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Our cat is losing hair

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toosmoothsam - 21 May 2007 06:38 GMT
Our cat Allie has lost hair on her back.  It starts from her tail and goes up
half way up her back.  It is like two small lines about a finger wide.  We
have brought another cat into the house a while back and the other cat,
Garfield, as taken over just about everything Allie used to do.  Such as,
Garfield now sleep on the bed, guards the litter box, hisses at Allie if she
comes near us, and guards the food.  We have to take Garfield out of the room
so Allie can eat and go to the bathroom.  Do you guys think her hair lose is
do to Garfield and the stress?  Please help us out here.  Thanks alot
everyone.

Sam and Etta
Noon Cat Nick - 21 May 2007 08:07 GMT
>Our cat Allie has lost hair on her back.  It starts from her tail and goes up
>half way up her back.  It is like two small lines about a finger wide.  We
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>everyone.
>  

That would be my first guess. Allie's environment and her freedom within
it has become severely compromised by Garfield's overly controlling
behavior. There could be other existing medical problems which would
exacerbate Allie's condition.

Alopecia, or hair loss, such as you've described isn't at all normal in
cats. Check the exposed skin to see if it looks red or inflamed. If not,
watch to see if Allie has been overgrooming those areas. Because this
sounds very much like psychogenic alopecia, an OCD-like behavior wherein
the cat continually overgrooms an area due to serious and unmitigatable
stress.

Allie should still be looked at by a vet for the possibility of a
somatic, rather than external, cause. Apart from that, I strongly
recommend you either consult a feline behaviorist or psychologist or
look through materials which deal with those areas. It sounds as if
Allie's life and freedom has been suddenly and incontrovertibly
compromised by Garfield's psychological bullying, and the resulting
stress is doing her much harm. But remember: regarding the behavior and
psychology of this peculiar situation, Allie is the victim, not just the
patient. IMVHO, it's Garfield who needs behavior modification.

HTH.
 
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