I’ve always wondered why cats have less hair around their ears, especially when there are bald spots on cat’s ears. Usually, I assume it’s natural in cats as they grow older. It turns out that’s not the case.
Hair loss in cats signifies something more serious unless you have a Sphynx cat. If you notice bald spots on your feline’s head or around their ears, perhaps it’s time to visit the vet.
Cats lack hair on their ears because of different reasons. And one of those reasons is alopecia, which can be inherited or acquired.
Other possible causes for your pet’s hair loss include chronic stress, allergies, sunburn, aging, or a medical condition. Below, I will discuss these reasons in detail and possible solutions, so let’s jump right in.
Cat Losing Hair on Back of Ears
When cats lose hair around their ears or have bald spots on their head, it’s probably a good time for a vet checkup.
Hair loss in cats can occur for different reasons.
In this section, I will discuss the most common causes of hair loss in felines, so take a look and schedule a vet appointment as soon as possible.
Hereditary and Acquired Hair Loss
Thanks to genetics, cats can lose hair on their head or around their ears. It’s called hereditary hair loss, so there’s no underlying medical condition except for a transfer of genes. So, these bald patches don’t cause irritation and upset cats.
Unfortunately, there’s no treatment for hereditary cat hair loss or something that will get your cat’s hair back. Moreover, some breeds of cats experience hereditary hair loss more than others, such as the following:
- Siamese
- Birman
- Burmese
- Devon Rex
Acquired hair loss, however, signifies other medical conditions that cause itching in cats. If this is the case with your feline, they will likely chew, scratch, run, or lick the affected areas until their hair falls off.
So, as soon as you see symptoms of acquired hair loss caused by other conditions in your feline such as bald patches on cat’s ears, call your vet and ask for further guidance.
Ear Mites (Otodectes Cynotis)
Also known as Otodectes cynotis, ear mites in felines can cause severe itching and cause hair loss on the head and ears.
Unfortunately, they’re easily transferred to other felines and sometimes even get on people, but don’t panic, as they usually can’t survive on people.
Some of the signs of ear mites include:
- Hair loss on the head and ears
- Redness
- Ear shaking
- Head rubbing
- Scratching
- Foul smell
- Brown, waxy build-up in your cat’s ears
Your vet can quickly diagnose ear mites with their otoscope and provide treatments accordingly. The treatments usually include thorough but gentle cleaning of the ears and applying medication into the canals.
If your cat gets diagnosed with ear mites, follow your vet’s instructions and don’t fret because they’re usually gone within three weeks of continuous treatment. (*)
Fleas
When fleas bite, they leave saliva behind, which causes itchiness called flea allergy dermatitis. In other words, the fleas’ saliva makes felines scratch excessively.
Hair loss caused by flea bites can happen on the face, head, and ears; however, the ears take the biggest punch because cats often scratch at their temples. Or rub their head against carpets and furniture.
You can quickly diagnose your cat with fleas. They’re visibly noticeable and even leave small droppings in your cat’s skin and fur. And your feline probably got fleas from other cats.
Fleas are also one of the reasons why cats scratch their neck.
You can treat your cat with insecticidal shampoos, dips, sprays, or spot-on medications like Frontline, but I also advise asking your vet for guidance.
Ringworm
Ringworm isn’t a worm but a fungal infection that remains in hair follicles and feeds on dead cells. This infection also causes itching in cats. (*)
As the fungus enters the hair shafts, they break off at skin level, causing bald spots. And sometimes, crusty patches show around the cat’s ears and other areas.
Unfortunately, this infection is highly contagious, so if you suspect your cat has this infection, keep other pets away, if any.
Also, don’t panic because it’s treatable.
Your vet will determine if ringworm is what causes hair loss in your kitty by culturing the hair for the fungus.
Treatments for ringworm include:
- Lime sulfur dips
- Griseofulvin tablets suggested by your vet
- Topical ointments like miconazole
- Bathing your feline antifungal shampoos
- Shaving your cat’s fur
Mange
Another highly contagious mite infestation that causes excessive itching around the ears, face, and neck in cats is mange.
The affected skin loses hair and gets a grayish-yellow crust that resembles a horrible case of eczema.
Manga in cats comes in two types, including demodectic and notoedric.
Your vet can diagnose which type of mange your feline has by scraping the affected skin and observing the contents under magnification for mites.
And depending on the type, they can clip away your cat’s coat and apply lime sulfur dip once a week for 6-8 weeks until new scrapings show no mites.
Food Allergies
Intense itching and exuding sores around the face, head, ears, and neck in cats can also be caused by food allergies. Moreover, felines with food allergies lose hair.
The diagnosis of a food allergy includes several food trials. Your vet will prescribe a restricted cat diet that will slowly reintroduce ingredients one by one until your feline displays a reaction to a specific food.
In some cases, the cat can be allergic to more foods; however, you must remove all problematic foods from your cat’s diet immediately and permanently.
Once your cat’s system removes the unwanted substances, the hairs will grow back, and the sores will eventually heal.
Chronic Stress
Surprisingly, chronic stress can also cause hair loss in cats.
Remember that felines find comfort in grooming, and the more stressed and anxious they feel, the more they groom.
Constant grooming eventually affects the fur, especially in spots with naturally short hair, like the ears and head.
