My cat keeps losing hair

Hi,

My cat just had 5 kittens 4 weeks ago and ever since she has been losing big clumps of hair. Normally she has some cat hair loss, but it's never big clumps. She also was eating a lot, but now just recently my cat barely will eat anything. She's also been sleeping a lot. I don't know what's wrong or if it's just normal. Please help.


Hi,

Unfortunately, I don't know where you are writing from - if you are in an area where it is Spring and the weather is changing from cold to hot, that makes a difference in my answer.

First of all, your kitty has been through cat pregnancy, delivery, and nursing, I assume. It is normal for cats to eat more during pregnancy and the early days of nursing. Also, cats have less hair loss during cat pregnancy and also during winter.

If you ARE in a climate where the seasons are changing, then your kitty would be experiencing an increased loss of hair due to the season change in addition to what she is losing from normal cat postpartum changes.

That applies to appetite as well. Cats have such an increased appetite during pregnancy and nursing that, as she is getting back to normal, it will seem as if your cat is not eating nearly as much. Likewise, cats eat less in warmer weather.

Your cat may also be less active, again due to the recovery from her feline pregnancy and delivery and nursing as well as the tendency for cats to be somewhat less active when the weather is warmer.

That said, I cannot say for sure since I cannot directly examine your kitty. If you still have concerns, you should definitely have her checked out by a veterinarian.

Thank you for writing,

Best,
Dr. Neely