My indoor cat won't stop scratching. Could it be allergies or mites?

Question

Hi, my cat won't stop itching, and scratching, no fleas, and she is an indoor cat only, she was adopted about a year ago, and it's only gotten worse. She is double coated so it's hard to see her skin. Her ears, and where her tail meets her body on the back, are the itchiest areas for her. She is a manx or Siamese Lynx Point. Eats fancy feast wet, and fancy feast dry. She's been on sensitive foods in the past and they helped a little bit. The itchiness is driving her crazy. Pet's info: Cat | Manx | Female | spayed | 4 years and 1 month old | 12 lbs

Lauren Kennedy, DVM · Accepted Answer

It sounds as if your cat has a skin infection, most commonly caused by an allergy, a skin mite (Demodex) or fleas.   The allergy could be a due to a protein in your cat’s food or an environmental allergy like to dust, pollens, grasses, etc.   The allergy causes your cat to itch and chew at the skin which breaks down the skin barrier. This then leads to infection. Skin infections are typically characterized by large areas of redness, crusting, flaking, and pustules. A thorough skin examination by your veterinarian should be able to determine the cause of the itch so it can be treated appropriately. Your cat will most likely need antibiotics to help clear up any infection and possibly an allergy/anti-itch medication like Atopica or steroids to give some relief while the infection clears up. A medicated shampoo may be beneficial as well. I would also recommend she be on a good flea control routinely too.

My indoor cat won't stop scratching. Could it be allergies or mites?

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