Sudden Hair Loss in a Young Feline Wild Cat

Wild cats, from ocelots to lions, are beautiful creatures. Sudden, unexplained hair loss (otherwise known as alopecia) in a wild cat can be disconcerting for a cat lover to witness, especially if that cat is still young. However, there are many natural and even treatable reasons why a young, wild feline might suddenly lose its hair.

  1. Allergies

    • Cats in the wild can come into contact with many allergens. A young cat, not yet used to its environment, can brush up against poison ivy, breathe in pollen or ingest mold. Hair loss is a common feline reaction to these irritants. For a wild creature, the best remedy is for the offending allergen to be removed from its environment, which hopefully will curb the hair loss and allow the vanished fur to grow back in due time.

    Mange

    • Mange in animals results from being bitten by a mite. It is a more common condition in dogs than in cats, but cats can come down with mange as well, especially if that cat is living in a wild environment. The cat will itch intensely, and will have accompanying hair loss. In order for the mange to go away, the mite must leave its unwilling host, the cat. Cats in the wild will clean one another, but if you are taking care of a young, wild cat yourself, you might have to search with a microscope for the offending mite.

    Stress

    • Cats, like people, sometimes get stressed out. When a cat undergoes a radical change to its environment, or conversely when its environment is dull and not stimulating enough (as in many zoos where big cats are confined) an anxious cat can lick bald spots in its own fur. This condition is known as psychogenic (mentally induced) dermatitis. To treat it, do your best to change what is bothering your wild cat about its environment, or help the cat get used to the state of affairs through behavior modification training.

    Pregnancy

    • When a female cat is pregnant, hair loss is a common side effect of her new condition. The hair loss is likely to continue past when she has her kittens, until she is done nursing them. When her kittens have gained some self-sufficiency, the mother cat's hair will grow back. Depending on your point of view, discovering your young jaguar or tigress is going to have kittens might either be a happy or frightening explanation for her hair loss.