Persian cat's fur only grew back weakly

by Dora
(Budapest, Hungary)

Dear Dr. Neely,

My 3 year old female cat was completely shaved in March. This was the second time, as our vet has done this a year before as well. Last year, her fur grew back normally, but this year, only the half of it looks healthy. The fur on her back and thighs have the very same length as the vet cut it in March, except for some thin layer that has grown back successfully. From what I understood, the fur that didn't grow back was the very thick inner layer of her fur...

I have started to worry. I know that its summer and her fur is usually a lot thinner, but it has never been like this. My cat is half bald, so to speak. She's from a Himalayan Persian father and a black Persian mother so, as you can see on her “before” picture, my cat’s fur is beautiful normally.

I only feed her with Royal Canin for Persians, and have done so ever since she was a kitten. My cat is quite thin, and my veterinarian noticed this as well, but all the examinations were negative.

Many thanks for your kind help in advance.
Best,
Dora


Dear Dora,

Has your veterinarian performed bloodwork to rule out endocrine diseases in your beautiful cat? There are a variety of feline endocrine diseases that can cause hair loss and/or effect hair growth and regrowth in cats, and ruling these conditions out as a possible cause would be advised.

If you do bloodwork, or of your cat’s bloodwork has already come back normal, there is no need to panic. I have heard of this happening before on many occasions. I have also seen cats that have been shaved for surgery and their fur didn’t grow back in for quite a long time. Eventually, for many cats, the hair will regrow. This is certainly not a guarantee, but often it will.

Because cat hair growth can be related to season or time of year, when summer is over, you may want to have your cat’s hair clipped again to see if it grows in more evenly as colder weather approaches. Also, I have found that omega fatty acids help tremendously with a cat’s fur coat, and would recommend that you ask your veterinarian for an omega fatty acid supplement to further aid in your cat’s hair growth and overall health.

Best wishes,
Dr. Neely