My cat does the same thing he has a patch of hair licked off his belly and he has 2 red patches...I took him to the vet and I was also told its an alergy but i havent discovered exactly what it is he is alergic to...I have a cone but cant get it on his head....I dont know what else to do.
Nov 12, 2009 Rating
Detergents can cause allergies by: Alex
My cat did exactly the same thing. The patches were sometimes covered with little pimples or red rashes.
I took it to the vet because I thought it could be ring worms or a fungus. But she told me it was an allergy, and I started to act like a detective.
What I found out is that there is a component in detergents (cleaning floors detergents, laundry detergents, etc.) that can cause skin allergies: limonene. Although limonene is a natural component removed from oranges and lemons, some animals and even people can be sensitive to it.
I started to pay more attention to components in detergents and I don't use any that is agressive or has limonene (and it has been difficult). I have been forced to make my own detergents...
For floor cleaning (because cats eat in the floor, play in the floor...) I use water and apple vinegar (1 cup for 4 liters of water). Vinegar is a natural disinfectant, and because it's apple vinegar it smells nice and is allergy free.
I also changed its food and changed the plastic plates with metallic ones, because an allergic cat is more likely to have more than 1 allergy. Well, so far so good. :)
I hope you find the cause, because I understand how frustrating it can be when having an allergic cat and not finding the allergy origin (or origins).
Aug 02, 2009 Rating
grieving or senility by: Kathie
My 17yr old cat started doing the exact thing when my 3yr was killed by a car. My vet told me that from suffering the loss of her companion it caused her to start becoming senile. Did your cat endure a loss of any kind?
Jun 22, 2009 Rating
Cats licking off fur by: Cath
I also have a cat who licks off her fur in patches. I have been researching this is believe it is not physical at all but an emotional response to living with other animals (& small children). She suffers anxiety disorder and this is a cat's way of dealing with it - they don't have access prozac or alcohol.
I got her from a vet who suggested this was the problem (she was rejected by previous owners who decided it was gross and she was due to be put down). He had no solution as vets only deal with physical issues and suggested I track down alternatives. This was relatively easy as I live in the Northern Rivers know for it's alternative lifestylers and I quickly found a range of things to try. I decided to start with energetic medicine hoping to knock this straight up so I put her on a course of homeopathic drops which is like flower essence only it's proper medicine rather than just a therapy. You need a licensed practitioner to administer this if you want to get it right. Alternatively I might try herbs, hair testing for diagnosing any allergy (although I can only find someone for my horse who wont branch into cats) or acupuncture, but thats even harder to find. The other things I'm keen to try is the lady who talks to animals. She might be able to help me change things within our household that might be triggering her anxiety like other animals or the lack of safe zones.