This condition is also known as psychogenic alopecia.
So, if your cat loses hair, maybe stress is the reason why. You can control your cat’s stress by determining the cause of the stress and making your cat feel pleasant and comfortable in your household.
Maybe your cat is alone or bored. In this case, you can provide a cat tree. That way, your cat will have something else to focus on besides grooming.
If your feline doesn’t feel better despite your best efforts, consult your vet for advice, as they might need anxiety medications or pheromones.
Alopecia Areata
Although experts don’t completely understand this condition, they suspect it’s auto-immune related.
Moreover, they believe a cat’s diet further complicates it.
Alopecia areata causes hair loss around the ears, neck, back, and head because of excessive scratching.
Your vet can help relieve this condition by administering food tests, then eliminating allergens from your feline’s diet.
Atopy
Another possible cause of hair loss is atopy, a set of allergies caused by dust mites, molds, and pollens, among other environmental irritants.
Atopy causes itching, especially around the ears and head. The treatment for atopy includes removing as much of the irritant as possible from your feline’s environment or restricting your cat’s exposure to the irritant.
Sometimes, vets administer antihistamines to help relieve the unbearable itchiness, allergy shorts, or immunosuppressive medications.
Facial Alopecia
If your vet diagnoses your feline with facial alopecia, don’t worry. It’s normal in cats, especially those with dark, short hair.
The hair loss caused by facial alopecia happens on the head between the ears and eyes.
Since it’s normal, there’s no treatment unless you catch other signs of a serious skin condition that can cause hair loss.
Sebaceous Adenitis
The sebaceous glands can catch a skin disease known as sebaceous adenitis. It’s a rare disease in felines.
Still, it’s a possible cause of hair loss around the ears, head, and face. What causes this inflammatory disease is still unknown, and there’s no cure, but you and your vet can help manage the symptoms by providing anti-inflammatory medications.
If your kitten is diagnosed with this disease and they’re losing hair, you can use anti-scalding shampoos to remove the crusty wounds around the follicles on your cat’s skin.
Solar Dermatitis
Sunburn, also known as solar dermatitis, results in a horrible burn accompanied by hair loss and flaking in cats.
The condition typically affects the area around the ears, eyelids, and nose because they have the least hair.
Additionally, felines with lighter fur and pink skin experience sunburn more than cats with dark-colored hair and darker skin.
If your cat has been sunburned, don’t worry. Your vet will advise that you keep your cat out of the sun and apply antibiotic ointment.
Prolonged extended sun exposure can turn sunburn into squamous cell carcinoma on your feline’s ears and face, so keeping your cat away from the sun is vital. (*)
Aging or Pain
Aging in cats has similar effects as aging in people. One of those effects is thinning hair. Usually, young cats have the same hair density over their bodies.
As cats age, their hair starts to thin out. You can notice less or thinner hair in some parts of their body, such as the ears and face. They can even develop bald patches because of hair loss.
Also, older felines tend to groom themselves less often, so their coats look dry and dull, but you don’t have to worry about this cause of hair loss, especially if you have a healthy, older cat.
Hormonal Imbalance
Hair loss can happen if a feline has a high level of steroids. Or hormonal imbalance. The abnormal hormone levels cause the hair follicles to diminish, and sadly, the hair might never grow back.
Cancer
A type of cancer known as neoplasia can cause hair loss in cats. It’s rare, but if you suspect your cat has this type of cancer, call your vet immediately.
They will examine your kitten and diagnose the cause of their hair loss. Your vet will act accordingly if a skin disorder or hormonal imbalance causes it.
Cat Thin Hair In Front of Ears: Is It Normal?
If your cat has thin hair in the area in front of the ears, symmetrically on either side of the face, don’t worry because it’s completely normal.
Adult cats have sparse hair in this part of their head. However, young kittens don’t. The zone with short and thin hair contains glands under the skin. And these glands release the scent when cats run their heads against their owners or objects.
If your cat “headbutts” you, you’re in luck, as it’s a sign of love. In this way, they’re marking you as their favorite human.
They also have multiple nerves in this part of their head. Therefore, the area in front of their ears is also heat and touch-sensitive.
In a nutshell, don’t fret because most felines have this feature, except for cat breeds with long and dense fur. Simply put, they don’t need extra protection. They have just enough hair to prevent foreign objects from entering their ears.
Cat Bald Patches On Ears: Is It Serious?
As I already established, most cats have less hair around the ears. However, if your cat has bald patches, schedule a vet appointment because there could be a medical issue causing hair loss.
Moreover, observe your cat and see if they scratch excessively around their ears. If so, they could experience ear mites or something even more serious. Watch for skin breaks and redness and visit the vet clinic as soon as possible.
Lastly, ensure your feline isn’t grooming excessively because this could be a sign of boredom, depression, stress, or anxiety.
Visit your vet for a regular checkup even if you don’t notice anything unusual, just in case.
Final Thoughts
In short, hair loss around your cat’s ears can result from serious reasons like a skin condition or cancer and normal reasons like aging or excessive grooming.
Whether you suspect it’s a normal occurrence or something more serious, don’t wait and visit the vet’s office immediately.
The faster your vet diagnoses the cause, the better for your cat, as they can deliver timely treatments and prevent the issue from becoming more serious.
*image by tonodiaz/depositphotos