My cat is losing fur in patches and has black skin. What should I do?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered
My cat is losing patches of fur and the skin underneath is turning black. What is the cause of this and what can I do to help him?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on July 10th, 2017
It looks as though your cat is over grooming which is causing the hair loss. The most common cause of over grooming in cats is allergies. The allergies cause skin infection and excessive itchiness. The discoloration of the skin is because of this as well. I would recommend taking your cat to the vet so the skin infection can be treated and they can give Buddy something to help with the itch.
13Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on May 31st, 2019
The dark discoloration of Kitty’s skin is just a change in pigmentation, most likely from being irritated and inflamed by the clipping. The skin looks otherwise healthy and normal. The pigmentation will slowly go away over time and should not cause any problems. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
My cat Spots is losing her fur. She acts normal. Eats, drinks, goes to the bathroom all normal. She runs and plays and jumps like normal. Her skin doesn't seem to have any lesions or bite marks or signs of a rash. It looks like her normal skin. Her s
It looks like feline overgrooming. In some cats, it can be brought on by itching (like fleas or mites or allergies), but in others it can be a sign of disease or stress/anxiety. I would recommend working with your vet to determine the cause so that Spots can start an appropriate treatment plan. Here is an article discussing it more: https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952646
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cat is developing bald spots on his inner front legs and on his right hip he has a huge spot where the hair is noticeably shorter than the rest.
[Allergies](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/feline-allergies/) are the most common cause of hair loss and [excessive grooming in cats](https://www.petcoach.co/article/excessive-grooming-in-cats-what-it-means-and-how-to-help), but there are several other medical causes as well - including [fleas](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/), bacterial or fungal infections, or skin mites. I would definitely start your cat on a good monthly spot-on product such as [Advantage II](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/cat/cat-flea-and-tick/cat-flea-and-tick-drops/advantage-ii-once-a-month-cat-and-kitten-topical-flea-treatment-over-9-lbs) to make sure fleas are not the problem - you can get this over the counter at many pet stores. If this doesn't resolve the problem, you will need to have your cat examined by a vet - he/she can do some testing if needed to diagnose the problem and get your kitty the appropriate prescription medications to treat it. Behaviora
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cat is 10 yes old and is indoors/outdoors. Recently he started to lose his hair on his lower back while feeding him a new type a food. Once I stopped feeding him the hair loss stopped. Several weeks later he began losing his hair along his stomach
Your cat's hair loss is probably due to allergies. Since he does go outside I would recommend that he have flea control every month. I would also recommend taking him in to see your vet so they can make sure there is no skin infection present, because if there is he will need some antibiotics to help it clear up. Your vet may also prescribe something to help with the allergies as well. With these treatments your cat's hair should grow back.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cat,male 6 years started loosing hair on the top back hindquaters 1 week ago. loss of hair is in a stright line. will not have money until 4/3/17/please help me
Poor Buddy! Hair loss can have a number of underlying causes, including fleas/flea allergies, food allergies, environmental allergies, ringworm, mange, or even traumatic events like burns. Treatment will be determined by the underlying cause. Ultimately, Buddy should be examined by his vet to check for ringworm, mange (caused by mites), fleas, or signs of a skin infection as a result of itching. Until you are able to take Buddy to his vet, closely examine his fur (mostly around the tail base and head/neck areas) for the presence of live fleas or flea dirt. Flea dirt resembles flecks of pepper that turns reddish-brown when moistened with water on a white paper towel. Regardless of whether or not you see fleas, administer a high quality flea preventative, such as Advantage, once a month. Some fleas are good at hiding in the coat, and if Buddy is allergic to fleas, only one flea bite could make him itchy and cause hair loss. If you see signs of fleas, give Buddy a Capstar (available at
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Our black cat has bald patches and so has a neighbours black cat. Our other two black and white cats are not effected. He has had a mote injection and we are up to date with all their Advocate. Any ideas? He is highly strung
Hi there! I'm sorry to hear that Max is having this problem. There are a number of different things that can cause patches of hair loss in cats, so it's hard to say what might be wrong without being able to examine him and do some testing. Some common possibilities would include allergies (food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment), a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so it's important to get a diagnosis first. Because of this, I would recommend taking Max to the vet for an exam when you are able to. He/she can do some simple skin tests to help diagnose the problem and get him started on appropriate medication to treat it.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
hello! my cat has been itchy for about a month now. I have tried flea medication even though i have searched for them and found nothing, changing his diet to grain free, switching to unscented litter, coconut oil, and wipes to help with dry skin and
Not all flea medications are equal. I find that fipronil/Frontline products don't work very well. I would recommend that you talk to your vet about a prescription product like Bravecto or Revolution, or try a Seresto collar. Fighting cat fleas is tough, and even with excellent products, it may take 3 or more months to get rid of the fleas due to their life cycle and new fleas hatching. See the articles below. That being said, overgrooming (hair loss) and black skin (caused by chronic inflammation) can be caused by many things. Food allergies are possible, but Rengar is more likely to be allergic to chicken or beef than grains. Anxiety or pain are other possible causes. It would be a good idea to discuss this with your vet. https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-best-flea-prevention-plan-for-your-cat/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/excessive-grooming-in-cats-what-it-means-and-how-to-help/
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Please help, spotikiss is showing hair loss around his ears along with little black spots, he also expirenced hair loss around the tip of his tail but the hair is growing back slowly with a better diet, my first though was fleas but I couldn’t find a
The thin hair around his ears doesn't concern me too much since it is normally thin there on most cats. The tail is more of a problem. He may have a flea allergy and be sensitive enough that just a bite or two is enough to start him itching and overgrooming. I would recommend getting him seen by your vet for an exam. It may also be the case that he has some allergies to food or environmental substances. Exposure to only one of these may not be enough to trigger hair loss, but more than that can start the cycle again. He may need some medicated shampoo, antibiotics, and/or increased flea control. Getting him on a good quality flea preventative from your vet and applying it monthly without fail may be your best bet, depending on what your vet finds. I have a cat that is very flea allergic and I have her on allergy pills, medicated baths and two different kinds of topical flea control. Good luck with your boy and his skin.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cat, Lucky, is four years old and has been losing his fur. What causes that? Does he need to see the vet?
A thinning hair coat on that particular spot in animals is often the result of a flea allergy. Fleas are very hard to find on cats as they often groom them before we see them. The hair loss is a result of the scratching and over grooming. Get a good flea medication such as advantage or bravecto. IF the hair continues to thin or he developed sores, then I would take him in
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS FROM THIS QUESTION... Hello! My cat has been losing hair lately and it is not growing back. The skin underneath almost looks like a dark blue/black color. I am wondering if this is something I should be concerned about or if it
Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Mybcayt is losing LOTSvof hair. in it, thrte are small black specks. Whar does he have?
It sounds like your cat may have a flea allergy. Flea dirt (small black specks) are often found in the skin and this is accompanied by constant scratching/licking and hair loss. The skin is also susceptible to getting secondary bacterial infections. Your cat needs to first be examined to confirm a flea allergy is likely present, then he/she needs to get a steroid shot to stop the itch quickly. The more your pet scratches the worse it will get. If your pet doesn't have fleas then another possible cause of hair loss and black specks is a mite infestation on the skin with lots of loose scans; although this is not nearly as common as fleas. Both require a vet visit to get any type of resolution. I hope your kitty gets well soon!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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