin looks completely normal than he may just have psychogenic alopecia (over-grooming) from an anxiety or OCD. The best thing would be to have your vet take a look at him to determine the cause and treat his problem. He may need an anti-anxiety medication, antibiotic, anti-histamine, or corticosteroid to help.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cat has loss of hair on certain parts of his belly and it looks very sore, some parts are also red. He seems fine but the loss of hair is worrying, i first thought it was from fighting with other cats but I have kept him home and he is still losin
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Aller
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
The hair on my cat’s belly is missing m. Is this supposed to be normal?
The hair on the belly which is missing can be a normal finding in a small number of cats, but the hair loss on the side of the body seen in the picture is never normal. Typically the first thing a vet will want to know with any situation involving hair loss is if it is occurring with or without itchiness. If there has been itchiness, the cause of the ailment is most likely allergic, inflammatory, parasitic, infectious, or auto immune in nature. If there is not an itchy component, the cause may be hormonal, psychologist, or also potentially, inflammatory in nature. If Pipi appears to be uncomfortable or is mutilating herself in any way, I would encourage you to have her examined at the next available appointment time. Provided she is still comfortable and not hurting herself, simply continue to monitor for any changes or worsening condition, and make a regular appointment to be seen at the next convenient time. Hope this helps.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My 9 -year-old domestic short hair male Cat has a bald sport around 3 inches long on his back . The skin lesion is wet and in pink . I haven't noticed this until yesterday . What's wrong with him? Thanks
Your cat has groomed this spot until is raw. The area is classic for flea allergies to appear. Skin problems can have a variety of causes, sometimes more than one. Allergies, parasites, bacterial or fungal infections, even contact with some surfaces or substances will cause itching, rash and/or hair loss. It is important to have the problem checked by your vet to determine if there is a medical cause for your pet’s skin issues and treat accordingly. In pets of all ages, fleas, food allergies and exposure to chemical irritants such as cleaners and soaps can be a cause. Any one of these may not be enough to trigger the breakouts, depending on how sensitive your pet is, but a combination can be enough to start the itch-scratch cycle. Finding out the cause and eliminating it is the best course of action. With flea allergies, if your pet is sensitive enough, a single bite can cause them to break out scratch enough to tear their skin. Check for fleas with a flea comb. Look for fleas and/o
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cats belly is totally bald. Its been like that for a very, very long time. I dont see him lick it excessively or anything, he seems relatively normal. Hair never grows there, its perfectly smooth. I assumed he was bald due to the scar when we got
Neutering will not cause baldness. Pets can have a bald belly for many reasons. Over grooming is most common and you may not always see behavior that appears to be obsessive: https://www.petcoach.co/article/psychogenic-alopecia-in-cats/ Other causes include allergies, thyroid conditions or an abnormality in the hair follicles themselves. The best place to start figuring out the cause is a physical exam with your veterinarian. They will get an idea of this is pathological or not. I hope this helps.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My eight-year-old female indoor cat has a patch of baldness on her belly. She isn’t acting any different than usual from what I can tell. I searched online different causes for fur loss, but I don’t know the cause for her’s yet. I haven’t noticed her
Hi there. A couple things could be going on with Lucky. Some cats lose hair due to stress and this is usually self resolving. More commonly cats lose hair due to an allergy. This could be to their food or something in the environment. I would start by having your vet check her and then do a hypoallergenic food trial for 8 weeks. This usually does the trick, but if not your vet can prescribe medications to help with environmental allergies. Best wishes to you and Lucky.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Cat overgrooming lower belly until a pink patch appears.Seems to eat (raw food) and drink normally but has been attacked by neighbour cat a few months back and since been nervous around catflap in kitchen. Moved food place and close kitchen door so s
Place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent excessive grooming. This may be enough to allow for healing. A pheromone product such as Feliway spray or plug in diffuser may decrease any anxiety. If the behavior persists, have Cina examined by your veterinarian or a certified veterinary behaviorist. Prescription anxiety medication may be indicated along with behavioral modification.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello, My cat has little pink spots on his belly (where he previously licked the hair off of due to food allergy). He has been stable on new food (limited ingredients, duck/venison) for a couple years and we haven't changed it. No spots on the o
This could be from either an environmental allergies, food (if you introduced any new treats, etc), or just anxiety. Some cats as they get older will become obsessive groomers and will cause sores like this on their abdomens. A lot of cats will only groom when no one is around. I would first try some Benadryl twice a day and you can even spray it with a Benadryl spray to see if it helps with the itching. If this doesn't work, I would have your vet take a look at it to see if you need to try a stronger allergy meds like a steroids, antibiotics or just an anti-anxiety medicine. See link below for Benadryl dosing. I hope this helps! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/cat/benadryl/#
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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