A bald spot has appeared on a cat - what could this mean?

The main differences between purebred pets and domestic ones

Scientists have proven that domestic cats have a common ancestor - the steppe cat, which still lives in North Africa . About 200 cat breeds have been registered by felinological organizations. All of them are the result of painstaking work of breeders and have clear standards. The shape of the head, muzzle, eyes, ears, length of fur, limbs, tail, body, color and character are taken into account.

Pedigree cats have documents that confirm their belonging to the breed . They record the names of its three generations and color features. The meaning of an animal's thoroughbred is that when purchasing, the owner will know exactly what character the animal has, what health nuances need to be paid attention to, and how to care for it.

For example , the Siamese cat is known for its loud meowing and vindictiveness, based on this, the future owner knows what he will have to face. Sphynx cats require special skin care and nutritional control due to their excessive appetite.

There are mixed breeds of cats with a whole bunch of genetic pathologies, but at the same time they have an attractive appearance and an easy-going disposition. All this must be taken into account when choosing a kitten - the necessary information can be obtained from the owner of the nursery. This is why experts advise contacting specialized nurseries so as not to literally buy a “pig in a poke.”

If you come across a baby not from a nursery, but, say, it was given to you as a gift, or you picked it up on the street, you can try to determine the breed yourself. To find out what breed a cat is, you need to carefully examine the animal, determine its striking features , and then study the appropriate breed standard.

You can go the simple route and contact a specialist who will tell you how to recognize a cat’s breed and point out its distinctive features. But most often on the streets there are outbred cats that only vaguely resemble their purebred relatives . Such animals often have an elongated muzzle and body, a thin build, medium-length gray, brown, black or tricolor hair, muscular paws with long claws, round eyes, and an energetic tail that expresses the entire range of emotions of the animal. Yard murkas do not exceed 50-75 cm in length and weigh between 2-6 kg.

In fact, purebred aristocrats are not much different from barn cats, so determining the breed by eye often causes difficulties. Most look closely at the external characteristics and compare them using pictures on the Internet.

However, professionals assure that appearance is not the most compelling argument in favor of an animal’s thoroughbred .
The cat's habits, character, and temperament are important here. It takes a long time for outdoor cats to get used to the litter box and they don’t realize that they shouldn’t tear up the sofa or nibble on the flowers on the windowsill. Owners have to put a lot of effort into raising their pet and instilling good manners in it. Pedigree cats are another matter! They have the habits of an intellectual at the genetic level.

The dog has a pimple in his mouth

But sometimes the coat becomes dull, the skin becomes rough, and the dog begins to itch. Please help urgently! The dog got a huge pimple, see inside for more details. The reason for this may be wet bedding or poor hygiene of babies. Smooth-haired dogs such as boxers, bulldogs and Rottweilers are often prone to acne. To treat dog acne, use only products recommended by your veterinarian, since dogs' skin is thinner and it happens to people. If you take into account the age of the animal, the first pimples may appear in puppies in the groin area. Acne in a dog. If you take into account the age of the animal, the first pimples may appear in puppies in the groin area. It metastasizes quickly, so it is very important to recognize it immediately. Hello! A French bulldog (6 year old girl) has a lump in the back of her mouth, basically nothing in the behavior of the animal. Dogs of this breed often have so-called epulis, which are successfully removed surgically. Girls, please help me solve the problem. My friends are sneezing. The dog has purulent ulcers in the mouth. Disgusting smell. They took a bunch of tests and scrapings. They found nothing, as far as I understand. They injected me with some kind. My curator dog noticed an overexposure in his mouth on the upper in the sky there is something similar to an ulcer. But we don’t know exactly what it is and how long it’s been for Dick is also not clear, maybe a long time ago, or maybe it’s not an ulcer at all. Home » Health and care » Dog diseases. But barley on a dog’s eye often causes bewilderment, because there is still no definite answer to the question of what to do and what treatment. Pimples that occur in atypical places: near the eyes or in the mouth are especially poisonous and also cause bewilderment.

We recommend reading: Cause of Vomiting in Cats After Eating How to Treat?

The cat's mouth has turned yellow, his eyes and ears have become yellow, he has no appetite, has lost weight, and is in a painful condition. But no, it looks like it’s still a pimple or inflammation of the papilla

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How to determine cat breed by size

Pedigree cats are divided into 2 groups based on their body type.:

1. Animals with a large, rounded head , a flattened nose and a stocky body. This is the body structure of Persians and exotics.
2. Animals with a wedge-shaped head , an elongated and oblong muzzle, a long graceful body and limbs. Angora, Siamese, Balinese, longhair and oriental shorthair cats fit these characteristics.

