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My cat is scratching, losing fur, and has irritated skin. What to do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 13 years and 11 months old | 7 lbs

Hi, my cat Lily is itching large patches of fir off her belly and irritating the skin. She is an old cat and has a tendency to scratch. How can I keep her from scratching? I am concerned she will get an infection.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 18th, 2017

Itchy skin is often due to the following things: 1) Allergies - this can happen suddenly and is usually due to an environmental (i.e pollen) cause. 2) External parasites - fleas, lice and mites can all cause intense itching. It's good to check her for fleas and get treatment if needed. 3) Over-bathing, or using the wrong product for bathing - Bathing too often can cause the skin to get dry and irritated. Cats should normally be bathed no more than once a month with a shampoo that is labeled for cats. If you bathe more than that, or use a shampoo or soap that is meant for people, then you could be damaging the normal protective barrier of the skin. One thing you can do for itchy skin, is give a bath with cool water using an oatmeal or aloe shampoo. You can get these shampoos at the pet store. I hope this helps you to identify the problem. If not, then it would be worth taking him to the vet. We can usually discover the cause quickly and provide the most effective treatment. Below is a link to an article with more information. https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-is-my-cat-so-itchy/

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 23rd, 2017

    It appears that something is really irritating Joy's skin. Itchy skin is often due to the following things: 1) Allergies - this can happen suddenly and is usually due to an environmental (i.e pollen) cause. It could also be due to something that she is in contact with everyday. 2) External parasites - fleas, lice and mites can all cause intense itching. It's good to check her for fleas and get treatment if needed. 3) Over-bathing, or using the wrong product for bathing - Bathing too often can cause the skin to get dry and irritated. Cats should normally be bathed no more than once a month with a shampoo that is labeled for cats. If you bathe more than that, or use a shampoo or soap that is meant for people, then you could be damaging the normal protective barrier of the skin. One thing you can do for itchy skin, is give a bath with cool water using an oatmeal or aloe shampoo. You can get these shampoos at the pet store. I hope this helps you to identify the problem. If not, then it would be worth taking her to the vet. We can usually discover the cause quickly and provide the most effective treatment.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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    Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 6th, 2018

    It seems like BB is generally itchy. Itchy skin is often due to the following things: 1) Allergies - this can happen suddenly and is usually due to an environmental (i.e pollen) cause. 2) External parasites - fleas, lice and mites can all cause intense itching. It's good to check her for fleas and get treatment if needed. 3) Over-bathing, or using the wrong product for bathing - Bathing too often can cause the skin to get dry and irritated. Cats should normally be bathed no more than once a month with a shampoo that is labeled for cats. If you bathe more than that, or use a shampoo or soap that is meant for people, then you could be damaging the normal protective barrier of the skin. One thing you can do for itchy skin, is give a bath with cool water using an oatmeal or aloe shampoo. You can get these shampoos at the pet store. I hope this helps you to identify the problem. If not, then it would be worth taking her to the vet. We can usually discover the cause quickly and provide the most effective treatment. I hope that helps and BB gets better soon.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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