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Could my cat's ear fur loss be from excessive petting or rubbing?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed

Is it possible that I have rubbed my cats fur off? The tips of her ears have lost their hair. I have been unemployed for 6 months so I have been petting her much more frequently. I rub (with pressure, back and forth, circular motion) and pet her ears very frequently, almost every time I pet her. The inside of her ears are clean, no odor and I have never witnessed her scratch or rub them herself. I have been keeping an eye out since I’ve noticed the hair loss. Did I make her go bald?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on May 8th, 2022

I highly doubt that you caused the thinning of hair on Kren's ear tips. I never say never, so yes, there's always the possibility that you may have exacerbated this hair loss, but the likelihood is very low. Instead, it's more likely that Kren has another issue causing this hair loss, as Dr. Howard mentioned. While this certainly isn't emergent, I do still recommend making an appointment with Kren's vet to have her ears examined. I hope that everything goes well!

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    Answered By Mara Howard, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Good evening! Hair loss on the pinna (ear tips) of cats can be due to a variety of reasons, including infection, skin mites, metabolic issues, or anxiety, among others. If she is itching, seems uncomfortable or you are concerned I would recommend reaching out to your regular veterinarian and having a full physical exam, and any diagnostics (booodwork, skin scrape, etc), if needed. Good luck!

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