As for the weight of purebred cats, it varies from 2 to 20 kg . The body length is 40-80 cm.

Big cats

List of giant cats:

• Ashera;
• British;
• Egyptian Mau;
• Kurilian and American bobtails;
• Maine Coon;
• Norwegian Forest Cat;
• pixie bob;
• ragamuffin;
• ragdoll;
• Siberian;
• Turkish van;
• chausie;
• chito;
• Chartreuse.

Asherah

Little cats

List of miniature breeds:

• bambino;
• Dwelf;
• Kinkaloe;
• lambkin;
• munchkin;
• minuet;
• minskin;
• Singapore;
• skookum.

Lambkin

How to recognize a cat's breed by external differences

Studying the appearance features will help determine the cat's breed .

Ears

The shape of the ears is a striking distinctive feature indicating belonging to a particular breed.:

• forward-curved ears are characteristic of the Scottish Fold and Highland Fold;
• turned back - only in the American Curl;
• small, low-set, close to the head - in the Highland Fold;
• medium-sized ears, devoid of vegetation with drooping tips - in the Ukrainian Levkoy;
• large, wide at the base, open, with smoothly curving tips - in the elf;
• triangular, pointed, with tassels at the tips - in the Maine Coon;
• hanging ears covered with curls of hair - the poodlecat;
• disproportionately large in relation to the head - in Abyssinians and Orientals.

Short tail

A short tail is a congenital trait that defines the breed:

• American and Kurilian bobtail;
• pixie bob;
• toy bob;
• Kymrik.

Toy Bob
Tailless breeds - Japanese Bobtail and Manx cat.

Reference. Cats of the eastern group of breeds have long and thin tails.

Little paws

In nature, short-legged cats are rare.

All breeds with short limbs were bred artificially:

• bambino;
• Dwelf;
• munchkin;
• minskin;
• Napoleon;
• skookum.

Treatment

For allergies and weeping dermatitis, a course of antihistamines is prescribed, and in severe cases it is supplemented with corticosteroid anti-inflammatory drugs. Treatment for lichen is determined by the severity and area of ​​the lesion. Single spots are treated with antifungal ointments; large-scale inflammations require oral medications or vaccination. If parasites are detected on the skin, the animal should be treated with drops or spray against them.

If a bald spot appears due to internal diseases, first of all it is necessary to eliminate them. For endocrine pathologies, hormonal correction is used. Gastrointestinal diseases are treated with diet, specialized feed and drug therapy.

For pyoderma, the hair around the infected area is cut off, treated with an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory ointments are applied. If the disease is advanced, antibiotics and gamma globulins are prescribed. It is also necessary to take immunostimulating drugs.

How to recognize a cat's breed by its special coat

The structure of the coat varies greatly among different breeds . Cats are mostly divided into short-haired and long-haired.

Long, thick and straight coat with dense undercoat:

• Angoras;
• Burmese;
• British and Scottish longhair;
• Himalayan;
• Maine Coon;
• Neva Masquerade;
• Norwegian forest;
• Persian;
• ragdoll;
• Siberian;
• Somalia;
• Turkish van.

The Bohemian Rex, Selkirk Rex, Laperm have long and wavy fur

Short with tight curls in the Cornish Rex, Devon Rex and German Rex.

a coarse and curly coat .

Bald breeds:

• bambino;
• Dwelf;
• Don and Canadian sphinxes;
• kohanu;
• minskin;
• Peterbald;
• Ukrainian Levkoy;
• elf.

Reference. Rex cats have pleasant and soft fur, reminiscent of astrakhan fur.

Sphinx

Diagnosis and treatment

Before prescribing treatment procedures, the veterinarian will conduct diagnostics to identify the cause of the disease. To do this, a medical history is collected - information from the owner about the pet’s lifestyle, previous diseases, and nutrition. After the interview, the doctor proceeds to an external examination of the animal. He checks the color of the bald spot, the degree of damage, and size. Then he takes the hairs and scrapings for examination under a microscope. Laboratory tests include blood tests. If oncology is suspected - ultrasound, radiography.

