Why is my cat losing hair severely during pregnancy?

Cat pregnancy hair loss may be caused by hormonal imbalance, or it may be due to seasonal hair loss, which are both normal phenomena. In addition, if the cat is malnourished, has improper hygiene, suffers from ringworm or parasites during pregnancy, hair loss may also occur. It is recommended that owners closely observe their cats and promptly seek veterinary care if there are other abnormalities, such as itchy skin and dandruff.

Hormonal imbalance

Due to hormonal changes during pregnancy, cats will shed more hair than usual, with the hair loss mainly concentrated around the breasts. This is a normal phenomenon in pregnant cats, and owners don't need to worry too much. Daily hair removal can help remove dead hair.

Malnutrition

During pregnancy, the fetus absorbs nutrients from the mother. If the mother cat's intake of nutrients is insufficient, hair loss may occur. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the cat's nutrition during pregnancy. You can feed the cat some phospholipids or fish oil to enhance skin resistance.

Seasonal shedding

Cats usually undergo two periods of molting per year, in spring and autumn, lasting about a month each. If a cat loses hair severely during pregnancy, it may be due to the natural seasonal shedding period. This severe hair loss is normal, and owners can brush the cat's hair more often to reduce the amount of hair shed and prevent the cat from swallowing too much hair, which can lead to hairballs.

Improper hygiene

Pregnant cats should not be bathed. If the owner frequently washes the cat, it can also cause severe hair loss and damage the skin's cornification layer. Therefore, owners should not easily bathe pregnant cats. If the cat's hair seems dirty and needs to be cleaned, you can wet a towel with warm water and wipe the dirty areas, then use a dry towel to dry the cat.

Ringworm or parasite infection

If a pregnant cat loses hair severely on the breasts and other areas, it may be due to a ringworm or parasite infection. The cat may also scratch its skin persistently due to itchiness. In this case, timely deworming and veterinary treatment are required.