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Why does my senior indoor cat have a bald spot on her side?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | 17 years and 3 months old | 16 lbs

Our oldest cat is indoor and has a bald spot on her side..She’s eating, drinking and has more energy than she has in a long time..worried about this..Thank you

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on May 31st, 2020

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Moochie. This hair loss could be due to over-grooming. This could be caused by stress but in a cat her age it could be caused by a medical condition such as hyperthyroidism. I'd have her seen by a vet to get this checked out, and I recommend getting a geriatric blood panel and urinalysis done. I hope this helps!

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I already scheduled an appointment, but I just want to know ahead of time. My 12 years old cat has bald spots all over her body (even tail), and she has no parasites on her. What could be the cause?
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Hello, my Kitty was born in 2000. She has been very healthy her whole life. I've just noticed a bald patch on her front neck/chest area (she has long hair). For the past month or so, I've been giving her fancy feast gourmet cat food 3 oz. a day, in
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[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
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Hello, thank you for using Boop by Petco. From the photo there does not appear to be any bald spots, however, it is not a very close up view. Honestly, unless there are bald spots and/or she is scratching the area I would not be too concerned. If the problem persists though (like for a few months) then you should take her to your vet for an exam. Some reasons there could be changes in the hair coat: 1. Diet - the special diet she is eating may be causing some nutrient imbalance. You should talk to your vet about putting her on a supplement for her coat (like fish oils) as this may help. 2. Skin Allergies - even if she has never had any symptoms of allergies before, they can develop over time. If this was the case though, I would expect hair loss and/or scratching, redness of the skin, etc. If you are not seeing any of that then this is not as likely to be the problem. 3. Fleas - again, I would expect hair loss and scratching. If you are not noticing that, then this is also not v
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