Treatment depends on the cause of baldness:

1. In case of allergies, the irritant is eliminated, antihistamines are prescribed (Cetirizine, Fenistil, Diazolin, Bicarfen, Tavegil).
2. Depending on the type of infection - antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, antifungal agents. Medicines are selected for internal or external use (ointments, sprays, drops).
3. If parasites are detected - anti-parasitic pet shampoos, drops on the withers, sprays.
4. Disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system - hormonal drugs.

Bald areas are treated with antiseptic agents. To restore the body's defenses - immunostimulants, vitamin and mineral supplements. Alopecia in cats is a common disease, but with timely treatment it can be eliminated. The main thing is to seek help from a veterinarian. Self-treatment can lead to complications and deterioration of your pet’s health.

How to find out a cat's breed by coat color

Aristocratic cats compare favorably with ordinary yard cats by their variety of colors . For the latter, it is often simple - tricolor, spotted and striped, one- and two-color.

Breeders worked on the color of purebred cats, achieving interesting colors.

Siamese

The Siamese color or color point is one of the most beautiful and spectacular . It is characterized by dark areas on the animal's face, paws, ears and tail. The body is light in color.

Initially, only Thai and Siamese cats had this color, but as a result of breeding work, the following breeds acquired the Siamese color :

• Balinese;
• Burma;
• Himalayan;
• Neva Masquerade;
• Persian;
• ragdoll;
• snowshoe.

There are several variants of point colors:

• blue point - silver-blue;
• caramel point - gray-beige;
• cream point - beige-amber;
• lilac point - pink-blue;
• red point - rich apricot;
• seal point - delicate cream;
• fan point - pale cream;
• cinnamon point - reddish brown;
• chocolate point - brown chocolate.

Only a specialist can identify point colors . Kittens are born white and the markings appear after a few days.

Blue

The blue color is the same as solid gray, an integral characteristic of the British Shorthair cat . The color is determined immediately at the birth of the babies.

Shades of gray are found in these breeds:

• korat;
• Maine Coon;
• Nibelung;
• oriental;
• Russian blue;
• chartreuse;
• Scottish.

Sand

Sand color or sorel is the least common color and defines the breeds - Abyssinian and Somali cats . The fur is unevenly colored: the main part is bright red (copper), and the tip is ticked (dark, chocolate brown).

Abyssinian cat

Wild

Wild natural color or tabby is characterized by the presence of clear spots, stripes, rosettes , making domestic cats small copies of leopards and cheetahs. This color is observed in the Bengal, Egyptian Mau, Siberian cat, Asherah, Safari, Serengeti, Kurilian bobtail, Ocicat, Caracat, Kanaani. The color is characteristic of hybrid breeds and is determined instantly.

Mackerel tabby color

Brown

Brown or chocolate uniform, monochromatic coat color is typical for cats of royal origin and is almost never found in the wild.

The breeds can boast of this color:

• Abyssinian;
• British;
• Burmese;
• Havana Brown;
• Persian;
• Chantilly Tiffany;
• Scottish.

How to determine the breed of a kitten

It is extremely difficult to independently determine the breed of a kitten , since the distinctive features at this age are poorly expressed. In addition, the characteristics of babies may change as they grow older. For example, fold-eared kittens have erect ears at birth, which droop after a few months.

Experts advise paying attention to the constitution of the body, the structure, length and color of the coat, the color of the iris, and the shape of the ears . If you have a munchkin in front of you, the baby’s legs will be short. If this is a small Canadian Sphynx, then its skin will be bare. And in the Ukrainian Levkoy the whiskers will be curled even with partial presence of hair.

Russian Blues and British Blues are similar in color and coat structure, but have differences in body structure. British cats are heavyset and large, Russian blue cats are more graceful and elongated.

Important! Even if a kitten fully complies with the breed standard, without supporting documents it is considered out of breed.

Other reasons

Less common, but still significant reasons for the appearance of bald spots include:

1. Sterilization. The operation provokes a change in hormonal levels, resulting in the appearance of bald spots.
2. Experienced stress. In this case, bald spots are a psychogenic reaction that can be caused even by short-term experiences, for example, a change of housing or food, the appearance of another animal in the house, or the birth of a child.
3. Hypercorticism. It is the synthesis of corticosteroids in the animal's body in large quantities.
4. Pyoderma is a purulent skin lesion provoked by pyogenic cocci.
5. Pemphigus (pemphigus).

This is interesting! If you find a bald spot on your cat's stomach, do not rush to panic. Many owners mistake an ordinary symptom for alarm... The navel! In cats, it is always located on a hairless area of ​​the body.