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I've noticed that my cat has thinning hairs on her mid back. The rest of the fur on her is soft but this one area has fur that feels more like hair and I can see through to her skin if I push the fur aside.

I've also noticed that her purr has changed and that she purrs within a few seconds of me petting her (this never used to happen before). I don't know if this hair thinning will continue and lead to hair loss so I'm wondering if anyone can explain what is happening here.

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  • see petmd.com/cat/conditions/skin/c_ct_alopecia – Sonevol Aug 12 '17 at 22:26
  • Over-grooming can cause thinning as the cat licks away the undercoat, and leaves behind only the thicker guard hairs. If she is seeking more attention she might be lonely or anxious. You should rule out disease processes first, but it may very well be a behavior problem caused by stress. Your vet is a good resource for more information. – fmorales Aug 13 '17 at 7:40
  • My cat does not groom the area that has thinning hairs. Although recently she has been seeking my attention more and meowing at night. Do you think stress could be the reason for this? As a side note, I've also started to cut down the amount of calories she consumes in a day, which has been a necessary change for her weight loss. This started about a month ago. Do you think this has something to do with the fur problem? @fmorales – newuser101 Aug 13 '17 at 8:21
  • How has the purring changed? How old is the cat? Have there been any other changes? Can you please post a pic? – user6796 Aug 13 '17 at 8:28
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    @newuser101 Stress, fleas, food allergies, environmental allergies are all possibilities if she is not over grooming. Your vet can help you sort out the cause. – fmorales Aug 13 '17 at 8:35
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I have noticed a similar problem with my female cat. She generally has a soft and fluffy coat, but the fur along her spine has become coarse and is significantly thinner than the rest of her body. As you described, I can brush her hair to the side and see her bare skin.

I actually just brought her to the veterinarian today (for an unrelated issue) and asked about this. We came to the conclusion that, in my cat's case, it is most likely either a seasonal allergy-related issue or an issue with the transition from her winter coat to her spring coat. She is an indoor cat, but still goes through quite a seasonal transition. She had the same issue last spring, but I assumed it was from "over-grooming" at the time.

If this is the first spring that you have had your cat and you live in an area that undergoes seasonal changes, then it could be the same problem. In which case, you just have to wait it out for a couple of weeks and you should see some improvement!

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The first time this happened to my cat it was because of fleas, have you checked your cat very thoroughly for fleas or other pests?

More recently her thinning fur is from over grooming and dandruff, the dandruff is apparently related to her diabetes. If you are certain that its not fleas or anything like that ( or even if it is) I would get your cat to a vet, they will hopefully be able to determine what, if anything, is wrong. Meanwhile try to discourage them from grooming the area excessively.

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