My cats groom roughly, causing bald patches. Is it stress-related?

Question

my cats groom each other usually with no problems. Recently they have been getting rougher and have bald patches. They don't have fleas and have refused any type of oil I put in their food in case it's just dry skin (from the air conditioner). Could this be stress-related? What do you suggest? Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | spayed | 9 lbs

Sara Farmer, DVM · Accepted Answer

I would guess that something infectious/contagious would be causing the rough skin and hair loss since both cats are affected. Even though you are not seeing fleas they are still a possibility - adult fleas can be hard to find since cats tend to groom them away. You could take a flea comb through the fur at the base of the tail and look for flea dirt. Ringworm is another possibility. It is also possible that both cats happened to develop an allergy at the same time, but less likely. Stress does not typically cause coat changes.

My cats groom roughly, causing bald patches. Is it stress-related?

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